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White Chocolate's surreal debut was just the start for Parker Livingstone

by: Evan Vieth09/01/25
Parker Livingstone
Parker Livingstone (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Parker Livingstone’s breakout in Austin has been a long time coming.

While the average CFB viewer has just been introduced to the 6’4″ speedster from the DFW area, Livingstone has been working silently behind the scenes in Austin, jumping from barely a top-60 receiver in his recruiting class to a starter on the Texas Longhorns in just two offseasons.

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“He’s definitely somebody that comes in, day in and day out, and puts the work in,” running back Quintrevion Wisner said. “So to see him be able to be awarded with that touchdown and a hell of a catch, I know it’s gonna mean a lot to him.”

Livingstone did make one hell of a catch. As he described it, he knew it was man-to-man coverage the whole time and took his opportunity to run deep and make a play. The redshirt freshman scored Texas’ first and only touchdown of the Ohio State game, a play that felt like a miracle at the time to keep the Longhorns within fighting distance.

But for as much as his play on the field was impactful on Saturday, recording 47 yards and a touchdown on two catches, it’s been his ability off the field that has most stuck with his teammates.

“Parker had an amazing spring,” running back CJ Baxter said. “Being able to watch him, he had an amazing spring and summer. He did an amazing job. He’s also a tremendous leader. He’s stepped up big time.”

During the spring, Texas’ established star receivers Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore were sidelined with injuries. The Longhorns didn’t have any familiar faces for Arch Manning to throw to. In the absence of the players above him, Livingstone stepped up, and eventually into, the starting role.

“At the receiver position, he was an easy guy to throw in because he knew what to do. But all along, the guy had a great spring when DeAndre and Ryan were out. He became kind of a go-to guy, and I think there was a rapport built between him and Arch,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “All he did was continue to build on that throughout fall camp. And I think that when his opportunity presented itself Saturday, on a couple plays, he made his plays, and I didn’t expect anything less from him, because that’s what he’s been showing us all along.”

Livingstone has earned the nickname “White Chocolate” from Wisner. While Livingstone may not have the electrifying pass plays that earned point guard Jason Williams the nickname way back then, there’s a swagger to Livingstone that has enthralled teammates and fans alike. His fashion choices, in particular, have helped the nickname stick even more.

“Yeah, my mom’s kind of my fashion designer. So if you see me in a cowboy hat, boots and jeans, whatever you see, it’s all my mom. She’s the one. So we picked out our suits. I sent a picture of, like, all the suit options we had, and she was like, ‘Do that one.’ So I went with Mom’s words,” Livingstone said.

Livingstone’s nickname, ascension to starter and high-impact player, and newfound love from fans shouldn’t overshadow his story: barely a four-star recruit, a receiver that was an afterthought in the class of 2024, just trying to get a chance. When he did have that chance on Saturday, he took it.

“My first touchdown was kind of surreal. Especially in The Shoe,” Livingstone said. “I knew I caught it. I knew I had possession of it.”

Livingstone’s hard-working and fun-loving personality has earned him the grace of his coaches, teammates, and now his fans. With a few weeks of lower-level defenses covering him in September, expect more splash plays from “White Chocolate.”

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