Texas has spent the Steve Sarkisian era piling up offense, but the one area that keeps getting in the way is the red zone. That issue showed up again in the opener last season against Ohio State, when the Longhorns came up empty at the goal line in a 14-7 loss that ultimately kept them out of the College Football Playoff.
The additions of running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, plus a rebuilt offensive line, should help Texas handle those short-yardage moments better. But the most intriguing piece might be wide receiver Cam Coleman, whose contested-catch numbers point to a different kind of answer near the goal line.
PFF says Coleman led all SEC wide receivers last season with 13 contested catches.
That kind of ball-winning ability gives Texas something it didn’t have enough of last season. A fade shouldn’t be the first call at the goal line, but Coleman’s catch radius gives the Longhorns a way to stress defenses when they’re expecting a run. If Arch Manning gives him a chance on the outside, Coleman can make the kind of play that changes a drive.
There’s another layer to it, too. If defenses decide Coleman is the guy they have to smother near the end zone, that pulls attention away from the box and can open a cleaner path for a run up the middle. Either way, Texas gains a leverage point it lacked a year ago.
That doesn’t mean the Longhorns suddenly have Calvin Johnson on the roster, but they may be more willing to throw one-on-one balls and fades this season than they have in the past. Adonai Mitchell gave Texas a taste of that in 2023, and Coleman could wind up being even better in that role.
With Ryan Wingo working as the unofficial run-after-catch receiver and Emmett Mosley V drawing work from the slot, Coleman is the outside threat who can force a defense to decide whether to leave a corner alone. Even when the ball doesn’t come his way, his presence can create space for everyone else.
Texas will get its first look at how all of this fits together when it hosts Texas State on Sept. 5.
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Texas Fans Are About To See Vince Young Very Differently
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The episode is set to look beyond the highlight reel, tracing the arc of a career that never quite matched the expectations attached to his name. It will also dig into the personal side of Youngs journey, with the film exploring the injuries, conflict and sudden loss that complicated his life after college, while giving him a chance to explain why things unfolded the way they did. [Read more 🡒]