Snap count takeaways: Looking at the 2024 Texas Longhorns offense

Even if you might disagree with Pro Football Focus’ grades, they provide useful raw data. One of the bits of information that PFF provides is snap counts.

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After looking at the defense, here’s a look at the offense.

First-String Offensive Line Numbers

The Longhorns have run 560 offensive plays this year. Here are the snap counts for the five members of Texas’ starting O-line plus the regularly rotated-in sixth man.

• LT Kelvin Banks – 518
• LG Hayden Conner – 498
• OC Jake Majors – 519
• RG DJ Campbell – 399
• OG Cole Hutson – 179
• RT Cameron Williams – 522

In addition, here are the other Longhorns who fit into the category of essential personnel. For offense, considering the more frequent substitution, the cutoff for “essential” was placed at 200.

• TE Gunnar Helm – 487
• WR Matthew Golden – 424
• QB Quinn Ewers – 350
• WR Isaiah Bond – 290
• WR Ryan Wingo – 243
• RB Quintrevion Wisner – 237
• WR DeAndre Moore – 235
• RB Jaydon Blue – 222
• TE Juan Davis – 202

Steve Sarkisian and Chris Jackson flirted with rolling six deep at wide receiver this season, and also kicked around the idea of rolling seven deep if Ryan Niblett was included. Niblett has become useful at running back due to injuries at the position, but even so that six-deep rotation has whittled down to the four wideouts seen above.

Silas Bolden and Johntay Cook have been utilized by Sark and company. Bolden has 118 snaps while Cook is at 114.

The discrepancy still is there. In addition, if you were to combine the snap totals for Moore and Davis since their spots on the field (slot wide receiver and second tight end) are denoted by the same “H” on the chalk board, their 437 combined snaps aligns with participation numbers posted by Golden and even Helm.

Who is above the 100-snap threshold?

The only other player not previously mentioned above 100 snaps?

Arch Manning.

Manning has been on the field for 195 total snaps this year.

• Colorado State – 26
• UTSA – 29
• Louisiana-Monroe – 65
• Mississippi State – 64
• Georgia – 11

In the UTSA and ULM games, Manning ceded the spot under center to Trey Owens. The true freshman saw 27 total snaps split evenly between those two games.

That means some of the scholarship skill players below 100 snaps this season are

• RB Jerrick Gibson
• TE Amari Niblack
• TE Spencer Shannon
• RB Ryan Niblett
• TE Jordan Washington
• WR Parker Livingstone
• RB Velton Gardner

Varying levels of opportunity have been presented to that bunch. Gibson, Niblett, and Gardner all saw action in the early portions of the season. Shannon, Washington, and Livingstone did the same albeit mostly in games where Texas had a safe lead.

Niblack is an interesting case as he had 24 snaps versus Michigan, seven versus UTSA, and then didn’t see the field again until this past weekend against Vanderbilt. He was on the field for 11 snaps and caught two passes for 22 yards.

Davis, as the data shows, is TE2, but there was enough from Niblack in the week following Georgia to where Sarkisian and Jeff Banks viewed him as needed to beat the Commodores.

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Offensive Line Depth

The Longhorns have the “starting six” as listed above. While these snap-count totals aren’t meant to illustrate the depth chart, it does give an idea as to what it looks like.

One note: Both Malik Agbo and Jaydon Chatman wear uniform numbers in the 90s so they can line up as eligible receivers and be able to catch a pass. While in college players wearing Nos. 50-79 are allowed to line up as eligible receivers, players wearing those jersey numbers are prohibited from catching a forward pass.

Think of it this way: Sam Cosmi‘s 2019 touchdown had to be a lateral for it to be legal. Agbo’s reception in the 2024 Sugar Bowl was fine since he was wearing No. 80.

The big tight end strategy is one the Longhorns have seldom used in 2024, if they’ve even used it at all.

To the snap counts…

Left Tackle

• Kelvin Banks – 517
• Trevor Goosby – 47
• Malik Agbo – 11
• Brandon Baker – 4

Left Guard

• Hayden Conner – 494
• Neto Umeozulu – 47
• Cole Hutson – 34
• Jaydon Chatman – 5

Center

• Jake Majors – 519
• Connor Robertson – 57
• Hayden Conner – 4 (All four were against Colorado State)

Right Guard

• DJ Campbell – 399
• Cole Hutson – 145
• Jaydon Chatman – 15
• Neto Umeozulu – 14
• Malik Agbo – 7

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Right Tackle

• Cameron Williams – 522
• Brandon Baker – 40
• Andre Cojoe – 18