Standing at just five feet, eight inches, and having 25 wide receivers ranked ahead of him in the 2024 transfer portal, it’s easy to overlook Silas Bolden. Literally.

The Oregon State transfer was one that could’ve felt like overkill for the Longhorn receiving core in 2024. With two higher-rated transfers, three notable sophomore returners, and a five-star freshman, the fifth-year pass-catcher felt a bit out of place in the group.

But, like clockwork in fall camp, an unexpected veteran has emerged for Texas, and people are talking about him. In 2023, reporters were feeding the Austin area tidbits of a 360-pound mammoth in the trenches looking to replace NFL-gone DT Keondre Coburn. Six months later, T’Vondre Sweat was an All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Though depth charts are far from confirmed, Bolden seems to have earned the graces of head coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Quinn Ewers, likely earning a starting spot in Week 1.

“When he first got here, I could just tell how much he cared about the game of football and how much he really wants to succeed,” Ewers said about Bolden. “He’s been balling out. It’s cool to see a guy like him do the things that he does.”

Bolden’s short stature is an anomaly for a receiver at this level of play. In the last three years in the NFL, just two players have recorded over 600 receiving yards in a single year while being shorter than 5’9, and neither eclipsed the 700-yard mark. Despite this, Bolden carved out a strong year for himself in 2023, still corralling 54 catches for 746 yards, 14th in the Pac-12 despite OSU throwing the second-fewest passes per game in the conference.

Bolden profiles most similar to Keilan Robinson from the 2023 team with Robinson’s shorter stature and incredible burst. Bolden will likely see more snaps and will play much more out wide, but Sarkisian will likely include him in similar plays that Robinson saw. Bolden is great at getting deep downfield, but will also be a weapon in the screen, drag, and even out of the backfield. (Watch his highlights against Utah if you aren’t convinced)

“He makes strong catches. He’s a heck of a ballplayer, and he may be little, but he has some heart,” veteran cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “He has a lot of heart to him (and) I love (Bolden) in routes.”

If there’s anyone who has had to endure the speed and quickness of Bolden, it’s Barron. Barron’s primary position as a nickel cornerback means he plays most of practice guarding slot receivers, which Bolden is expected to work out of in the fall.

Despite a loaded receiving group, Bolden adds something that few other players possess. Leadership and experience. The entire receiving core is either a junior, sophomore, or freshman, and Bolden is the only player to have spent more than three years in college football already. Though it took later in his career to see meaningful snaps, Bolden has embodied the culture and mentality that Sarkisian has brought to Texas: and plans to win with.

Later in the same media availability, Ewers described Bolden’s leadership and energy on display. Working in the ‘Red Zone Lockout’ drill, where the offense competes against the defense to score from inside the red zone, Bolden’s offense took the win in the drill, but not at the hands of the short route-runner. Juan Davis, a fourth-year tight end who looks to be primarily a backup in 2024, caught the game-winner, and the most prominent man in celebration was Bolden.

“Silas (Bolden) ran over to him, he’s like jumping on (Davis) and firing him up,” Ewers said about the drill. “You love to see things like that. Silas didn’t get the ball, he didn’t need to go over there and celebrate with Juan. But, you know, he does that. It’s those types of things that really fire you up.”

Bolden seems to have already assimilated himself into the culture and dynamic that this 2024 Longhorns team looks to play with, and getting in good graces with your quarterback means you’ll be seeing the field. Despite him being the shortest player on the field, expect Bolden to make immediate and noticeable impacts both as a teammate and as a pass catcher in this explosive Longhorn offense.