Steve Sarkisian Emphasizes Young Wide Receivers Need to Earn Trust

"Well, they just have to earn our trust," Sarkisian said of his young receivers. "At the end of the day, it's not about ability, it's what you're able to do."

The Longhorns have their fair share of freshmen, or redshirt freshmen, receivers this season, some of whom may see a role in Saturday's game. Some of these names include five-star recruit Kaliq Lockett and four-star receiver Jaime Ffrench.

Lockett is rated as the No. 2 wide receiver, and Ffrench is rated as the No. 9 receiver in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports. The pair will likely not see much playing time early on in the season, but could have opportunities for greater roles in the offense as the year progresses.

"What you're able to do is what ultimately you show us, and then if you can do it consistently, that earns our trust," Sarkisian said. "When you have our trust, we're gonna play you."

One freshman wide receiver who earned Sarkisian's trust last season was Ryan Wingo. Wingo, who takes over top-wide receiver duties this season, will now be Arch Manning's go-to target. The Longhorns will also look to DeAndre Moore Jr., who enters his third season with Texas.

As a true freshman in 2024, Wingo finished the season with 29 receptions for 472 yards and two touchdowns.

Moore enters 2025 as a junior who caught 39 passes for 456 yards and seven touchdowns. The duo hopes to replace Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond, who were reliable targets for Quinn Ewers in 2024. Golden went on to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and Bond recently signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent.

If Lockett, Ffrench, or any other freshman wide receiver is given snaps on Friday, they will be playing in one of the more hostile environments in college football. The game is scheduled for Saturday, 12 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio, and will air on Fox.