AUSTIN, Texas — A tight game on the road against a top opponent meant a more limited rotation for the Texas Longhorns than head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff will employ over the three final non-conference games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium against overmatched competition.
So while the Horns did use four true freshman among 50 players who saw the field against the Buckeyes in Columbus, according to Sarkisian, expect Texas to deploy most of the scholarship roster and some walk ons
this month, a critical change to build roster depth before SEC play begins.
During Sarkisian’s Thursday media availability, he noted eight players he wants see against San Jose State on Saturday in the home opener — redshirt freshman running back Christian Clark, sophomore running back Jerrick Gibson, freshman wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon, freshman tight end Nick Townsend, freshman tight end Emaree Winston, freshman defensive end Lance Jackson, sophomore cornerback Kobe Black, and redshirt freshman safety Xavier Filsaime.
Neither Clark nor Gibson saw any carries against the Buckeyes as running backs coach Chad Scott only used two ball carriers, leaving Clark still looking for his first tote for the Longhorns after suffering a season-ending Achilles tear during preseason camp last year.
Clark drew buzz throughout the offseason from Sarkisian and teammates for his quick recovery, with redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning mentioning the Arizona product as the player that everyone will be talking about after the season starts.
At the start of preseason camp, Gibson was one of the players mentioned by Sarkisian as having a strong offseason after carrying the ball 78 times for 377 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. The biggest key for Gibson — better ball security after fumbling three times in 2024. At his best, the Baby Rhino is tough to bring down, breaking six tackles to produce four runs of 10-plus yards.
Since arriving in January, McCutcheon has been ahead of the other three wide receivers who signed in the 2024 recruiting class, and served as the fourth player in the rotation against Ohio State, although that only amounted to two snaps. Notably, McCutcheon passed junior Ryan Niblett, who spent last season splitting time at running back before a brief stint on defense during the spring.
Townsend was one of the other true freshmen to play against Ohio State, coming in for a snap to serve as a blocker. Position coach Jeff Banks called Townsend’s senior film one of the best he’s seen in 20 years of recruiting, catching 50-50 balls on offense, making plays on defense, and playing a vital role on special teams for Spring Dekaney.
As a summer enrollee, Townsend is still acclimating, but the coaches expected him to grow into a core special teams player this season, an ongoing process since Townsend wasn’t able to break through on teams in the season opener.
Neither did Winston, who impressed during the spring.
“Tremendous balance and body control for a guy just under 250 pounds. He’s got really good movement. He’s got great ball skills, he’s got strong hands. When he catches the ball, he transitions quickly into a runner with it in his hands, and I’ll say this, he’s really smart,” Sarkisian said in April.
Jackson did made his debut against Ohio State, playing seven snaps in the defensive end rotation, playing seven snaps, one more than redshirt freshman Zina Umeozulu.
“Twitched up, big, explosive, strong. He can do it all,” edge coach LaAllan Clark said in July.
Black won the competition against junior Warren Roberson to serve as the team’s first cornerback off the bench, playing 16 snaps against Ohio State without being targeted in coverage, leveraging his developmental gains during the offseason that allowed his prototypical size, length, twitchiness, and long speed to make an impact.
“He’s been good, super coachable, right? Love him on and off the field. I think he works really hard, I think he practices hard, so I’m excited,” cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey said.
On the field for three snaps against Ohio State, Filsaime continued a positive developmental trajectory after experiencing an adjustment period as a freshman that limited his ability to make an impact as a true freshman.
“He’s grown his game mentally so much from freshman to sophomore year, so when you put the athletic ability with the mental side, it clicks, and he’s scary,” redshirt senior safety Michael Taaffe said in August.
With fewer compelling storylines for Saturday’s game, how well the eight young players mentioned by Sarkisian play against San Jose State is definitely compelling.
