OTF Premium Thinking Out Loud After Weekend 1 of Portal Pandemonium

[CJ Vogel]

Thoughts from the Weekend

It has been roughly 80 hours since the portal opened on midnight of January 2nd.

In that time, Texas has secured four signings: Three specialists and a 380-pound nose tackle from Arkansas who logged more than 460 snaps last season. Geffrard, in particular, fills a clear positional need Texas identified heading into January.

The Longhorns have also hosted the No. 1 player in the portal in WR Cam Coleman, as well as Michigan OT Andrew Sprague, Florida State DB Edwin Joseph, and several others are slated to visit Monday and beyond.

For about a month now, myself and others have been preaching the 'All In' mentality that Texas was set to bring to the portal. I believe now, I will be referring to Texas in the portal to being 'Aggressive' from here on. It's a bit misleading, going All-In typically indicates you are completely committed to a cause and will exhaust all avenues to achieve something.

Texas should still put together a very aggressive class. But what I want to shy away from is the idea that if Texas is linked to a player, that means that player will be in burnt orange next year.

It just isn't that simple.

The Isaac Brown ordeal from Sunday night reminded me a bit too much of the Kenneth Grant or Mason Graham saga from last year. Or the rumors around Peter Woods from Clemson after the CFP game. Or Chris Bell, who also returned to Louisville. 

Or even for guys who did enter the portal. Remember the Jordan Addison deal as well? 

Or the connection to David Bailey and Lee Hunter a year ago.

It is no secret agents and players use the Texas name and logo to garner extra dollars from the school they originally wanted to stay at.

The list of names Texas is rumored to be after mirrored that of an all-conference lineup. Some have entered the portal. Some have not. If Sunday night taught us anything about the rumored targets, it is that there is both reason for optimism and hesitancy. 

I hate being wrong. And when I said it sounded like Brown and Texas were nearing a marriage, it's because that was what was portrayed to me. Yet, I was wrong.

Louisville went full LA Clippers in 2015 to re-sign DeAndre Jordan this weekend. And it worked.

What gets overlooked at times is, hey, some other schools are in positions where they need to match the desperation of Texas. 

However, there is no reason Texas should not be one of the most aggressive schools in the country when it comes to the portal this window. Arch Manning's final year + one of the game's most instant gamebreakers in Colin Simmons spearheads your defense. 

Again, I do believe Texas is going to fill the majority of its needs 

If going All In is the true message this year, there is no reason to penny pinch. No reason to sit on money. No reason to look for deals. You do what is required to get the deal done. That goes for Cam Coleman, the Michigan offensive linemen and for now, whatever is necessary to get a true bell cow at Texas for 2026.

I guess to wrap this up, my approach to Texas in the portal moving forward is this: Texas will be aggressive. 

How aggressive? I don't know. History tells me they will finish 2nd or 3rd in portal fights that they would have liked to have won when looking back around week 3 or week 9 of the season.

 

[Weino]

jeez that last paragraph is grim lol

[NotGerryHamilton]

Money talks and I unfortunately believe that Sark doesn’t understand that. 

[liveattheoasis]

Yeeesh, what an ominous and depressing last line.

[nowaycheo]

1 minute ago, Weino said:

jeez that last paragraph is grim lol

It’s more realistic imo …

[SB21]

Thanks for all you do CJ and OTF. I know these portal situations are fluid and definitely not easy to report on since it changes at the drop of a bag. 🤣

 

🤘🤘

[Weino]

1 minute ago, nowaycheo said:

It’s more realistic imo …

Something can be both realistic and grim

[Coop2395]

That last paragraph just about sucked all the hope out of the room. 
 

woof, cue the july 4th meltdowns from the $1 subs.

 

[901longhorn]

Here are the other questions that must bring a thought process. How much money is being allocated to the current roster? We have 3 high level receivers that did not contribute much this year. 3 high level defensive lineman that did not play much this year. Then the obvious ones how much was it to retain Colin, Trevor, Jelani, and Hero? Also how much to bring in both Cooper and Atkinson who we came out of nowhere for?

