Austin, TX
Texas' rebuilt receiving corps ready to rumble with Michigan
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas ended Alabama’s long home winning streak last season with Quinn Ewers throwing to big and fast receivers who are now in the NFL.
The No. 3 Longhorns play at No. 10 Michigan on Saturday with Ewers throwing to a mostly new receiving corps, one rebuilt through the transfer portal with smaller but fast players who could pose a challenge for a Wolverines secondary that features preseason All-American cornerback Will Johnson but only one other player with extensive starting experience.
The game at the Big House is the first regular-season matchup of the two historic programs, and the only top-10 matchup of the week. The Longhorns (1-0) and Wolverines (1-0) have not played with each other since the 2005 Rose Bowl. Michigan, the defending national champion, has won 23 in a row at home.
Texas will be throwing it around. Ewers spread the ball to 10 different receivers in the first half alone of Texas’ 52-0 opening romp over Colorado State. Top transfers Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden all caught touchdowns in their debuts.
“We need like two quarterbacks back there to throw to all those guys,” Ewers said.
In a way, Texas did. Ewers left the game in the third quarter for top backup Arch Manning to throw his first career TD pass.
Texas lost its top five receivers from the 2023 Big 12 championship team. Ewers’ favorite targets then were Xavier Worthy and A.D. Mitchell, who combined for three touchdowns in the big win at Alabama. That game set up the Longhorns’ run to the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
But even before they left campus, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns had propped the transfer portal wide open with an enticing invitation for 2024: join an elite offense with a big-armed QB just as the program heads into its first season in the SEC.
Golden was the first one in. He caught two touchdowns against the Longhorns last season with Houston, then caught two more in his burnt orange debut last week. One was a no-look pass from Ewers.
Next in was Bond, who left Alabama after coach Nick Saban retired. Bond was the Crimson Tide’s leading receiver last season. Bond has not yet met with reporters at Texas, but told ESPN in January that the chance to play with Ewers was a big factor in his decision.
“(Ewers) is top pick in the draft next year. I’m also going to be a top pick. It’s going to be a good duo,” Bond said.
A few days later, Bolden committed from Oregon State, where he was the Beavers’ top receiver. He is also the Longhorns No. 1 punt returner, and set up Golden’s second touchdown last week with a 35-yard return.
“We’ve got a lot of weapons,” Golden said.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praised all three, and Ewers’ leadership in spring practice and summer workouts, for the seamless transition within the offense.
“They played with a lot of confidence. That’s half the battle. When you know what to do, you play fast. And that’s where we’re pretty dangerous,” Sarkisian said.
As a group, the newcomers are on the small side. Golden is the biggest at 6-foot, 195 pounds. But all bring top-level speed that can stretch a defense and burn up chunks of yards in the blink of an eye. Sarkisian’s offense thrives on personnel mismatches in open space.
“They’re all fast. They’re all playmakers,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “The big thing that stands out is their speed, their ability to separate.”
Texas goes deeper than just those three. The Longhorns have a legitimate six-man rotation that also boasts freshman Ryan Wingo, a five-star recruit who had four catches for 70 yards in the opener.
“(Last year) we had to keep guys on the field that were probably too tired to play at a really optimal level. Now we have a really good rotation and they’ve earned our trust. I’m very comfortable with those six guys,” Sarkisian said.
Michigan has played Bond before. He caught four passes for 47 yards but did not score against the Wolverines in last season’s Rose Bowl playoff matchup that Michigan won in overtime. Johnson, Michigan’s shutdown corner, remembers Bond from that game. And he was on a 7-on-7 team with Golden in high school.
The Longhorns won’t just yield the field to Johnson. Fresno State didn’t last week, when Johnson allowed five catches before closing out a 30-10 Michigan win with an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown.
“They are very explosive with a lot of experience,” Johnson said of Texas. “When the ball is thrown my way, I have to make a play.”
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
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