How Silas Bolden Emergence helped Texas win over Oklahoma

Before the start of the 2024 season, Texas picked up three transfers from the portal to replenish the wide receiver room that had seen the departure of several NFL talents.

Two of the three freshmen are already household names in Longhorn Nation, as juniors Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden have totaled over 600 yards on 40 receptions so far this season.

The third, senior Silas Bolden, stayed relatively under the radar.

Until his impressive performance against Oklahoma on Saturday forced the nation to remember his name.

After sophomore running back Quintrevion Wisner fumbled the ball in the end zone in the second quarter, Bolden ran from behind and dived for the ball to recover for a Texas touchdown.

“That’s the effort,” fellow wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. said during the postgame press conference. “I think it really shows who Silas is as a person. He was behind Tre the whole game and was just there to pass the ball for us.”

Bolden came back with another explosive play in the fourth quarter, returning a punt 55 yards that would ultimately put Texas in position to score a field goal.

After the 34-3 victory over the Sooners, head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Bolden for rising to the challenge, noting that it was a result of his exceptional work leading up to the highly anticipated weekend.

“He probably had his best week of practice this week since the start of the regular season, and it showed in his play,” Sarkisian said. “He played faster, his effort was better, he was brave on some punt returns. It was a total effort for him to make that play in the end zone and then he finally got the big punt return.”

Bolden has generated 134 yards on 14 punt returns and 77 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions. He has seen playing time in every match except the Longhorns’ Week 2 against Michigan.

After amassing over 1,000 yards on receptions and kick returns and nine touchdowns in four seasons at Oregon State, Bolden had to adapt to a new environment and a selective role at Texas. Sarkisian mentioned that his determination to make the best of his situation finally came to light after months of patient preaching.

“He transferred from Oregon State, where he was kind of the go-to guy, and took on a little different role here, and that transition was tough for him,” Sarkisian said. “Coach Jackson [and] I just continued to push him to stay positive and keep working.

It’s safe to assume that Bolden will be a bigger presence on the field for the rest of the season, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Bond after he left the Oklahoma game due to injury. Regardless, Bolden provided a textbook example of hustle for the rest of his teammates, making key plays that led to another Longhorns win.