Steve Sarkisian of Texas football provides a major defensive injury update prior to the Big 12 championship game.
This season has been among the best for the Texas football team in recent memory, and they have an opportunity to improve on it this Saturday. The Longhorns are 11-1 and currently ranked #7 in the nation. This weekend, Texas football will play Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship. If the Longhorns can pull off a victory, they will have a realistic chance of qualifying for the College Football Playoffs. This one will require all hands on deck, and the team recently received good news regarding injuries.
Ryan Watts, a cornerback for Texas football, suffered an injury early in last week’s game. Although it was uncertain whether he would be ready to play this weekend, Steve Sarkisian announced on Thursday that he would be able to do so, as reported by Kirk Bohls in a tweet. Given that this is one of the most significant games the Longhorns have played in recent memory, this is huge news.
Normally, a 12-1 power five conference champion is eligible to play in the College Football Playoff, but this year that may not be the case. For instance, Texas will almost certainly be left out if Georgia, Michigan, Washington, and Florida State all win this weekend and go on to win their respective conferences at 13-0. Clearly, the Longhorns must prevail, and they ought to be rooting for Louisville and Alabama to prevail in their respective conference championship matches. The committee would have to include Texas because of their victory over the Crimson Tide if the Crimson Tide were in as the 12-1 conference champions, right?
There are many possible outcomes for this coming weekend; however, Texas must prevail above all. Although they are heavy favorites over Oklahoma State, the game should be close, and the Longhorns should benefit from Watts being healthy.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are aware of needs in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of Monday’s window opening for 30 days, despite a focus on high school football recruiting.
These needs include a few positions where the Longhorns may try to add potential starters or contributors, as well as high-priority positions like defensive line and wide receiver. Sarkisian has taken between five and seven transfers in each of his first three cycles on the Forty Acres, and he may choose to take a transfer at the low end of those range to bolster the 2024 recruiting class.
As the Texas personnel department finalizes its targets in the next few days, here are some players that appear like possible fits.
The biggest need for the Longhorns is a proven contributor who could start at number one or number two wide receiver for the upcoming season. They could select two wide receivers from the portal. Players with ties to the state stand out at a deep position.
Juice Wells of South Carolina, a James Madison transfer who played alongside former Longhorns linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, is the name most frequently associated with Texas thus far. When Wells makes his decision official, he will be among the top wide receivers in the portal at 6’1 and 208 pounds. He had 68 catches for 928 yards and six touchdowns in the previous season in Columbia. Wells sustained a left foot injury during preseason camp that required surgery, which kept him out of the game for nearly the whole 2023 campaign.
Prior to catching one pass for 12 yards this season for the Fighting Irish, the Austin-area product was rated as one of the top-150 prospects in the country for the 2023 recruiting class. The staff is familiar with James because he was once a target for Texas and he seems like a player who would want to go back to the Lone Star State.
With a breakout season for the Broncos that included 47 receptions for 873 yards and five touchdowns, McAlister, a big-bodied wide receiver at 6’4″ and 201 pounds, was a consensus mid-three star prospect from Azle in the 2021 recruiting class. He is currently ranked among the top pass catchers in the portal.
McAlister still has two seasons left to be eligible.
Despite Tyree’s Virginia roots, he caught the attention of notable recruiter Jeff Banks when he visited the portal earlier this week. Tyree, who was ranked as the top all-purpose back in the 2020 recruiting class, had his best season in 2023 when he caught 26 passes for 484 yards and three touchdowns. He also added value in 2022 when he scored a touchdown on a kickoff return, giving him over 1,000 career yards.
Akharaiyi, a 2019 Irving Macarthur graduate, attended Tyler Junior College before moving to West Texas. The 6’1, 194-pound player had a fantastic 2023 season with 48 receptions for 1,033 yards and seven touchdowns, following a lackluster performance the previous year. After joining the portal on Thursday, he has already become well-known, having received offers from several schools, including Mississippi State, Kansas State, USF, and others.
As of Thursday, there was only one official four-star transfer listed in the portal, making this a medium-priority position that might be challenging to fill.
After beginning his career at Washington, Redman has been productive for the Aztecs over the last two seasons and is currently ranked as the top tight end in the portal by On3.
With 13 receptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns, Ryan had a respectable season for the Bruins. Whether the Utah native chooses to play for the Utes or the Cougars when he returns home is a major question.
Every impact defensive tackle spot in the portal will be fiercely competitive, making it another challenging position to fill.
Athletic and productive, Griffith has already received offers from UCLA, Michigan State, Cal, Oregon State, Minneapolis, and Louisville.
Peebles, who stands 6’1 and weighs 285 pounds, is not particularly large, but in 2023 he was very effective for Duke, recording 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Will he decide to go to Texas A&M with head coach Mike Elko or take a chance on the open market?
The question at linebacker is whether Texas adds Tucker-Dorsey, who fits the profile of a contributor, or tries to target a possible starter.
Efficient and of standard stature, the Californian is presently among the best linebackers in the portal.
With sixty tackles in 2021, the North Shore product led the Canes. He also added three sacks, one interception, seven tackles for loss, and seven tackles for loss in 2022. Flagg shared the team lead in tackles for loss (10.5) the previous season. Due in large part to his non-ideal size, Flagg wasn’t a highly-ranked recruit out of high school, but he has shown he can contribute at the Power Five level.
Texas may take its time making changes at safety until there is more roster stability, as three of its seniors are eligible to play another season.
Oliver, a 6’2 203-pound player from Fairfield, is regarded as one of the best safeties in the portal after he finished 2023 with 48 tackles, four interceptions, six passes broken up, and one interception.
