Six second-year Texas Longhorns to pay attention to in 2022

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian inherited most of the Longhorns’ class of 2021, adding a few names to what Tom Herman left him during the second signing period in 2021. One notable name Sarkisian added was Xavier Worthy, who set or approached several Longhorn receiving records during his freshman year.

[Subscribe to Inside Texas right now and get a 7-day FREE trial!]

In addition to some of the high school additions Sarkisian brought in, he was active in the transfer portal nabbing players like Keilan Robinson, Ovie Oghoufo, and others.

Many of the players whose 2021 was their first year in burnt orange are back for another go-round. Players who could see their role expand in Sarkisian’s second season include…

Ja’Tavion Sanders

Sanders was not a tight end in high school. For the Denton (Texas) Ryan Raiders, he began his career as a two-way player before shifting more toward the offensive side of the football during his junior and senior years.

Opposite of On3 Consensus four-star Billy Bowman, Sanders exploded during the Raiders’ run to the state title his senior season tallying 1161 yards and 16 touchdowns on 63 receptions.

But most of those stats came with him split out wide. When he finally was able to put on the pads in practice at Texas, he had to learn many of the finer points of the tight end position he was rarely tasked with playing north of the metroplex.

Sanders received a handful of snaps at tight end in 2021, with Cade Brewer, Jared Wiley, Gunnar Helm, and Juan Davis ahead of him in the pecking order. But he still played in all 12 games for the Longhorns.

Ahead of his second year at Texas, and with Brewer and Wiley no longer in front of him, Sanders has a clear path to the playing field. How much he is able to play depends on how much he has improved in his blocking ability, because the receiving talent is assuredly there for the former On3 Consensus five-star.

Xavier Worthy

Worthy arrived at Texas around the same time as Sanders, but quickly rose up the depth chart to become Texas’ No. 1 option at wide receiver. It took a couple of games to get going. He had 3 catches for 75 yards against Louisiana and Arkansas.

Once he adjusted to Power 5 football, he became one of the best freshmen in the country and one of the top receivers in the Big 12.

He broke Roy Williams record for receiving touchdowns by a freshman with 12. He almost broke Jordan Shipley’s record for receiving touchdowns in a season in his first six months at Texas.

His standout performance against Oklahoma put him on the national stage. Even when teams knew he was the primary target of either Casey Thompson or Hudson Card, he still was productive save for a rough outing against Iowa State.

Entering 2022, opposing teams know who the Longhorns’ primary receiving option will be. But if he can continue to produce, and maybe receive some help from Jordan Whittington, Marcus Washington, and Troy Omeire, then 2022 could be a step up from 2021 for Worthy.

Byron Murphy

Before Murphy even showed up on campus, he earned his associate’s degree while attending DeSoto High School. That showed a level of maturity not often seen at the high school level.

The one-time Baylor commit signed with the Longhorns in December of 2020 and enrolled in the summer. Though there were experienced players ahead of him drawing praise during training camp, Murphy found his way into the rotation and even netted a start versus Kansas.

His off-field maturity belied on-field maturity. He showcased some of the best play-strength on the team during his rotational snaps, giving experienced fourth- and fifth-year players fits during his chances.

Though there are still experienced players ahead of him like Keondre Coburn, T’Vondre Sweat, and Moro Ojomo, what Murphy did during his first year in Austin should lead to more playing time. An additional full spring and summer of offseason conditioning should have the DeSoto product in a position to disrupt offenses in 2022.

Keilan Robinson

Playing in 11 games and starting one (the only miss being due to COVID-19), there were high hopes for the Alabama transfer who followed Sarkisian from Tuscaloosa to Austin.

He was productive out of the gate versus Louisiana, backing up Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, then showcased several explosive plays versus Rice and Texas Tech.

For the next five games, he was a non-factor. He tallied nine total touches. He didn’t touch the ball once in the Oklahoma game, though that game was dominated by Bijan Robinson, Worthy, and Thompson.

The end of the year saw him receive some additional workload following Bijan Robinson’s season-ending injury, with a nine-carry, 111-yard performance at West Virginia with a long touchdown run.

Robinson has talent, but might struggle catching the ball. Even with that in mind, an infusion of concepts from new wide receivers coach Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense could provide additional opportunities for the 5-foot-9 change-of-pace back.

Gunnar Helm

Much of what applies to Sanders also applies to Helm. He played in all 12 games in 2021 and received meaningful snaps, but didn’t record any catches during the season.

Without Brewer or Wiley ahead of him, Helm will compete with Sanders and Davis, though there are likely enough snaps to go around for all three. Enrolling early in 2021, plus his 6-foot-5, 238-pound frame, should give him a good chance to become TE1 by the time the season rolls around.

Hayden Conner

One of two offensive line signees in the class of 2021, Conner made good use of enrolling early and put himself in the top seven or eight for Kyle Flood entering the 2021 season.

Once Denzel Okafor went down for the year, he became the primary backup at both guard spots for Junior Angilau and Tope Imade. Those two played the majority of the snaps along the interior, but Conner found his way into meaningful snaps on several occasions.

Imade is no longer on the roster, meaning there is a path to a starting role likely opposite Angilau in 2022. There will be stout competition coming from members of Texas’ 2022 offensive line class, but Conner’s experience, frame, and presence in Austin give him a good chance to make an impact in 2022.

Also, there were times during pre-game warmups in 2021 where Conner wore No. 49. College players who wear No. 50-79, even if they line up as an eligible receiver, can not catch a forward pass. By wearing No. 49, he could line up as a jumbo tight end, something he did at times ahead of his career in Austin.