Texas DT target Ja’Maree Caldwell chooses Oregon

Texas suffered a tough loss on the recruiting trail in the transfer portal.

Texas will not be bringing in the impact tackle it hoped for through the transfer portal. Houston defensive tackle transfer Ja’Maree Caldwell is headed to Oregon.

The Texas defensive tackle room has been a major topic of discussion since the Longhorns’ season ended on Jan. 1. The team lost two elite tackles in T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy both of which could see their name called early in the NFL draft. Replacing them is easier said than done.

The team is set to return the highest graded returning defensive tackle among SEC players in Alfred Collins. He put up an impressive 80.6 grade according to Pro Football Focus. Who will play alongside Collins is up for question after the presumed first option is headed to Oregon.

It’s hard to fault Caldwell for choosing the Ducks. Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi has a background in defensive line coaching at the NFL level. Texas doesn’t yet have a defensive line coach of its own following the departure of Bo Davis to LSU. The Tigers’ poaching of the Longhorns’ top defensive position coach came at just the right time to send Caldwell to Oregon.

Coaching changes make the portal difficult to navigate. It could be the reason Caldwell won’t be a Longhorn. Even so, another coaching change could help Texas address a different need in the portal with an impact player. The team will look to inch closer to a more complete squad than it is presently before the 2024 season.