[CJ Vogel]

4 minutes ago, Weino said:

jeez that last paragraph is grim lol

If there was ever a year to prove that paragraph wrong, it would be this year.

Landing Cam Coleman and the Michigan OL is the easiest way to disprove it.

[NotGerryHamilton]

2 minutes ago, Weino said:

Something can be both realistic and grim

Wasting Arch and Simmons because you’re cheap is crazy. Texas is run like the Cowboys. All they do is say “we like our guys”

[CJ Vogel]

1 minute ago, 901longhorn said:

Here are the other questions that must bring a thought process. How much money is being allocated to the current roster? We have 3 high level receivers that did not contribute much this year. 3 high level defensive lineman that did not play much this year. Then the obvious ones how much was it to retain Colin, Trevor, Jelani, and Hero? Also how much to bring in both Cooper and Atkinson who we came out of nowhere for?

From what I understand, it is very unlikely that the number those players played the 2025 season at will be what they play the 2026 season at. 

[TexasDynasty3]

BANGGGG ALL-IN 

[Atxdubstep]

Im not a big wig donor but if texas actually has them, I hope they are here reading the last paragraph of CJ's post. 

[901longhorn]

Just now, CJ Vogel said:

From what I understand, it is very unlikely that the number those players played the 2025 season at will be what they play the 2026 season at. 

Exactly, we deemed 3 guys who were locker room staples and upcoming seniors too expensive to retain and we are looking to upgrade in the portal. How much more was it to retain the ones we cannot lose like the ones listed above? Maybe they asked for those demands because they heard some numbers. 

[Coop2395]

1 minute ago, CJ Vogel said:

If there was ever a year to prove that paragraph wrong, it would be this year.

Landing Cam Coleman and the Michigan OL is the easiest way to disprove it.

@CJ Vogel am I that crazy to say the Michigan OL are the two most important guys to get on the dotted line? 
 

I can get over missing out on woods (as great as he is - I can sell myself on the excitement of Jackson and Wesley coming along)

 

I can justify not spending the high dollar amount on Coleman and convince myself that money can bring in higher level players at other positions. 
 

I just don’t know what to think if we miss out on two all big 10 level lineman. Guys like that don’t always enter the portal. 

[HORNS1997]

any updates on the Michigan boys how we looking? @Gerry Hamilton

[nowaycheo]

7 minutes ago, Weino said:

Something can be both realistic and grim

That’s definitely true 

[CJ Vogel]

Just now, 901longhorn said:

Exactly, we deemed 3 guys who were locker room staples and upcoming seniors too expensive to retain and we are looking to upgrade in the portal. How much more was it to retain the ones we cannot lose like the ones listed above? Maybe they asked for those demands because they heard some numbers. 

Well, that all kind of plays into why All In was/is the plan for Texas. Longhorns weren't willing to meet extremely high asks from some of the expected returnees, while also some of the freshmen numbers were going to be cut significantly. That tells me, 'Hey, there is extra cash around.' 

[pinkman_90]

CJ, do you know if we have any experienced front office people doing NIL negotiations from the Texas side?  Or is it mainly Sark/Harris?

[CJ Vogel]

1 minute ago, Coop2395 said:

@CJ Vogel am I that crazy to say the Michigan OL are the two most important guys to get on the dotted line? 
 

I can get over missing out on woods (as great as he is - I can sell myself on the excitement of Jackson and Wesley coming along)

 

I can justify not spending the high dollar amount on Coleman and convince myself that money can bring in higher level players at other positions. 
 

I just don’t know what to think if we miss out on two all big 10 level lineman. Guys like that don’t always enter the portal. 

I don't disagree.

Priority list for me has always been

1. OL

2. OL

3. OL 

[JMarquette]

15 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Thoughts from the Weekend

It has been roughly 80 hours since the portal opened on midnight of January 2nd.

In that time, Texas has secured four signings: Three specialists and a 380-pound nose tackle from Arkansas who logged more than 460 snaps last season. Geffrard, in particular, fills a clear positional need Texas identified heading into January.

