OTF Premium Recent Texas departures are a part of college football's volatile roster building process

[Jeff Howe]

Monday’s news of Liona Lefau’s departure from the Texas football program, along with DeAndre Moore Jr.’s intention to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, is collateral damage amid the persistent roster volatility permeating throughout college football.

The Longhorns planned to use the transfer portal to bolster the linebacker position before Lefau’s decision to enter the transfer portal went public. With Lefau’s production over 42 career games played and 22 starts gone, Texas will look for proven commodities to overhaul the second level of Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense.

Moore, who wasn’t expected back on the Forty Acres in 2026, according to what team sources told On Texas Football in recent weeks, will join Lefau, Ethan Burke, Jaylon Guilbeau, Anthony Hill Jr., Trey Moore, Malik Muhammad and Michael Taaffe in opting out of the Citrus Bowl against Michigan in just over two weeks.

Lefau’s decision to head into the portal, and Hill and Moore focusing on the draft, leaves Texas thin at linebacker for the bowl game, to say the least.

The short-term pinch means a bigger role for Ty’Anthony Smith against the Wolverines, who lead the Big Ten with 32 rushing touchdowns, are second in the conference in yards per rushing attempt (5.51) and rank 16th nationally in rushing yards per game (213.2). Brad Spence could log more playing time at linebacker instead of as a pass rusher off the edge and, potentially, there could be more snaps available for Bo Barnes and Marshall Landwehr.

For better or worse, that’s the price Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are willing to pay to ensure they’ve got their ducks in a row long before the transfer portal officially opens for business on Jan. 2.

Sarkisian didn’t want to outright say during his signing day press conference on Dec. 3 that following “an NFL draft model” is the best way to approach roster construction. Still, he laid out why the need to be fiscally responsible leads to tough calls on which players to acquire and retain.

“You can only have so much money,” Sarkisian said. “There’s rules, there’s caps and we play within the confines of what the rules (are) that they put in place, so you’ve got to decide what’s the value at the position and what’s the value of certain players. When School B offers more money that’s outside of the value — it’s not endless. You can’t just keep throwing money on top of money on top of money.

“We have to be very specific in (addressing) what are our needs, looking long term as well as short term, of where do you allocate that money?”

Viewing the early signing window as the equivalent of the NFL draft (presumably, that would make the February signing period college football’s version of the supplemental draft, which is a fair comparison because it's becoming less relevant from one recruiting cycle to the next), Sarkisian said Texas landed some “elite first-round picks” in the 2026 class (Tyler Atkinson, Dia Bell, Jermaine Bishop and Richard Wesley are among those who look the part). He also made note of the Longhorns welcoming “high-level second, third and fourth-round picks” into the program ahead of his sixth season as head coach.

Eventually, the newcomers become veterans on various career trajectories. Like NFL rookies, when their contracts are winding down and franchises must decide whether to extend them on longer, more lucrative second contracts or let them become unrestricted free agents, the rising third and fourth-year college players must accept their role for the coming season (even if it’s diminished and comes with a pay cut) or bet on themselves, either as a transfer or in the draft.

Those are the discussions Texas and every other Power Four program eying a championship run are in the process of having with their players. The freedom of movement from which players benefit is the same mechanism that allows coaches to dictate the terms and conditions a player must accept to remain a part of the program.

Between defections to the portal and NFL draft departures, only 10 of the 25 high school signees from the 2023 recruiting class are on track to be a part of the 2026 squad. Trevor Goosby, Jelani McDonald and Quintrevion Wisner are among the 10, meaning the number will go down should any of them declare for the draft.

While the staff has a group of young players they’ll look to develop behind the scenes, the bulk of the roster movement ahead of what figures to be Arch Manning’s last season with the Longhorns will be moves the organization makes with an all-in mindset. It’s not ideal, and it can lead to decisions neither side of the table wants to make, but it’s the nature of the beast given college football’s current structure (or lack thereof).

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[Jeff Howe]

In a perfect world, Lefau and Moore would be back at Texas as seniors in 2026. Unfortunately, that's not the way college football is operating right now.

[FaxMachine]

If you want to be at Texas the standards should be to play up to what you’re being paid. If you can’t or don’t then you shouldn’t be gifted anything. They didn’t live up to it and that’s on them. And let’s not act like Deandre was some perfect teammate as well. 

Edited 12 hours ago by FaxMachine

[hookem1014]

Jeff, do the departures so far make a significant impact in opening up NIL allocation towards the portal? 

[Jeff Howe]

2 minutes ago, hookem1014 said:

Jeff, do the departures so far make a significant impact in opening up NIL allocation towards the portal? 

A few of them coming off the books will help. That's not the case for all of the departures, though.

[Jeff Howe]

6 minutes ago, FaxMachine said:

If you want to be at Texas the standards should be to play up to what you’re being paid. If you can’t or don’t then you shouldn’t be gifted anything. They didn’t live up to it and that’s on them. And let’s not act like Deandre was some perfect teammate as well. 

