What the Texas portal haul means for its 2024 football season
The Texas Longhorns have built a powerhouse through the transfer portal. After losing 11 players to the NFL draft and some to the portal, the team has filled most if not all needs with impact players and starters.
In the current portal haul the Longhorns have added six top 150 portal additions. Four of the six are pass catchers, Isaiah Bond, Amari Niblack, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden. The haul solidifies a receiver room that has three underclassmen of five-star or blue chip caliber primed to break out in Johntay Cook, DeAndre Moore and Ryan Wingo.
Below is the team’s portal haul.
Name | Position | Team | Portal rank |
Isaiah Bond | Wide Receiver | No. 4 | |
Edge | UTSA | No. 23 | |
Safety | No. 29 | ||
Amari Niblack | Tight End | Alabama | No. 31 |
Matthew Golden | Wide Receiver | Houston | No. 50 |
Silas Bolden | Wide Receiver | Oregon State | No. 134 |
Tiaoali Savea | Defensive Tackle | Arizona | No. 449 |
Defensive Tackle | Arizona | No. 469 | |
Jay’Vion Cole | Cornerback | No. 482 | |
Jermayne Lole | Defensive Tackle | No. 868 |
It should come as no surprise that the Longhorns are projected to make the playoff in 2024 after reaching it a season ago. Texas proved its mettle in a 10-point road shellacking of Alabama. Now it looks to prove consistent over a two-year stretch. It has the players to come in and make similar things happen in the upcoming season.
In the Longhorns’ transfer class are six proven starters. Outside of those six, Tiaoalii Savea, Bill Norton and Jermayne Lole will battle for the starting spot opposite popular breakout pick in defensive tackle Alfred Collins. One has to feel good about one of Savea, Norton and Lole emerging as a quality starting option at the end of camp.
Jay’Vion Cole comes over from San Jose State with speed and ball hawking ability having intercepted seven passes over the last two seasons. He will need to prove he’s big enough to carve a role on the field, but has the potential to battle Gavin Holmes for the field cornerback spot opposite boundary cornerback Malik Muhammad and nickel corner Jahdae Barron.
The addition of UTSA transfer edge Trey Moore, who has 22.0 sacks in two combined seasons as starter, bolsters an already strong edge rush led by Ethan Burke, Barryn Sorrell and spring standout Colton Vasek.
The team isn’t perfect by any stretch, but its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Texas looks to have enough proven talent, particularly at offensive line, wide receiver and edge, to overwhelm opposition.
As it stands now, the Longhorns have the No. 5 portal class in college football. SEC portal classes that have earned Top 25 classes rank as follows: Ole Miss takes the No. 1 ranking followed by No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Texas, No. 10 Florida, No. 14 South Carolina, No. 16 Missouri, No. 17 Georgia, No. 20 Oklahoma and No. 21 Kentucky.
Having put together three strong recruiting classes and revamped in the portal, Texas looks primed for another strong season in 2024.
