Texas heads on the road this weekend to Starkville, needing to put a W on the board. To make that happen, they will have to go through a trio of former Longhorns. Mississippi State was very active in the portal this offseason, adding multiple important players, including a former Longhorn leading the Bulldogs in receiving.
Let’s get into the trio and why they will be a handful for the Longhorns:
WR Brenen Thompson
Stats: 29 catches, 533 yards, 4 TDs – 40+ yard catch in 5 of 7 games
This is a name many Longhorns will know, and will likely have some differing opinions on. That’s because Thompson is one of the few players that has been on both sides of Red River, starting his career at Texas before transferring to Oklahoma. After two years with the Sooners, Thompson found his way to Starkville, and has taken off.
He leads the Bulldogs in receiving yards and TDs thus far, and is consistently a threat to get behind the defense with his world class speed. Thompson will be at the very top of the Longhorn scouting report, and for good reason. He is incredibly hard to keep in front of you and will blow the game open in a second if given the chance.
DL Jaray Bledsoe
Stats: 15 tackles, 3 missed tackles all season
Bledsoe is one of two defensive players that went from Austin to Starkville this offseason. Bledsoe spent three years at Texas, but wasn’t able to crack the rotation consistently. He’s done exactly that at Mississippi State, being a mainstay of the DL rotation throughout this year. Bledsoe is a strong, physical player at the point of attack, and the Texas interior OL will have to contend with him consistently Saturday.
LB Derion Gullette
Stats: 20 tackles, 2 missed tackles all season
Derion Gullette, the former 4-star LB, went the way of Bledsoe this offseason, joining him in Starkville. Gullette has quickly become a consistent feature of the Mississippi State defense. He did miss two games earlier in the year, but has come back and played well the last two weeks against Texas A&M and Florida. Gullette brings a ton of athleticism to the table, and that is clear when you watch him this season. The Texas OL and RBs will have to find #16 consistently, because he can make a difference in a hurry.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: 3 Former Longhorns will be waiting for Texas Football at Mississippi State in Starkville
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
