Xavier Worthy responds to question on entering transfer portal after poor Texas season

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian was able to grab wide receiver Xavier Worthy late in the 2021 recruiting cycle and the move paid off big time. Worthy was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and selected to the All-Big 12 first team and even earned All-American status.

With how the transfer portal works nowadays, players could enter at any point and join some of the most elite programs in the country. Worthy was asked if there was ever a thought to leave the Texas program after a disappointing 5-7 season. The wide receiver shut them down pretty quickly, saying he has faith in what Sarkisian is building in Austin.

“No, that wasn’t even a decision I made,” Worthy said. “I put my trust in Sark and I believe in Sark. I’m not just going to leave on him after one bad year.”

Worthy joined the Texas program during the summer of 2021 after originally on track to become a Michigan Wolverine. Due to some non-football reasons, he requested a release from his national letter of intent and Sarkisian instantly pounced on bringing the wide receiver to Texas. Although most of last season will want to be forgotten by everyone involved, the play of Worthy was one of if not the brightest spot of the year.

If he had entered the transfer portal, there’s no doubt Worthy would have been one of the hottest names out there. Teams can never have too many good receivers, especially all-conference guys entering just their second year in college football. Instead, Worthy is looking to build and improve with the Longhorns next season, fully trusting Sarkisian moving forward.

More on Xavier Worthy

Worthy was a four-star prospect coming out of high school, being ranked the No. 7 wide receiver in the country. Before Sarkisian was able to nab him from Michigan, the California native chose between the Wolverines and the Alabama Crimson Tide as his final two. In what was seen as a major victory for head coach John Harbaugh at the time, his mistake became a serious positive for Texas.

Heading into the 2022 season, Worthy will once again become the main focus of the Longhorns’ passing game under Sarkisian. They have added another all-conference caliber receiver through the portal this offseason, with Isaiah Neyor coming from the Wyoming Cowboys. If Neyor can come anywhere close to the numbers Worthy put up with the program, the Texas offense will see significant improvement.