Xavier Worthy Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Chuck Burton/AP)

School: Texas

Class: Junior

Position: WR

HT: 6’1

WT: 172 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #21

Background: Xavier Worthy is a former 4-star prospect out of Fresno, California. In Fresno, Worthy attended Central East High School. Central East did not have a reputation as a football powerhouse before Worthy came along. As a junior, worthy led his team to a CIF Division 1AA state championship, their first ever. During his time in high school, he also competed in Track & Field. Worthy originally committed to Michigan early on in the recruiting process, but decommitted almost a year later to reopen his recruitment. The second go-round for his recruitment came down to Texas, Michigan, and Alabama. Worthy ultimately chose to commit to Texas.

College: As a freshman, Worthy instantly put the nation on notice. He was named an All-Big 12 Freshman First Team honoree and was named Freshman All-American by multiple outlets. He had 261 receiving yards in one game against Oklahoma as a freshman, which is good enough for second all-time in Texas history. Worthy had instantly become the Longhorns’ most impactful receiver and it remained that way through his sophomore season. While Worthy did not improve upon his freshman season numbers, he was still the top dog in terms of Texas receivers. He was able to total 760 receiving yards and was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. 2023 was yet another impressive season for Worthy, one in which Worthy helped carry the Texas offense to a college football playoff appearance.

Strengths: Worthy has some of the most elite speed you will ever see. It isn’t just straight line speed either, Worthy has football speed. He has clear 4.2 speed and can use it in short areas as well as getting to the deep areas of the field and stretching a defense vertically. Worthy can be used in motion to give the offense the looks they want. Worthy can take the ball at the line of scrimmage with either a handoff or screen pass and make a big play with his legs. He is truly an elite threat in all three areas of the field. He is a matchup nightmare no matter what route he runs, anywhere on the field. Worthy was Texas’ punt returner on top of lining up all over the field for the offense, a swiss army knife of a football player. He has a large catch radius combined with reliable hands, making himself a quarterback’s best friend.

Weaknesses: Xavier Worthy can occasionally get bullied on the perimeter, which is part of the reason for him being used frequently in motion. He can afford to gain some muscle if it does not take away from his speed. He will not be able to consistently be put on the outside and produce, luckily he thrives when moving around within the offense. Xavier is going to need to find ways to win other than just his speed. He can because he has won with sharp route running. However, he has yet to show consistency to his game.

Conclusion: Worthy can be a joker in an offense. A slight frame has been somewhat overblown in recent years. Other players have used it to their advantage to create a successful career. Worthy is a burner, get him the ball and watch him go to work. His frame should not be a huge concern, but it is something to monitor.

Scheme Fit: Air Raid Offense

Ideal Role: Z Receiver

Best Team Fits: IND, CAR, DAL

Player Comparison: Tank Dell