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The Texas Longhorns saw junior wide receiver Xavier Worthy go down with a knee injury during the Big 12 Championship Game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday.
He exited the game after the injury in the second half and returned to the sidelines on crutches. Coach Steve Sarkisian gave an update to ESPN's Molly McGrath, and it sounded promising.
"He's OK. X-rays are negative, so he'll be ok," he said as per 247Sports
That's a great sign for one of the most talented wide receivers in the country, as he has improved his game a lot from a year ago.
Xavier Worthy has been playing well, with 67 receptions for 883 yards (13.2 yards per catch) with five touchdown receptions. It seems like that he's going to be healthy enough to play in either the program's bowl game or the College Football Playoff semifinal if the committee puts them in after the 49-21 win.
Will Xavier Worthy return to the Texas Longhorns next season?
Xavier Worthy is in a very interesting position, as he's one of the better wide receivers in the 2024 NFL draft class.
However, he's still outside the top five in terms of the best wide receivers in the class. That's because Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Xavier Legette and Emeka Egbuka are reportedly ahead him.
However, there have been rumors about quarterback Quinn Ewers leaning towards staying with the Texas Longhorns for the 2024 season. If he does that, the likelihood of Xavier Worthy returning will shoot up, as he could continue to build his college resume and move up the draft boards.
If Worthy waits until the 2025 NFL draft to go pro, he has an argument of being the top wide receiver in the class. That rings true as well if the College Football Playoff committee leaves the program outside the top four in their final rankings.
It's a team that deserves to be in, and that feeling of missing the CFP could fuel another season out of some key contributors. While it's difficult to not begin your professional career, the wide receiver class is weaker for the 2025 NFL draft.
Only Travis Hunter has the argument to be better, as he has played both sides of the ball. However, Worthy returning to Texas seems more likely than declaring for the 2024 NFL draft.
