DeAndre Moore Jr. Taking Pride in Mentor Role With Young Texas Longhorns Players

The Texas Longhorns wide receiver room has been a topic of conversation during this offseason, likely due to the fact that its two most well-recognized components departed after 2024. 

Both Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, meaning that they left behind the chapters of their lives they spent as Longhorns.

The group that has emerged to fill their shoes is composed mostly of underclassmen, but junior DeAndrew Moore Jr. has made sure to pass down everything he has learned from the players that came before him to this new bunch.

Moore’s advice to the younger wide receivers

Moore is embarking upon his third year with the Longhorns, and as the oldest of Texas’ core crew of wide receivers, he will likely be expected to slide into a more prominent leadership role. 

Orangebloods posted a video on X of the pass catcher revealing what this leadership opportunity means to him in a media availability during training camp.

“Sometimes it’s cool, but other times I catch myself talking too much because I want to give them so much that I know from, you know, guys I’ve seen from past years,” he said.

Some of the most recognizable receivers that Moore has seen during his tenure at Texas include Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington, Golden and Bond. With the exception of Bond, all of these players currently possess roster spots on NFL teams.

Although some of the younger guys have had the opportunity to play with Golden and Bond, Moore is the only one to have played during the same time as Worthy, Mitchell and Whittington.

He looks to use what he learned from these Longhorns to both assist the 2025 group and improve his own game. He contributed 39 receptions for 456 yards and seven touchdowns, and he will try to improve upon these numbers and help the rest of his team reach new heights this season.

 “Being able to give back to those guys and, you know, being a resource for them to get better and pursue their career and what they want to do is just great,” Moore said. 

Who are these younger receivers?

Outside of Moore, the names of three players have come up more than others this offseason to emerge as top targets. Their names read as follows: sophomore Ryan Wingo, redshirt freshman Parker Livingstone, and freshman Kaliq Lockett. 

That’s not to say that no one else could emerge as a solid target during preseason. With just under a month until their first game kicks off, the Longhorns look to identify as many talented players, newcomers and veterans alike, that could help them put together a strong roster this year.