Texas added Cam Coleman this offseason, and that move may end up doing more than simply giving the Longhorns another dangerous pass catcher. It also gives Ohio State a new wrinkle to sort out when the No. 1 Buckeyes come to Austin on Saturday night.
Coleman arrives from Auburn as one of the best players available in the transfer portal, and the stage hardly gets bigger than this. But his value for Texas isn’t just about his own production. His presence changes the shape of the receiving room, and that could be the real headache for Ohio State.
Last season, Texas just didn’t have a possession receiver with Coleman’s kind of profile. Ryan Wingo was the clear top target, but he brings a different game.
His best work comes after the catch, using long strides and sneaky burst to turn short gains into bigger ones. Even with his talent, Wingo had rough moments when the pressure rose in big road games such as Columbus and Athens.
Steve Sarkisian acknowledged a few days after last season’s loss to Ohio State that too much was on Wingo’s plate.
"I thought Ryan had flashes where it looked like, 'Man, this guy is going to be the player that we know he can be. I thought there was other moments where I think he can be better," Sarkisian said after te loss to Ohio State last season.
"And I think he would probably tell you the same thing, and some of that is playing the amount of plays that he played the other day, that was a lot of plays that he played. And so from a conditioning standpoint, we've got to take a little bit off his shoulders as he builds to be in that guy."
Coleman changes that equation. Wingo no longer has to carry the burden of being the lone No. 1 receiver, and that should matter for Texas as the offense tries to spread things around more cleanly.
That said, Wingo is still a star in his own right. He showed it in the opener against Texas State, finishing with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown while coming down with several tough, important grabs.
The early signs suggest Wingo has already taken a step forward. Coleman’s arrival simply gives him more support, and that could help settle a confidence level that had its ups and downs last season as Texas dealt with inconsistency around him.
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