The Longhorns have also hosted the No. 1 player in the portal in WR Cam Coleman, as well as Michigan OT Andrew Sprague, Florida State DB Edwin Joseph, and several others are slated to visit Monday and beyond.

For about a month now, myself and others have been preaching the 'All In' mentality that Texas was set to bring to the portal. I believe now, I will be referring to Texas in the portal to being 'Aggressive' from here on. It's a bit misleading, going All-In typically indicates you are completely committed to a cause and will exhaust all avenues to achieve something.

Texas should still put together a very aggressive class. But what I want to shy away from is the idea that if Texas is linked to a player, that means that player will be in burnt orange next year.

It just isn't that simple.

The Isaac Brown ordeal from Sunday night reminded me a bit too much of the Kenneth Grant or Mason Graham saga from last year. Or the rumors around Peter Woods from Clemson after the CFP game. Or Chris Bell, who also returned to Louisville. 

Or even for guys who did enter the portal. Remember the Jordan Addison deal as well? 

Or the connection to David Bailey and Lee Hunter a year ago.

It is no secret agents and players use the Texas name and logo to garner extra dollars from the school they originally wanted to stay at.

The list of names Texas is rumored to be after mirrored that of an all-conference lineup. Some have entered the portal. Some have not. If Sunday night taught us anything about the rumored targets, it is that there is both reason for optimism and hesitancy. 

I hate being wrong. And when I said it sounded like Brown and Texas were nearing a marriage, it's because that was what was portrayed to me. Yet, I was wrong.

Louisville went full LA Clippers in 2015 to re-sign DeAndre Jordan this weekend. And it worked.

What gets overlooked at times is, hey, some other schools are in positions where they need to match the desperation of Texas. 

However, there is no reason Texas should not be one of the most aggressive schools in the country when it comes to the portal this window. Arch Manning's final year + one of the game's most instant gamebreakers in Colin Simmons spearheads your defense. 

Again, I do believe Texas is going to fill the majority of its needs 

If going All In is the true message this year, there is no reason to penny pinch. No reason to sit on money. No reason to look for deals. You do what is required to get the deal done. That goes for Cam Coleman, the Michigan offensive linemen and for now, whatever is necessary to get a true bell cow at Texas for 2026.

I guess to wrap this up, my approach to Texas in the portal moving forward is this: Texas will be aggressive. 

How aggressive? I don't know. History tells me they will finish 2nd or 3rd in portal fights that they would have liked to have won when looking back around week 3 or week 9 of the season.

 

This is telling you the donors don’t want to commit anymore money that they’ve already committed.

[CJ Vogel]

Just now, pinkman_90 said:

CJ, do you know if we have any experienced front office people doing NIL negotiations from the Texas side?  Or is it mainly Sark/Harris?

Texas has a very experienced group of negotiators on their side.

[901longhorn]

Just now, CJ Vogel said:

Well, that all kind of plays into why All In was/is the plan for Texas. Longhorns weren't willing to meet extremely high asks from some of the expected returnees, while also some of the freshmen numbers were going to be cut significantly. That tells me, 'Hey, there is extra cash around.' 

I agree, the ones who stayed either did not get a pay cut or are bought in. It is not a bad plan, but we need to use the extra cash around. I know agents are going to do what is best for their clients and try to drive the price up. Just think since we need some second tier guys, go a head and get a 1b running back and 1b receiver committed that you like then go big game hunting for 1a targets since you need multiple of each. 

[Ekoep]

I have to agree the news on Brown and likely missing out on Baugh have changed the mood.  Without a clear vision on additional targets the worry starts to creep in that we won’t be able to build that ‘championship’ roster during the Arch window….OL still remains biggest need for experienced starters and depth. However, after clearing out the WR and RB room of good solid players and leaders for the team we have to hope some things start falling Texas’ way.   Here is hoping Sark and Harris have some Justus Terry, JJ Johnson, Derek Cooper surprises up their sleeve.