That's the reality of where we are right now. Being a starter making a certain amount of money one season doesn't guarantee anything for the next season.

Just like players can make leverage plays for more money, coaches can change the terms and present them to the players in a take-it-or-leave-it manner. 

[Jbro52]

Some departures are going to be tough to digest but its the nature of the beast 

[AusMOJO]

I've said this elsewhere, but it appears that Sark isn't messing around when it comes to the portal or 2026. He's not wanting to make the mistakes he did last off-season. I respect that, hope they've been scouting guys or backdooring stuff. Would hate for them not to hit on guys in the portal, with a short window.

I'm very curious to see what Texas does in the portal. Thanks for the great piece once again, Jeff. 

[AusMOJO]

Also would like to add, if you push Spence back to LB, paired with Smith, that leaves more room for Jackson, Umeozulu and Vasek to contribute from the Edge and allows you to utilize Spence more in conjunction with Jackson and Simmons on the field. 

I do wonder if they want to move Spence back to LB full time or if they're content with him at Edge? He seems more like a natural fit at LB than he does Edge. Seems like him and Moore should've swapped roles this year. 

Anyway, be interesting to see what they do at S to pair with McDonald, assuming Filsaime. 

[Jarveaux]

very informative article 👍🏻

[alrightalrightalright]

Great article, Jeff. Should have Amanda send this one to her friend Peyton so she doesn't think we're cooked.

[Waxahorn]

College football doesn't seem to too much resemble college football these days.

[PaulieD]

9 hours ago, Jeff Howe said:

In a perfect world, Lefau and Moore would be back at Texas as seniors in 2026. Unfortunately, that's not the way college football is operating right now.

This.

In ancient times (back when I had hair), there really wasn't much of a decision for players since transferring was such a cumbersome process.  Now with the ease of the portal, and NIL issues, things are much more complex.  Hard for college age guys to navigate, IMHO

[Joe Zura]

Great stuff Jefe 

[Jimmy Two Times]

Jeff, curious if you have any insight into why Goosby is likely to come back, despite being mocked in the first round? A disconnect between draft analysts and the actual feedback he’s getting from NFL teams? It’s just hard to believe he’d come back with a first round grade.  

[WestlakeLonghorn]

Great write up Jeff.   I don’t get what SARK says that money is limited.   It clearly isn’t with some programs - Texas Tech for example.   Is that his way of saying that the Texas big money people need to step up for us to compete at the very highest level? @Jeff Howe

[Sundancekid]

This ain’t amateur football any more. It is semi pro. I don’t envy these coaching staffs. Loyalty is spent with dollar signs now.

[FaxMachine]

31 minutes ago, Waxahorn said:

College football doesn't seem to too much resemble college football these days.

 

18 minutes ago, Sundancekid said:

This ain’t amateur football any more. It is semi pro. I don’t envy these coaching staffs. Loyalty is spent with dollar signs now.

And that’s a good thing. For decades college football was built on a lie. I’m glad the bandaid is ripped off and we can treat it like the business it has always been that was taking advantage of athletes. I’m als glad that Texas is in a position to be a player with what this era is vs the decades of rampant cheating that Texas refused to be involved in due to superiority complex. 

[PaulieD]

47 minutes ago, WestlakeLonghorn said:

Great write up Jeff.   I don’t get what SARK says that money is limited.   It clearly isn’t with some programs - Texas Tech for example.   Is that his way of saying that the Texas big money people need to step up for us to compete at the very highest level? @Jeff Howe

When Coach says this, it reminds me of when Dad would say the same things - "$$ doesn't grow on trees" - but in reality he was holding on to it for emergencies.  Our portal needs might just qualify for this.  

Edited 2 hours ago by PaulieD

[Michael Chasnoff]

Jeff, thanks for further explaining the NFL fiscal management policy which Texas is employing. This certainly would make more sense if all teams (like the NFL model) were abiding by the same rules. Unfortunately, there are teams like Tech, Oregon and now USC operating under a different set of rules. Until we have an even playing field there's going to be a lot of frustration with college football. 
 

Is OTF expecting more uniformity in 2026 or more of the same?

[Jeff Howe]

1 hour ago, Jimmy Two Times said:

Jeff, curious if you have any insight into why Goosby is likely to come back, despite being mocked in the first round? A disconnect between draft analysts and the actual feedback he’s getting from NFL teams? It’s just hard to believe he’d come back with a first round grade.  

Where he’s being mocked by publications and writers isn’t necessary what the NFL thinks or how teams view him as a prospect. Gerry mentioned in his recent Goosby update that the opinions ranged from the middle of the first round to early in the second round as to where he’d go if he put his name in the ‘26 draft.

In other words, he’s not viewed as a lock to be a mid-first-round pick.