2023 Transfer Thread - Texas Capitalized, ATM Victimized

30 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Walter Nolen

I’m sure he’s just fucking around, but if he did decide to portal he would have to wait until the next window, right? Some time in the Spring?

30 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Walter Nolen

Did Candi take this while giving this guy dome?

Walter Nolen

aggybucks no longer legal tender?

2 hours ago, UncleSonny said:

I’m sure he’s just fucking around, but if he did decide to portal he would have to wait until the next window, right? Some time in the Spring?

Yep. The 1st portal window closed a few weeks ago.

2 hours ago, mdleast said:

I’m a little confused. Are we to believe the portal has a grate/filtering system?

Nah, he's saying the portal looks "grate".

13 hours ago, Bevo said:

Nah, he's saying the portal looks "grate".

Where's the rep reaction for "groaned at dad joke"?

 

1 hour ago, texifornia said:

 

1 hour ago, Hornlover said:

Perhaps a UH connection (even though they did not overlap in their tenures at Coog)?

1 minute ago, cochamps said:

Perhaps a UH connection (even though they did not overlap in their tenures at Coog)?

Probably frequented the same Houston strip clubs and dealers when Sumlin was at A&M and Herman at Houston 

1 minute ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Probably frequented the same Houston strip clubs and dealers when Sumlin was at A&M and Herman at Houston 

1 hour ago, cochamps said:

Perhaps a UH connection (even though they did not overlap in their tenures at Coog)?

They used the same dealer.

On 1/11/2023 at 12:24 PM, BurntOrange&White said:

pro bowl is a useless metric

 

All-Pro teams are far superior metric.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

 

 

I'm done.

I can’t believe bama hasn’t gotten a QB. Milroe ain’t it. Maybe Ty Simpson is

45 minutes ago, utexas8 said:

I can’t believe bama hasn’t gotten a QB. Milroe ain’t it. Maybe Ty Simpson is

I think they are worried Ty might bail if they got someone in the early portal knowing they were getting rid of BOB. Now they get to hope that they can find a JAG with some starting experience (which is technically better than what they have now) that will have some familiarity with whoever the new OC’s system is.

 

Being unwilling to cut BOB loose early is probably the real issue is. All this does is make the early road game to Bama that much more winnable.

1 hour ago, Laxtonto said:

I think they are worried Ty might bail if they got someone in the early portal knowing they were getting rid of BOB. Now they get to hope that they can find a JAG with some starting experience (which is technically better than what they have now) that will have some familiarity with whoever the new OC’s system is.

 

Being unwilling to cut BOB loose early is probably the real issue is. All this does is make the early road game to Bama that much more winnable.

Bama is a winnable game next season as long as we can get a running game going. Last year we couldn't and still almost won, but Bama was melting down all game with penalties. They won't do that at home. 

1 minute ago, Vertigo said:

Bama is a winnable game next season as long as we can get a running game going. Last year we couldn't and still almost won, but Bama was melting down all game with penalties. They won't do that at home. 

On 1/24/2023 at 12:38 PM, Hornlover said:

I count 3.

#10 Ole Miss CB Davison Igbinosun - https://247sports.com/Player/Davison-Igbinosun-46098934/

#21 Georgia CB Jaheim Singletary - https://247sports.com/Player/Jaheim-Singletary-46082114/

#38 Kentucky OT Kiyaunta Goodwin - https://247sports.com/Player/Kiyaunta-Goodwin-46056042/

Singletary is the last one left

 

1 hour ago, Goodman said:

You deserve a break today!!

3 hours ago, Goodman said:

 

2 hours ago, texifornia said:

 

BZ to the Ole Miss graphics department. I laughed.

How the hell did they pull Walker Howard and Spencer Sanders with Jaxson Dart already on the roster? Seems like an... interesting strategy

Athletic: Texas roster construction: How Steve Sarkisian made the Longhorns his own

Quote

Of the 84 scholarship players on the roster for the 2020 Alamo Bowl — the final contest of the Herman era, just four days before Sarkisian’s hiring — only 13 remain. Of the 71 who have departed the program since, 30 have graduated, exhausted their eligibility and/or entered the NFL Draft, 37 have transferred and four retired, three for medical reasons.

and
 

Quote

 

Of the 92 scholarship players who have signed with or entered the program under Sarkisian since January 2021, 74 are high school signees (18 of whom were signed in December 2020 by Herman but enrolled at Texas following Sarkisian’s arrival).

In the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes, Sarkisian inked 52 high school recruits, 39 of whom ranked as four- or five-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite. The entire 2022 class remains on the roster.

Residing in a recruiting hotbed, Texas’ approach is logical. Texans account for 65 percent of the Longhorns’ high school signees in the 2022 and 2023 classes — 34 of the 52.

