What the future of Texas' offensive skill positions looks like with the draft and recruiting in mind

Pro Football Focus recently updated its 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, adding 75 new players and putting their total number of NFL draft prospects to 275. That’s a number that now exceeds the amount of picks in next years’ seven-round draft.

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In addition, On300 recently updated its rankings for the class of 2025, with loads of player movement for many of Texas’ most prized recruiting wins.

With both of these rankings updated, now is a good time to evaluate the future of the Texas Longhorns. Texas was one of the most prominent teams on the PFF board, tied for fifth in the nation with Alabama with eight players representing the Longhorns.

Texas players on the current PFF Big Board

OT Kelvin Banks: 11
OT Cam Williams: 22
WR Isaiah Bond: 23
CB Jahdae Barron: 38
TE Gunnar Helm: 55
QB Quinn Ewers: 119
C Jake Majors: 162
S Michael Taaffe: 176
S Andrew Mukuba: 188
LB David Gbenda: 247

— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) November 19, 2024

Starting with skill players on offense, it’s time check of how confident the 2025 season, and the general future of the Longhorns, will feel for each position group on the Longhorns.

QB Room

The likelihood Quinn Ewers will be the starting quarterback at Texas in 2025 is small, if it even exists. The ideal plan for Texas all along after Ewers returned for his third season in Austin was for Ewers to start in 2024 with Arch Manning being the future of the position from 2025 on.

Ewers is ranked as the QB7 on PFF’s Big Board and a 4th-round pick (though QBs are often overdrafted), a stark fall-off from the QB3 and projected first-round pick status the same site gave him before the season started.

Ewers more than likely will declare, seeing him in any college uniform other than Texas would feel wrong, but there is a world where scouts tell him he needs another year to be a top-100 pick. This is likely a world where he goes pro anyway.

As for the recruiting front, KJ Lacey was not a part of the On300, dropping the quarterback down to a three-star rating and the QB35 in the entire class. Lacey has not risen in the rankings the way many fans would’ve hoped. Either way, Texas is unlikely to work hard to add to the position in the portal with rising sophomore Trey Owens behind Manning, and there’s no quarterback in the country that Texas fans would trade Manning for. Even with a perceived step-down after Manning, confidence levels have to be high.

Confidence Level: 4.5/5 Stars 

RB Room

To little surprise, Jaydon Blue was not a part of the Top 275, as an up-and-down year has left him at 22nd in the SEC in rushing yards on the season. Blue is the only regular back in the room with a chance of being drafted, and a declaration for the professional ranks would be premature. Whether that means he hits the portal or tries his luck with one more season at Texas is up in the air.

Either way, Texas has a ton of talent in the room, it just needs to be actualized. CJ Baxter and Christian Clark will be evaluated for health at the end of the year, and their returns would be major positives.

Even so, the Longhorns are likely to seek a talent infusion from the portal.

The picture at the position right now for next season includes Baxter, Blue, Clark, Tre Wisner, Jerrick Gibson, James Simon, On3’s RB15 and a top-200 player, and Rickey Stewart, a fringe four-star. What happens to Ryan Niblett. Is he an RB? Is he a WR? Where does he fit into the offense next year?

A healthy Baxter could be the best back in the SEC, and Wisner and Gibson desperately need another offseason to develop. If Texas adds more depth in the portal this confidence number could be even higher, but current struggles and health questions keep the rating lower than other positions.

Confidence Level: 4/5 Stars 

WR Room

Isaiah Bond is likely as good as gone. PFF has him as the WR5, a likely first-round pick in the draft, and his talent is too high to keep him from playing on Sundays next season. He’s one of the most talented playmakers on this roster, and playoff teams like the Steelers, Broncos and Cardinals that lack speed or receiving threats will be looking closely at his last few games with Texas.

The crux of this room’s focus is the draft stock of Matthew Golden. PFF didn’t grade the receiver in its top 275, even if his talent is obvious to Texas fans. Golden is 104th among P4 receivers in receiving yards.

Texas would be in a great place with Golden returning. He, Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore are a deadly starting trio, and there’s more behind them. It would be odd to see Texas not find help in the transfer portal considering Steve Sarkisian‘s prowess in finding players from free agency at that position, but the volume of wideouts required from those ranks this year is not as high as in years past. Manning may benefit from a bigger-bodied receiver that can win at the sticks and down the sideline. 

As for recruiting, Kaliq Lockett is no longer a five-star but he is a fantastic high-point ball-grabbing talent who may just need some time to bulk up in Austin. Jaime Ffrench sparked some concerns when he visited Florida last weekend, but he’ll be in Austin on Saturday. With Lockett, Ffrench and Daylan McCutcheon, Texas has three top-80 receivers in the class.

Oregon is the only other school with two top-15 receivers according to On3. Texas has three. The future is bright at the position.

Confidence: 4.5/5 Stars With Golden, 4/5 Without Golden

TE Room

Gunnar Helm, possibly the best story of this 2024 team, has landed himself as the TE4 and projected second-round pick in a loaded 2025 TE class. He and Juan Davis will graduate after the year, meaning Texas will need someone to step up at tight end.

Amari Niblack should be back in Austin next year. He is extremely talented, he was the No. 1 tight end in the portal the most recent offseason, but has some work to do as a blocker. He has earned more snaps as the season has gone on.

Jordan Washington should be a key part of the offense next year, and Spencer Shannon is a third name to watch in the room. Where this group really shines is in the recruiting class. Nick Townsend is a great get for the Longhorns, and is currently the TE4 in the class. The Longhorns also have three-star Emaree Winston heading to town.

This is as good a time as any to mention Michael Terry III. Texas is a front runner for the San Antonio (Texas) Alamo Heights athlete, and his talent allows for him to play a number of positions at the next level. If Texas does get him, Sarkisian will have another extremely versatile option that could remind Longhorn fans of Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

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Even with a great recruiting class at the position (with a chance to get better), the room is returning just 31 receiving yards as of November 21st. 

Confidence Level: 3/5 Stars