OTF Premium Ranking Texas' transfer portal classes under Steve Sarkisian

[Jeff Howe]

If you read Bobby Burton’s Monday post regarding trends emerging in spring practice, the first four had to do with the outstanding transfer class Steve Sarkisian and the organization reeled in during the portal window.

To continue the theme of highlighting a deep, talented group of incoming transfers, I wanted to rank the five previous transfer hauls from the most to the least impactful. If nothing else, it’ll help set the bar for what the 2026 group of Longhorn newcomers must accomplish to maximize what they collectively bring to the table.

 

1. 2024

11 Transfers: Kendrick Blackshire (LB), Silas Bolden (WR), Isaiah Bond (WR), Velton Gardner (RB), Matthew Golden (WR), Jermayne Lole (DL), Trey Moore (EDGE), Andrew Mukuba (S), Amari Niblack (TE), Bill Norton (DL), Tia Savea (DL)

Blackshire never played a snap for the Longhorns, while Gardner, Niblack and Savea didn’t make a dent in the program. Still, to get first-round (Golden) and second-round (Mukuba) draft picks, a game-changing return specialist (Bolden), an NFL wideout who contributed significantly when healthy (Bond), a formidable pass rusher who will be drafted (Moore) and two defensive linemen (Lole and Norton) who were key pieces of a national championship-caliber defense out of the rest of the group is an incredible hit rate for a transfer portal haul.

 

2. 2022

Seven Transfers: Jahleel Billingsley (TE), Quinn Ewers (QB), Agiye Hall (WR), Tarique Milton (WR), Isaiah Neyor (WR), Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey (LB), Ryan Watts (CB)

Despite getting little to nothing from the offensive skill players, Texas landed a franchise quarterback (Ewers) and a future NFL draft pick on defense (Watts) in Sarkisian’s second talent acquisition cycle. Considering when he got to the Forty Acres and what he did to solidify the most important position on the field, on top of making Texas an attractive option for skill position transfers, Ewers is the most important Longhorn acquired from the transfer portal since it launched in 2018.

 

3. 2023

Five Transfers: Trill Carter (DL), Jalen Catalon (S), Gavin Holmes (CB), Adonai Mitchell (WR), Ryan Sanborn (P)

The smallest portal haul of Sarkisian's tenure has a case to be ranked higher because of how important Mitchell and Sanborn were to a team that was good enough to win a national championship.

Catalon made plays until his body let him down and Holmes was a solid multi-year contributor in the secondary. Similar to when Texas took Milton in 2022, Carter was an insurance policy the Longhorns didn’t need to cash since it had arguably college football’s top defensive line rotation that season, with Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat as the tip of the spear.

 

4. 2025

11 Transfers: Jack Bouwmeester (P), Cole Brevard (DL), Matthew Caldwell (QB), Jack Endries (TE), Lavon Johnson (DL), Hero Kanu (DL), Emmett Mosley V (WR), Travis Shaw (DL), Mason Shipley (K), Brad Spence (LB), Maraad Watson (DL)

If for no other reason, this group isn’t ranked higher because there’s a lot of football to be played before a proper verdict can be rendered. That said, it's borderline disrespectful to rank the group this low because of how important the one-year transfers were in 2025.

Texas wouldn’t have been a 10-win team if not for Caldwell and Shipley. Endries will be drafted later this month and Bouwmeester was an upgrade for a punt team that struggled in 2024.

While Brevard and Shaw were solid stop-gap linemen for one season, Kanu and Watson could leave the program as top-100 draft picks. Mosley and Spence are positioned to play a high percentage of high-leverage snaps this season and both of them have the tools to play at the next level.

 

5. 2021

Six Transfers: Ben Davis (EDGE), Darrion Dunn (CB), Ovie Oghoufo (LB), Devin Richardson (LB), Keilan Robinson (RB), Ray Thornton (EDGE)

Sarkisian’s first portal class did produce an NFL draft pick (Robinson). Although the efforts the six transfers made as Longhorns are appreciated, this group exemplified a roster in which the most talented players lacked experience and the most experienced players didn’t significantly raise the team’s ceiling.

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[Jeff Howe]

It'll take a lot to surpass the 2024 group. Consider what that group did when setting the expectations for the 2026 haul. If the current group turns out to be Sark's best, Texas should have more than enough to get back to the CFP semifinals and over the hump.

[Joe Zura]

Ovie Oghoufo (LB) The goat can we bring him back lol. 

[Jeff Howe]

6 minutes ago, Joe Zura said:

Ovie Oghoufo (LB) The goat can we bring him back lol. 

Helluva college career when you can say you played for Notre Dame, Texas and LSU (even if Brian Kelly was the head coach at two of those places).

[CJ Vogel]

10 minutes ago, Joe Zura said:

Ovie Oghoufo (LB) The goat can we bring him back lol. 

That's a name I have definitely forgotten about lol

[Bunk Moreland]

22 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

It'll take a lot to surpass the 2024 group. Consider what that group did when setting the expectations for the 2026 haul. If the current group turns out to be Sark's best, Texas should have more than enough to get back to the CFP semifinals and over the hump.

You can look at it position by position or top to bottom in terms of projected impact. I would argue 2024 comes out on top at WR, Edge, and DL. 2026 is better in the aggregate at RB, TE, OL, LB, ST. Secondary is a wash. 

