caleb yum, austin american-statesman
·4 min read
With Texas football making its debut in the Southeastern Conference and being ranked fourth in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, there's more than enough pressure on this season's Longhorns. But for a few specific players, scrutiny exists beyond the end of the 2024-25 season.
ESPN recently named 10 2025 NFL draft prospects under the most pressure this coming season.
Texas football wideout Isaiah Bond makes the list, as does quarterback Conner Weigman and a slew of other SEC players (including former Aggies Evan Stewart and Walter Nolen).
The players come into the season under quite different circ*mstances: Bond, a transfer trying to help replace multiple 2024 NFL draft picks, and Weigman, a former highly touted recruit whose 2023 season was cut short by injury.
Working your way into the first round isn't just a huge honor, but it could mean a difference of millions in salary compared to second- or third-round picks, per spotrac.com
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So why are Bond and Weigman among the players with the most to prove before the 2025 NFL draft in April? Here's what ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said:
Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond can emerge as top draft prospect with Texas
Bond has been pegged as a potential second-round pick, but he should have plenty of opportunity to prove himself as first-rounder.
Former Texas players Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and JaTavion Sanders were responsible for 3,046 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. That's 75% of Texas' yards and 76% of their touchdowns that need to be replaced.
So who will be Texas' new No. 1 receiver? In a room full of talent but lacking experience, Bond sticks out with the most pedigree, a proven track record and explosive play potential.
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"The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Bond has elite vertical stretch ability and speed ... Being tasked with living up to the standards set by Worthy and Mitchell will put early pressure and attention on Bond to excel right out of the gate," Miller wrote. "He has two more years of eligibility, but it's not too early to get excited about him as the top deep threat in college football."
Bond emerged as a reliable deep target and a critical cog for quarterback Jalen Milroe in 2023. Bond collected 668 yards and four touchdowns for the Crimson Tide, with his best game coming against Texas A&M, when he caught seven balls for 96 yards and a touchdown.
That's another advantage that Bond gives Texas — he is the only receiver on the team with experience against SEC defenses. The receiver faced the heralded Georgia defense in last year's SEC title game, catching five balls for 79 yards.
The Georgia native will be expected to emulate Worthy's role with the Longhorns, which might be unfair to expect. Not only is the Texas-ex receiver the fastest man in the history of the NFL combine, he also had a year to develop chemistry with quarterback Quinn Ewers.
His first chance to prove himself a Day 1 pick will come Week 2 against Michigan, the reigning NCAA national champions.
Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman can push Aggies, and his draft stock, to the next level
Another name on ESPN's list, there's an air of mystery surrounding Weigman in 2024. The former five-star recruit has played in nine games in the past two seasons, throwing 155 total passes. In 2023, he threw for 979 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions before a foot fracture shut him down for the season.
Regardless, his talent is apparent. ESPN mentions that he "flashes arm strength that'll reach every level of the field and the quick feet needed to reset in the pocket and on the move." With the talent and tradition of A&M football, a full, strong season of football could catapult him to the top spot.
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"He's tasked with returning A&M to prominence in the SEC and beating in-state rival Texas, who the Aggieswill playfor the first time since 2011," Miller wrote. "If he does those things while duplicating last season's small-sample-size output on a bigger scale, Heisman candidacy and QB1 status in the draft are possible, especially in a quarterback class without a set No. 1 player."
He has a stiff test to start the season, at No. 7 Notre Dame. And he'll be playing without one of the top Aggie recievers from a year ago, Stewart, who is suiting up for Oregon this year.
"... Weigman will have anew offensive coordinatorin Collin Klein, who favored an offense featuring more quarterback runs and fewer downfield passes in his previous stops," Miller wrote. "Weigman has the mobility to execute in the ground game, but scouts want to see him airing the ball out and making full-field throws. Will Klein's offense allow him to do that?"
Caleb Yum can be reached at cyum@gannett.com and on X @YumCaleb. Follow the American-Statesman onFacebookandXfor more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access toall of our best contentwiththis tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football WR Isaiah Bond has millions riding on 2024 season
