Spring Football Primer | Transfer Additions 2024

We took a look at the early enrollees on both sides of the ball earlier this week, now it is time to take a look at the seven additions out of the transfer portal that are on campus for the spring.

Of course, keep in mind that Oregon State WR Silas Bolden will arrive at the conclusion of the semester and enroll for June.

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WR Isaiah Bond

Adding the former WR1 for Alabama is never a bad sign. In fact, I would argue it is a good one! Bond has tremendous top-end speed and could rival Jaydon Blue or anyone else for that matter as the fastest player on the Texas roster for the spring. Bond made it clear he came to Texas to improve his draft stock with a quarterback like Quinn Ewers. He will be prioritized in the lineup and by the end of spring, I would be a bit surprised if he has not separated himself as WR1 for the Longhorns heading into the summer.

WR Matthew Golden

Golden actually had his best game of the 2023 season against Texas which is ironically rather funny to me. Golden does not have that top-end elite speed, but he can still burn you if you are not careful. There is also great wiggle to his game and in short, close areas, he is a nightmare to bring down to the ground. For the spring, you can expect to see Golden with the first unit.

TE Amari Niblack

Texas tested an Alabama tight end transfer with great speed vertical ability once before – that did not work out so great. However, by all accounts, Niblack has been great since joining the Texas program. There were glimpses of a true TE1 last year while at Alabama. Some of the same route concepts that made Ja'Tavion Sanders such a threat last fall, will be used to free up Niblack in space in 2024.

DT Tiaoalii Savea

The addition of Johnny Nansen to that staff also helped Texas secure some defensive line depth with the addition of Savea. Following the NFL departures of T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, the interior DL is the biggest question mark on the team currently. While Savea won't be the full-time answer for either, at least not at the moment, he is expected to see large shares of the snap count and be a contributing factor in the run-game.

EDGE Trey Moore

Trey Moore has proven over the last two years he can really get after the quarterback. With 22.5 sacks in two seasons, Texas will be greatly appreciate adding him to their defensive end room. While that group looks awfully crowded on paper, I am of full belief we will see Moore in that top-two range for snap count come the fall at the EDGE spot. It certainly doesn't hurt that he came in with a tremendous mindset and approach to winter conditioning.

LB Kendrick Blackshire – Transferred from Alabama

Replacing Jaylan Ford is near the top of the priority list for the Texas defensive staff this offseason. Ford's smarts and ability to drop in coverage were qualities that are not easily replaceable, especially when joining a new conference. Blackshire comes in from Alabama with the expectation to get on the field, though it will be up to him to supplant David Gbenda and fend off Liona Lefau and Derion Gullette. If Blackshire shows an improvement in the passing game, there is a chance he finds himself a nice role on the Texas D.

DB Andrew Mukuba – Transferred from Clemson

Texas is adding a lot of experience and production in the backend of their secondary with the addition of Mukuba. The former Freshman All-American brings athleticism to the group that Texas did not have in 2023. On top of that, there is already familiarity with secondary members Michael Taaffe and Jahdae Barron as the trio trains together in the Austin area. It is my expectation to see Mukuba in the starting lineup come spring game time.