As expected, the Texas Longhorns have been hit hard by the NFL Draft with multiple top players such as T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, Jonathon Brooks, Jordan Whittington and Xavier Worthy, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Ryan Watts declaring their attentions to head to the next level.
According to a report from 247Sports, that trend is set to continue as well, with Adonai Mitchell following suit and becoming the ninth Longhorn to make an NFL Draft declaration.
In his one season with the Horns, Mitchell made a profound impact on the offense, becoming an integral part of the passing attack and making huge plays throughout the most critical moments of the season.
That began early for Mitchell, who caught three touchdowns in his first two games with the Horns, including two in the Longhorns massive win vs. Alabama in September.
Mitchell would go on to catch seven touchdowns over his last eight games, including in the Sugar Bowl CFP Semi-Final loss to the Washington Huskies.
The touchdown vs. the Huskies gave him his fifth playoff touchdown in five appearances, with the other four coming with the Georgia Bulldogs over the previous two seasons.
“All the things I wanted to do when I came here, I did,” Mitchell told reporters after the Sugar Bowl. “I met a lot of great people. I’ve got a lot of great relationships. You know, I’m Texas forever in my blood. I’m just glad I was able to come back home and play for my home.”
Mitchell now ends his lone season with the Longhorns making 55 catches for 845 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns – accounting for almost half of the Horns’ touchdown receptions.
And were it not for the impact of Mitchell, and how it allowed the passing to open up with Worth and Ja’Tavion Sanders, the Horns might never have been in a position to compete for a national title in the first place.
“It was a great season, so there is no need for anybody to hang their head, you know?” Mitchell said. “The fault isn’t on one man. We all went out there as a team, and we fought our butt off. We just played a great team. As a team, this all is done. At this point, all we can do is just reflect on the memories we had.”
