The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
2024 Football Roster
Roster
Silas Bolden
- Position:
- WR
- Height:
- 5-8
- Hometown:
- Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
- Weight:
- 160
- Class:
- Senior
- High School:
- Rancho Cucamonga
- Previous School:
- Oregon State
A first-year wide receiver who transferred to Texas from Oregon State in summer 2024 ... has played in all 15 games this season for the Longhorns at wide receiving and as the team's primary punt returner.
SENIOR (2024)
Played in the season opener against Colorado State and registered one reception for five yards and a touchdown ... had four punt returns for 34 yards, including a 35-yard return, against the Rams ... caught his first touchdown as a Longhorn in the third quarter - a five-yard pass from QB Arch Manning ... appeared in road win at No. 10/9 Michigan but did not record any statistics ... had four receptions for 29 yards and returned two punts for 11 yards in the win vs. UTSA (Sept. 14) ... caught three passes for 37 yards in the win vs. ULM (Sept. 21) ... reeled in a catch for three yards and recorded three punt returns for 20 yards in the 35-13 win vs. Mississippi State (Sept. 28) to start conference play ... had a catch for three yards and recovered a Texas fumble in the endzone for a touchdown against Oklahoma on Oct. 12 ... had four punt returns for 70 yards against the Sooners, including a season-long 55-yard punt return ... had a pair of catches for 31 yards and three punt returns for 41 yards with a long of 24 yards at Vanderbilt on Oct. 26 ... snared two receptions for 33 yards and returned a punt for 13 yards against Florida on Nov. 9 ... assembled three receptions for 33 yards and returned a punt for 12 yards at Arkansas on Nov. 16 ... grabbed two receptions for 24 yards vs. Kentucky on Nov. 23 ... saw action but did not record any statistics at Texas A&M on Nov. 30 ... caught two passes for 36 yards and returned two punts for 25 yards in the SEC Championship vs. Georgia on Dec. 7 ... reeled in one reception for nine yards in the CFP First Round vs. Clemson on Dec. 21 ... caught one pass for five yards and returned two punts for 80 yards, including a 75-yard punt return touchdown, in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs. Arizona State on Jan. 1 ... it was his second career punt return touchdown and his first at Texas ... marked the first punt return touchdown by a Texas player since Xavier Worthy returned a punt 74 yards at BYU on Oct. 28, 2023 ... longest punt return touchdown by a Longhorn since D'Shawn Jamison returned one for 90 yards for a score at Kansas State on Sept. 29, 2018 ... it was the 10th-longest punt return in program history.
BEFORE TEXAS
Bolden, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and a two-time second-team All-Pac 12 selection as a return specialist (2022-23), has played in 37 career games with 14 starts in four seasons with the Beavers. During that time, he has compiled 80 receptions for 1,076 yards (13.4 ypr) and nine touchdowns, while rushing 21 times for 202 yards (9.6 ypc) and four touchdowns. He has also returned 40 kickoffs for 1,008 yards (25.2 ypr) with a long of 80, along with three punts for 97 yards and one touchdown with a long of 65. As a junior last year, Bolden led Oregon State in all-purpose yards with 1,319 and was tied for second with eight total touchdowns. As part of that, he caught 54 passes for 746 yards (13.8 ypr) and five touchdowns, rushed nine times for 84 yards (9.3 ypc) and two touchdowns, returned 17 kickoffs for 392 yards (23.1 ypr), and brought back three punts for 97 yards and one touchdown. Bolden notched seven games with at least 100 all-purpose yards and made at least two catches in every game with three in all but one contest. Against Utah, he set his career high with 100 receiving yards, matched his career high of six catches with one touchdown, and set a career high of 53 rushing yards with one touchdown on two carries. He helped the Beavers to an 8-5 record last season and an appearance in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. As a sophomore, Bolden played in all 13 games, making three starts, and totaled 23 catches for 305 yards (13.3 ypc) and four touchdowns, while rushing for 105 yards on nine carries (11.7 ypc). He also averaged 27.2 yards per kickoff return (22-599), which was among the leaders in the Pac-12. He caught a season-high six passes for 99 yards and one touchdown in a win versus Florida in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl to cap a 10-3 season for Oregon State. In 2021, Bolden played in 10 games as a redshirt freshman, catching three passes for 25 yards and rushing three times for 13 yards. He caught two passes in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl versus Utah State as part of a 7-6 season. He appeared in one game as a true freshman in 2020 against Arizona State and returned one kickoff for 17 yards.
Bolden was a three-year starter and two-time all-league honoree at Rancho Cucamonga High School. In that span, he registered 2,031 receiving yards and 29 receiving touchdowns. He played in the 2019 Makasi Bowl, which features the best players from San Diego and the Inland Empire, following a senior season in which he tallied 1,239 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He also recorded 572 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a junior, along with 220 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore. In addition to football, he competed in basketball and track in high school and was a state finalist in the 4x100m.
