Texas needs a big offseason from these 'next man up' candidates

The tricky part about analyzing college football is understanding how turnover will impact the following season. College football teams often have a lot of turnover, just look at how many players Texas put in the NFL last year and are expected to hear their names called this year. That will leave a void that schools can only overcome if they’re recruiting the high school and portal ranks at a high level.

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Schools like Texas. 

Program building is an ongoing pursuit with roster management being a core tenet. Steve Sarkisian has excelled in this regard since he signed his first full recruiting class in the 2022 cycle.

Next man up!

Trevor Goosby, OT 

IT has reported positives about Goosby since the day he arrived on campus. The Melissa (Texas) native immediately became known for hard work and maturity. That certainly bore out as he replaced Kelvin Banks one week at left tackle and Cameron Williams the next at right tackle. Goosby played valiantly replacing those potential first-round picks. It’s incredibly encouraging to see where he is in his development as a redshirt freshman. As a sophomore he’ll inherit the very large shoes Banks left behind but he seems up to the task. 

Because of his baseline athleticism, length, and work ethic, he is one of the surest players in the program. An offseason in which he receives all the first-team reps will do him wonders, as will another year in the squat rack. 

Alex January, DT

Five snaps, the number he received in the CFB semifinal, says a lot about how the Texas staff views January now and going forward. They wouldn’t have played him just to play him. He had to earn those snaps. At the same time, it’s a reminder that he’s the future at the position as the Assembly Line at defensive tackle Sarkisian inherited officially comes to an end with the departures of Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. 

With a good offseason January has a chance to start but at minimum he’ll play a lot, especially at a position the coaches like to rotate to keep bodies fresh.

Texas needs more at DT, but January, along with transfers Cole Brevard and Travis Shaw, is a good start to addressing the numbers issue.

As is five-star freshman Justus Terry but that’s for another article. As IT has reported, sources are already very high on him.

Jerrick Gibson, RB

I think the No. 1 focus of the offseason should be Sark getting back to his preferred inside zone, play-action offense. Texas has to be able to run the ball more consistently, especially in the red zone.

The running back position is only part of that equation, but Gibson, along with CJ Baxter coming off injury, are the two backs who profile best to inside zone. Gibson demonstrated he was more comfortable in the scheme as a true freshman than Baxter did, but his play was limited due to fumble and blitz pickup issues. 

One thing can’t be denied, he has natural feet, power, and vision to run inside and move the sticks, assuming the blocking is decent.

Kobe Black, CB

Who better for the freshman to learn from than Thorpe Award winner and team leader Jahdae Barron? In his short time at Texas, Black has shown he’s a cornerback all the way despite his safety-ish stature. 

The goal this offseason will be to stay light on his feet in order to be able to run with the fleetest boundary receivers. We know he has size and strength, most important for Black will be retaining or even improving his movement skills through S&C.

Jordan Washington, TE

It’s my view that Washington has the tools to become the most complete tight end Texas has had in a very long time. His high school tape demonstrated he was a good receiver but he also shows the physicality the position has been missing. Replacing Gunnar Helm won’t be easy but it’s not like Sark’s offense demands the tight end catch 60 passes. 

This offseason Washington needs to continue to get stronger at the point of attack while syncing with Arch Manning in the passing game. Telepathy between QB and TE has made for Super Bowl champions. 

Manning and Washington are a very exciting duo but they lack experience.

Ryan Wingo, WR 

After a quality freshman year how can Wingo be on this list? Texas doesn’t need him to take a step up next year, it needs him to become a national name like his classmates Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams. He has all the tools as was plainly evident this year, perhaps too infrequently.

Wingo is a future top 10 draft pick and the sooner that comes to bear the better for the program. 

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Speaking of exciting duos. Manning and Wingo should become the stuff of legends based on their individual talent levels.