Top to bottom in terms of projected impact—even with Golden, Bond, and Mukuba, I would argue that 2026 has a higher preseason ceiling. Obviously Coleman has a lot of work to do to surpass what Golden accomplished, for example, but Coleman is being talked about as an All-American first-round type of player. Golden did not have that level of expectation in the spring. So, I’d rank preseason projected impact as follows:

1. Coleman (26)

2. Biles (26)

3. Bond (24)

4A/B. Brown/Smothers (26)

5. Mukuba (24)

6. Siani (26)

7. Moore (24)

8. Mascoe (26)

9. Golden (24)

10. Seymour (26)

Next few: I think Masunas and Geffrard would come with higher expectations than any of the remaining 24 portal class. We can disagree about the exact placement of players on this list, but at least in terms of preseason projections, I would take 2026 portal players for 9 out of the first 13 spots. In terms of high-end talent, 2026 looks superior to 2024. But, again, guys like Mukuba and Golden far exceeded their preseason expectations. Will the same thing happen this year?

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Bunk Moreland

[f1revo]

8 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

That's a name I have definitely forgotten about lol

1 sack at the Buck...😬

[thatdude2]

I honestly think Diamonte Tucker Dorsey changed the culture of our LB room. I remember hearing that a big issue in that room was not having guys that loved football, and I think he brought great habits to the room.

[Wabi Sabi]

Hopefully we look back after the season and can make an argument to move 2025 up the list with solid seasons from Kanu, Watson, Mosley, and Spence. Last year's starting TE that'll get drafted, starting P & K, quality snaps out of Brevard, and then Caldwell & Mosley single handledly delivered us a W with their TD in OT - that's gotta pull some weight all on it's own!

[camridleyfan]

I thought blackshire was going to be the next Rueben foster when he committed to bama

[Here for the Wins]

27 minutes ago, thatdude2 said:

I honestly think Diamonte Tucker Dorsey changed the culture of our LB room. I remember hearing that a big issue in that room was not having guys that loved football, and I think he brought great habits to the room.

So Overshown didn’t love football?

[Texas fan in Georgia]

Solid solid list but I would move the 2023 class up to 2 and could make an argument to be #1 but I would be more than fine with the at 2. I’ve agreed with you from the moment you first said it Jeff, Texas wins the national championship if Jbrooks doesn’t get hurt.

[ElCafetero]

UTSA legend Kendrick Blackshire

[akhookem]

1 hour ago, Here for the Wins said:

So Overshown didn’t love football?

Nice cherry pick, I bet you’re fun at parties

[Here for the Wins]

29 minutes ago, akhookem said:

Nice cherry pick, I bet you’re fun at parties

So Jaylan Ford was forced to play?  The only other guy that played was a walk on along with that Gbenda fella.

I’m the guy that sticks up for plays that others feel it’s ok to bash or insinuate that they suck.  
 

I don’t recall guys not liking football.  I think Jordan Whittington expressed some disatifaction about the game at one point too.  That can speak to things other than how they feel about the game.

[akhookem]

1 minute ago, Here for the Wins said:

So Jaylan Ford was forced to play?  The only other guy that played was a walk on along with that Gbenda fella.

I’m the guy that sticks up for plays that others feel it’s ok to bash or insinuate that they suck.  
 

I don’t recall guys not liking football.  I think Jordan Whittington expressed some disatifaction about the game at one point too.  That can speak to things other than how they feel about the game.

Uhh I recall players laughing after an ass kicking at Iowa State on the bus, so yes there were indeed players that didn’t love football it seems🤣whether it was LB or whoever, doesn’t matter, unless either of us were at practice and in the locker room we wouldn’t know would we?

[thatdude2]

2 hours ago, Here for the Wins said:

So Overshown didn’t love football?

You would have to ask the coaching staff, but they’re exact quote might have been, “we don’t have enough guys that love football in that room”.

[thatdude2]

39 minutes ago, Here for the Wins said:

So Jaylan Ford was forced to play?  The only other guy that played was a walk on along with that Gbenda fella.

I’m the guy that sticks up for plays that others feel it’s ok to bash or insinuate that they suck.  
 

I don’t recall guys not liking football.  I think Jordan Whittington expressed some disatifaction about the game at one point too.  That can speak to things other than how they feel about the game.

Are you insinuating I’m basing the players? Sark is the one that said it. 

[hookem1014]

Man I really miss Andrew Mukuba. Probably my favorite pickup from the 2024 class. Winning that CFP game at home vs Clemson must have been sweet for him

[Here for the Wins]

1 hour ago, akhookem said:

Uhh I recall players laughing after an ass kicking at Iowa State on the bus, so yes there were indeed players that didn’t love football it seems🤣whether it was LB or whoever, doesn’t matter, unless either of us were at practice and in the locker room we wouldn’t know would we?

 

35 minutes ago, thatdude2 said:

You would have to ask the coaching staff, but they’re exact quote might have been, “we don’t have enough guys that love football in that room”.

 

33 minutes ago, thatdude2 said:

Are you insinuating I’m basing the players? Sark is the one that said it. 

So again, Sarks first year had Overshown, Brockermeyer, Ford and Gbenda that logged the most snaps.  Tucker-Dorsey was here in 2022 with pretty much the same guys returning from 21.  So, yes, I find it difficult to credit a 1 year guy for having a dramatic impact on those other guys or the “room.”
 

@akhookem the specific reference was to the LBer group.  Then random credit given to a guy for inspiring the others.  That doesn’t jive given how Overshown played his butt off.  I’m not sure the others effort was questioned.  I also thought the moment that you’re referencing had strong ties to TVondre Sweat.  Yeah, he probably wasn’t totally invested at that point.  And your perspective is ignoring the fact that people react differently to adverse situations.

Change in coaches and schemes, injuries, losing all can impact a players “love” for the game.  Even personal life can impact it.  It’s far more likely a player realizes what the game means to them at 20 or 21 than all of a sudden love it.  The list of core players from 21 that were a part of 22 and 23 is decently long.  If you believe Herman was a piece of work, it shouldn’t be difficult to believe he took some joy of the game from some guys.