“Just to take a transfer portal guy to fill a number … we don’t do that,” Sarkisian said in July. “I don’t want that. ‘Hey, we need a lineman, let’s take a transfer portal lineman.’

“Well, if he can’t play at whatever state university, why all of a sudden is he going to be a good player for us? … I’d rather take more of a quality high school kid that I know we can develop, and maybe he’s not going to have the immediate impact … but over time, we’re going to have a better player on our roster.”

 

 

 

Quote

 

Texas roster construction: How Steve Sarkisian made the Longhorns his own

By Sam Khan Jr.

4h ago

4

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When Steve Sarkisian took the Texas job just more than two years ago, it wasn’t viewed as a massive rebuild.

The Longhorns had a winning record in 2020 and went 32-18 in the four seasons under Tom Herman. Even Sarkisian, the day he was hired, lauded the roster he inherited.

“There’s championship talent on this team,” Sarkisian said on Jan. 2, 2021. “Clearly, there’s work to be done, or a change wouldn’t be made.”

His first season, a 5-7 disaster, revealed more work than perhaps he even realized. Since taking over 25 months ago and amid an 8-5 second season, Sarkisian has spent considerable effort remaking the Longhorns in his vision, with roster management a key piece. As Texas enters 2023, perhaps its final Big 12 season before a looming move to the SEC, the Longhorns look drastically different from the team he took over.

Of the 84 scholarship players on the roster for the 2020 Alamo Bowl — the final contest of the Herman era, just four days before Sarkisian’s hiring — only 13 remain. Of the 71 who have departed the program since, 30 have graduated, exhausted their eligibility and/or entered the NFL Draft, 37 have transferred and four retired, three for medical reasons.

 

With the transfer portal and one-time transfer rule that allows for immediate eligibility, coaches can flip rosters much faster than their predecessors a generation ago or integrate high-impact players more quickly. Last year, the Longhorns signed quarterback Quinn Ewers from Ohio State to pair with a fifth-ranked recruiting class; this year they added former Georgia receiver Adonai Mitchell to complement a high school haul that ranks third, headlined by No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning.

As Sarkisian enters Year 3, The Athletic’s analysis of Texas’ roster construction shows a focus on high school recruiting, strategic use of the portal and an emphasis on offensive and defensive linemen.

---

While the Longhorns have utilized the portal in the Sarkisian era, they haven’t lived in it as much as some programs. Sarkisian focused on taking portal players at need positions to fill gaps while largely relying on high school recruiting otherwise.

Of the 92 scholarship players who have signed with or entered the program under Sarkisian since January 2021, 74 are high school signees (18 of whom were signed in December 2020 by Herman but enrolled at Texas following Sarkisian’s arrival).

In the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes, Sarkisian inked 52 high school recruits, 39 of whom ranked as four- or five-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite. The entire 2022 class remains on the roster.

Residing in a recruiting hotbed, Texas’ approach is logical. Texans account for 65 percent of the Longhorns’ high school signees in the 2022 and 2023 classes — 34 of the 52.

“Just to take a transfer portal guy to fill a number … we don’t do that,” Sarkisian said in July. “I don’t want that. ‘Hey, we need a lineman, let’s take a transfer portal lineman.’

“Well, if he can’t play at whatever state university, why all of a sudden is he going to be a good player for us? … I’d rather take more of a quality high school kid that I know we can develop, and maybe he’s not going to have the immediate impact … but over time, we’re going to have a better player on our roster.”

Texas still searches the country for talent. Beyond their home state, the Longhorns have signed players from Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Utah and Washington.

High school signees	22	28	24
Transfers	6	7	4

 

---

Transfers have been valuable to Texas, though, with Sarkisian signing 17 players via the portal. The additions have trended toward a particular position focus or a high-level player. In his first offseason, five of the six portal additions came on defense, including four linebackers (Ben Davis, Ovie Oghoufo, Devin Richardson and Ray Thornton) to address depth issues.

In Sarkisian’s second offseason, Ewers — who won the starting job in 2022 — headlined the haul. But the Longhorns also needed receivers, so they added three: Isaiah Neyor (Wyoming); Agiye Hall (Alabama) and Tarique Milton (Iowa State) among their seven additions.

During the most recent portal window, Texas added four: Mitchell, Wake Forest cornerback Gavin Holmes, Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon and Stanford punter Ryan Sanborn. Mitchell adds a high-level talent to strengthen Texas at receiver, Catalon is a former first-team All-SEC pick who battled injuries the past two years and Holmes and Sanborn provide valuable experience where Texas needs it.

In Sarkisian’s three offseasons, Texas has taken its portal players mostly from three positions: linebackers (five), receivers (four) and defensive backs (four).

