Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington was never the primary option during his five years with Texas football. He finished his career with 1,586 yards and five touchdowns and was the Longhorns' fourth-leading receiver in 2023, with 505 yards.

Yet out of all the receivers Texas had, it was Whittington whom DeAndre Moore Jr. decided to model his game after.

Why?

Because everything that Whittington did, he did for the team — and that's the kind of player that Moore wants to be.

"Whit was the standard here," Moore said. "Whit was the tough guy in the room. You know, he's the, 'Bring your hard hat and your lunch pail, and we're going to go get it.'"

Coach Steve Sarkisian said that last year wherever Whittington went, Moore would follow.

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In his first year, the receiver intently studied the veteran's mannerisms. From Whittington's recovery process to how he played on special teams to how he watched film, Moore made sure to absorb every bit of knowledge from the guy who gave his all to Texas for five years.

It led to Moore taking on that mantle as the Longhorns' new unselfish, do-everything guy. He may not lead the team in catches, yards or touchdowns in most games, but he doesn't let it dictate the level of effort he gives on every play.

"He'll do anything, anything for the team to win. And it's that simple," Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers said.

His selflessness didn't immediately lead to extra touches. It took a while for the ball to find Moore in the passing game, as he didn't have a single catch in the first two weeks of play. Through four games, Moore had four catches for 23 yards and a touchdown.

Then, in Texas' first conference game against Mississippi State, Moore showed up in a big way. He caught four balls for 104 yards and two touchdowns, the most important of which happened right before halftime.

With 36 seconds left in the half on third down-and-9, Texas was up 7-6. Bulldogs sent pressure with a zero blitz, sending one more rusher than the Longhorns had blockers. In response, quarterback Arch Manning hoisted it to Moore, who took it 49-yards to the end zone.

"He's giving us so many other things that are just above and beyond. I love that he's getting rewarded with these catches and these explosive plays," Sarkisian said.

An obvious example of an "above and beyond" play came in the fourth quarter. Running back Quintrevion Wisner broke off for a 38-run, the longest Longhorns rush of the game. It was a good play by Wisner, but it was Moore who made it happen according to Sarkisian.

"On that play, he (Moore) went and blocked the safety. Once the ball spit out, he turns and runs and then he goes and blocks the corner, and it springs Tre for a long run," Sarkisian said.

Run blocking is often seen as the unglamorous side of football, rarely mentioned among the numerous highlights. Moore sees it as a service to the team, a part of the game he embraces because of its importance to the offense.

"I would be doing my team a disservice if I didn't go out there and give my all in the blocking game," Moore said.

When Whittington finally retired from college football after Texas' loss in the Sugar Bowl, Sarkisian mentioned how Longhorns players "should all aspire" to be like Whittington.

Little did he know, Moore had that figured out from the beginning. Whittington saw Moore learning from him, and he knew how important he'd be for the 2024 team.

"(Moore) just reminds me of a mini-me," Whittington said at his Pro Day. "You know, I left, he was one of the players that actually sat back and watched us and learned a lot of things from us. He instilled it into the team today and he's going to be a big-time leader at a young age."

Now, Moore is the new "standard."

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What Texas football WR DeAndre Moore learned from Jordan Whittington