The Texas Longhorns are being mentioned as the favorite to win the Big 12 this college football season and maybe even make a playoff appearance.
If they were to win the Big 12 it would be the first time they’ve done so since No. 12 (Colt McCoy) was leading the offense. When looking at this roster on paper combined with what we saw during the spring game, it is hard to think of a team from the past decade that looks as good as this one. However, even with all of the hype there are still players that have much to prove in 2023.
That is why I decided to pinpoint four emerging stars for Texas. These are names you absolutely need to look out for this upcoming season. Whether they were starters last season or not, these four Longhorns will have much higher expectations as Texas looks to return to glory.
Isaiah Neyor, WR
Texas fans were robbed of getting to see Isaiah Neyor in 2022 after he suffered a season ending injury during fall camp. The Wyoming transfer was turning heads prior to his injury, and he was being tabbed as the perfect compliment to Xavier Worthy. At 6-foot-3, Neyor is elite when it comes to going up and coming down with a jump ball, and he also has the ability to blow by defenses. With Quinn Ewers expected to be more accurate in 2023, Neyor should emerge as another great weapon for this offense to rely on.
Jonathon Brooks, RB
The heir to Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, former four-star Jonathon Brooks showed amazing flashes in limited action last season. Despite having just 30 carries, he racked up five touchdowns, nearly 200 yards rushing and averaged an impressive 6.6 yards per carry. Obviously when you have two NFL running backs in front of you, there aren’t many carries to go around but now it will be Brooks’ job to be the bell cow. Texas relied heavily on the run game last season when Ewers struggled, which means there’s a little extra pressure on Brooks to make sure there is no drop off in production.
Terrance Brooks, DB
Texas went out on brought in a veteran corner in Wake Forrest transfer Gavin Holmes, but Terrance Brooks proved last year that he can be the corner that starts opposite Ryan Watts. After D’Shawn Jamison went down with an injury against TCU, Brooks was thrust into the game as a true freshman and held his own. He also showed a couple flashes during the Alamo Bowl against Washington, and even came close to picking off Michael Penix Jr. With a full year in the system and a chance to get more comfortable, I expect Brooks to turn some heads opposite Watts.
Quinn Ewers, QB
Yes, Quinn Ewers is on this list. No, he wasn’t a star last season. In fact, outside of the first half of the Alabama game and against what turned out to be a terrible Oklahoma team, the former No. 1 overall recruit underwhelmed. 2023 should be the year we see him play at the level Longhorn fans expected last season. It was evident this offseason by his physical transformation and new approach to being the quarterback at Texas that Ewers himself is ready to take that next step. His inaccuracy last season grew so bad that Sarkisian essentially phased him out of the offense by leaning on Robinson and Johnson more. However, in 2023 it is Ewers’ team, and it his chance to show the college football world why he was ranked so high as a recruit.