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The talk in Texas is the Longhorns No. 5 ranked recruiting class in the 2022 cycle, but make no mistake the team under Steve Sarkisian loaded up in the transfer portal.
All four players they added to the class are expected to play major roles on this team. Everyone knows about the quarterback and his two newest weapons. Not to mention Texas secured one of the best offensive line hauls that we have ever seen.
According to Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports, the Texas Longhorns were big winners in the transfer portal this offseason.
What Myerberg Says…
This year’s transfer cycle has been defined by the game of musical chairs at quarterback. Steve Sarkisian landed one of the nation’s top young talents at the position in Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers, who will step right into the starting role and be the face of the program’s continued rebuild. The Longhorns further upgraded the passing game by adding former Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley, who has the talent to play at the next level, and former Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, one of the top deep threats in the country in 2021.
It was clear that the Texas staff had a clear view of what they wanted to do this offseason. On top of securing the top recruiting class in the Big 12, Sarkisian also brought in a lot of talent through the transfer portal. The biggest came when Quinn Ewers chose Texas over Texas Tech and TCU. He is in line to be the quarterback of the next couple of seasons, as he would have been had he stuck with his original commitment. The Longhorns ended up winning in the end, now the question remains if he can lead them to the promised land.
Adding Jahleel Billingsley to replace the loss of Jared Wiley and Isaiah Neyor replacing Joshua Moore was massive. However, the defense might have been the underrated part in all of this. Texas flipped Ohio State commit Terrance Brooks and landed Buckeyes defensive back Ryan Watts in the transfer portal. It appears the staff put together a solid building block.
The Sooners on the other hand were big losers in the transfer portal according to Myerberg. Fans can thank Texas native Lincoln Riley for nuking that team from the inside. He did grow up as a Texas Longhorns fan after all.
It hasn’t been a total flop: OU has rallied under new coach Brent Venables to sign Central Florida quarterback Dillon Gabriel and one of the deepest transfer groups in the FBS. Gabriel’s production in the Group of Five and familiarity with new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s system makes him the favorite to claim the starting job. The Sooners also addressed two areas of concern in the secondary and overall line play; McKade Mettauer (California) is a likely starter on the offensive front, while Jonah La’ulu (Hawaii) and Jeffery Johnson (Tulane) bolster depth on defense. It’s still hard to overlook the fact that OU lost one of the best players in the country at the most important position on the field.
Two five-star quarterbacks opted to exit stage left. Mario Williams is an up-and-coming wide receiver in college football. He opted to join Caleb Williams at USC with Riley. Oklahoma did secure a top 10 class in 2022 but those losses could be monumental. It is a wait-and-see approach for first-time head coach Brent Venables and those north of the Red River. As of right now, it appears the advantage arrow points to Austin.
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