Week 5 gave former Texas Longhorns plenty of room to make their mark in the NFL, and a few of them came through in a big way.
Matthew Golden was at the center of it. The Green Bay Packers receiver put together one of the best outings of his young pro career in a 31-7 win over the Chicago Bears, hauling in six catches for 123 yards.
He averaged 20.5 yards per reception, broke loose for a 50-yard gain, and caught six of his seven targets. Golden also converted a two-point attempt as Green Bay moved to 3-2.
Through five games, he has 24 receptions for 397 yards and two touchdowns.
Byron Murphy II had a similar impact on the other side of the ball, even in a Seahawks loss. Seattle fell 32-29 to the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, but Murphy was active all afternoon with six tackles, five of them solo, along with two sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. The former first-round pick now has three sacks in five games and is becoming more disruptive for Seattle up front.
Brandon Jones also delivered a play that swung the game. With Denver clinging to a late lead against the Los Angeles Chargers, Jones stepped in front of a Justin Herbert pass on fourth down and came away with the interception that helped the Broncos finish off a 23-17 victory. That late defensive stop was part of a fourth-quarter turnaround that lifted Denver to 3-2.
Bijan Robinson kept his steady production rolling for Atlanta. In the Falcons’ 30-23 overtime loss to Baltimore, he ran for 86 yards on 17 carries and added four catches for 32 yards. That left him with 118 yards from scrimmage, and while he didn’t score, his 5.1 yards per carry still stood out against a rugged Ravens defense.
Not every former Longhorn had the same kind of Sunday. Tennessee tight end Gunnar Helm was held without a catch in the Titans’ 26-3 loss to Houston, dropping Tennessee to 0-5. New York Jets receiver Adonai Mitchell did not play in Sunday’s 17-12 win over Cleveland because of a finger injury, and Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was inactive for Thursday’s 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay.
Kansas City receiver Xavier Worthy and Carolina tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders were on bye in Week 5, while the week wraps up Monday night when the Los Angeles Rams host Buffalo. Former Longhorns Jordan Whittington and Poona Ford are among the Rams players still waiting for their chance this week.
In Other News...
Florida Just Got A Needed Recruiting Boost After That Ugly Loss
Floridas Week 6 loss to South Carolina stung on the field, but the Gators needed something positive quickly and got it on the recruiting trail. Five-star wide receiver Easton Royal, the No. 1 receiver in the 2027 class, flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida shortly after the defeat, giving the program a jolt at a time when the margin for good news felt pretty thin.
Royals decision matters beyond the headline because he is one of the most coveted prospects in the country and is expected to wrap up his recruitment soon. For Texas, it is a notable miss in a class that had been building momentum, while Florida gets a major boost as it tries to steady itself after slipping to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Has A Discipline Problem Sarkisian Can't Ignore
The loss to Oklahoma brought Texas back to a familiar and frustrating theme: the Longhorns again hurt themselves with flags at the worst possible moments. They were penalized eight times for 61 yards, and the numbers fit the broader concern Steve Sarkisian has been trying to push to the front of the conversation. Even with a modest dip in penalties per game from last season, the Longhorns have not shaken the kind of mistakes that can swing a tight rivalry game.
Sarkisian has already pointed to penalties as the biggest issue the staff has to clean up, and he described the problem as a mix of effort-based plays and mental miscues. That makes the fix harder than simply preaching discipline in practice, because the issue is not coming from one place or one player group. Texas can outplay an opponent in stretches and still leave the door open if it keeps layering avoidable mistakes on top of itself. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Fix One Frustrating Problem After Red River Loss
The Red River loss left Texas with more than a blemish in the rivalry column. It also put a spotlight on the kind of offensive inconsistency that has followed the Longhorns at times this season, even with plenty of individual talent on the roster. Senior offensive lineman Trevor Goosby and coach Steve Sarkisian both pointed to the same basic task afterward: put the disappointment behind them and get the unit executing better.
Sarkisian also owned the responsibility for the offenses struggles, a notable admission from a coach who knows the standard in Austin does not leave much room for uneven Saturdays. The Longhorns have shown enough ability to suggest the ceiling is still there, but the next stretch will be about turning that talent into steadier production. For Texas, the frustration is not just the loss itself, but the feeling that the offense still has to prove it can hold up when the stage gets biggest. [Read more 🡒]