Red River Rivalry History, National Title and NFL Draft Implications on the line for Oklahoma-Texas

The Red River Rivalry -- one of the greatest historical battles in all of college football. Set in the middle of the Texas State Fair at the legendary Cotton Bowl, the game pits the Texas Longhorns against the Oklahoma Sooners.

The game is usually rife with NFL prospects and has national title implications. This year will be no different.

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Red river shootout history

For much of the past decade, Oklahoma has been the team with the most to lose in this game, as the program has been consistently fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The roles are reversed this season, as Texas is presently ranked third in the nation and OU could be its final hurdle on the road to college football’s final four. Both teams are undefeated, with Oklahoma playing much better than anyone anticipated, while Texas defeated Alabama by 10 points in Week 2.

What can we expect from the Oklahoma-Texas Red River rivalry?

From the NFL point of view, there’s plenty to watch in this game. Here’s the latest word from the scouting community on the Red River Rivalry.

Of all the seniors who’ll be on the field Saturday, the buzz is loudest around offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.

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Primarily a backup to Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris last season, Guyton saw action at both left and right tackle for the Sooners in 2022.

There were diverse opinions on Guyton entering the season, with some scouts grading him as a Day 2 pick and others stamping the big blocker as a late rounder.

One thing was certain: scouts loved his upside potential, as the 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman is an outstanding athlete who is mobile enough to be used in a zone-blocking scheme yet strong enough to line up in a power gap system.

This season, Guyton is meeting the potential scouts see in him, and his draft stock is skyrocketing.

Area scouts who cover Oklahoma tell me that they feel Guyton will end up as a top-15 selection in the draft when all is said and done.

This assumes Guyton enters the draft, which I’m told he will do. The TCU transfer redshirted for the Horned Frogs in 2020, and for eligibility purposes, he’s a fourth-year junior.

The other Sooner getting a lot of chatter in the scouting community is linebacker Danny Stutsman.

The junior is off to a hot start with 49 tackles and nine tackles for loss in five games. A year ago, Stutsman posted 125 tackles and 10 TFLs while also intercepting two passes and breaking up five more.

The athletic linebacker checks in just over 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds. He’s a dominant run defender who displays cover skills in zone. People close to the Oklahoma program tell me they expect Stutsman to enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Longhorns have four players who could land in the top 45 of next year’s draft, and all can be found on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers has been much more consistent this season and is demonstrably better at protecting the football.

He has completed 66 percent of his passes and delivered 10 touchdown tosses to just a single interception. He’s being compared to the gunslingers of old with his ability to drive the ball downfield and complete big plays with his arm.

Will Quinn Ewers enter the draft? I’m told right now it’s about 50-50.

Ja'Tavion Sanders is high on my board and rated as the No. 2 tight end after Brock Bowers of Georgia. Sanders is incredibly athletic, and he’s a big-bodied tight end with a smooth style.

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He’s also rough around the edges, and while Sanders has an upside, he needs work on his game. Sanders had 12 receptions entering the Kansas game last week, caught one pass, and then was sidelined the rest of the contest with a right leg injury.

It does not seem to serious, as the junior is listed day-to-day and has not yet been ruled out of the Oklahoma game.

Sources close to Sanders told me unequivocally that he will enter the 2024 draft, though this was prior to his injury last week.

The other Longhorns junior I’m told will definitely enter the 2024 draft is big-play receiver Xavier Worthy.

Worthy made an impact for Texas the minute he stepped on the field as a freshman, catching 62 passes for 981 yards with 12 TDs in 2021.

His numbers a year ago included 60 catches for 760 yards with nine scores. It’s been much of the same this year, as Worthy has averaged 13.3 yards on 26 catches with three TDs in the Longhorns’ four games.

His game-breaking speed and ability to catch the deep pass is exciting, yet his thin frame (six feet, barely 170 pounds) and inconsistent hands will raise red flags. The million-dollar question for teams moving towards next April: is Worthy the next Devonta Smith or Jalen Reagor?

Finally, I expect the Longhorns other game-impacting wideout, Adonai Mitchell, to enter the draft.

Mitchell was dominant as a freshman at Georgia before being sidelined most of last season with a high-ankle sprain.

He transferred to Texas after winning a second national title with the Bulldogs so he could be closer to home. Mitchell is not as fast as Worthy, but he’s bigger, much more reliable, and rated higher on my board.