Early in 2022, Sarkisian added Bobby Merritt, a former NFL, CFL and SEC scout, to evaluate talent in the portal and how it fits the Longhorns’ needs. Ultimately, the decision on whether to pursue a player rests with Sarkisian.

“We’re really trying to build a program that can sustain long term, but yet we do have some short-term needs,” Sarkisian said in May. “Not every player that goes in the portal — although they may be good players — are fits for the University of Texas.”

Of the 17 transfers, six had only one year of eligibility upon arrival: Davis, Thornton, Milton, cornerback Darion Dunn (who Herman signed in December 2020), linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey and Sanborn, who punted for Stanford for four years before committing to Texas this winter.

Four transfers — Oghoufo, Richardson, Hall and tight end Jahleel Billingsley — departed Texas with eligibility still left.

The portal has been valuable in plugging gaps left by past attrition. Texas’ 2019 class — which would have been juniors and redshirt sophomores in 2021; seniors and redshirt juniors in 2022 — proved disastrous. Of the 26 members of that class, which ranked third at the time of signing, only six either finished their careers at Texas or are still on the roster. Sixteen of those 26 signees transferred and four medically retired.

Sarkisian-era portal additions

LB Ben Davis (Alabama)	TE Jahleel Billingsley (Alabama)	DB Jalen Catalon (Arkansas)
DB Darion Dunn (McNeese State)	QB Quinn Ewers (Ohio State)	DB Gavin Holmes (Wake Forest)
LB Ovie Oghoufo (Notre Dame)	WR Agiye Hall (Alabama)	WR Adonai Mitchell (Georgia)
LB Devin Richardson (New Mexico State)	WR Tarique Milton (Iowa State)	P Ryan Sanborn (Stanford)
RB Keilan Robinson (Alabama)	WR Isaiah Neyor (Wyoming)
LB Ray Thornton (LSU)	LB Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey (James Madison)
	DB Ryan Watts (Ohio State)

 

---

Before his first Texas game against an SEC opponent, Sarkisian flatly explained what the Longhorns were up against.

“There’s a lot of big human beings in the SEC,” said Sarkisian, who spent three seasons on Alabama’s offensive staff, on Sept. 9, 2021. “It’s a big man’s league. … When you cross over to play them, you have to be ready to play that style of football or you get your ass knocked off.”

Those words proved prophetic, as Arkansas hammered Texas 40-21 two days later. It revealed glaring issues within the Longhorns’ roster that resurfaced throughout Sarkisian’s debut season.

The ensuing recruiting class heavily addressed the issue with Sarkisian signing 15 “big humans,” as Sarkisian calls them, along the line of scrimmage: seven offensive linemen and eight defensive linemen or edge rushers. The 2023 class added nine more in the trenches: five offensive linemen and four defensive linemen or edge rushers, giving Texas 24 offensive and defensive linemen in the past two classes. Of those 24 linemen, 17 have come from Texas high schools, and the other seven from out-of-state.

Offensive line play was one of the biggest sore spots in Texas’ disastrous 2021 season, but the unit improved significantly as it injected younger talent. Two of the 2022 signees, former five-star tackle Kelvin Banks and former three-star Cole Hutson, both started every game as true freshmen last season. Hayden Conner, a December 2020 signee was the third new face up front and also started every game. Center Jake Majors and right tackle Christian Jones were the two returning starters from the 2021 O-line. All five 2022 starters are slated to return for 2023.

A year after the loss at Arkansas, the Longhorns fared much better up front in its 20-19 loss to Alabama. They played fast and physical, and despite the youth on the offensive line, held their own.

With the SEC in the offing, Texas has focused on the line of scrimmage the past two recruiting classes like its success in its future league is dependent on the size, talent and depth on the lines.

Sarkisian-era offensive line signees

2022	Devon Campbell	10
2022	Kelvin Banks	33
2022	Neto Umeozulu	91
2022	Malik Agbo	269
2022	Cole Hutson	362
2022	Cameron Williams	407
2022	Connor Robertson	600
2023	Jaydon Chatman	192
2023	Trevor Goosby	404
2023	Payton Kirkland	524
2023	Connor Stroh	607
2023	Andre Cojoe	815

 

Sarkisian-era defensive line signees

2022	J’mond Tapp	107
2022	Justice Finkley	116
2022	Jaray Bledsoe	174
2022	Kristopher Ross	250
2022	Derrick Brown	335
2022	Zac Swanson	374
2022	Ethan Burke	379
2022	Aaron Bryant	391
2023	Colton Vasek	107
2023	Derion Gullette	121
2023	Sydir Mitchell	203
2023	Billy Walton	501

---

Unsurprisingly, the 2021 signing class endured notable attrition since Sarkisian took over. Typically, classes signed during a head coaching transition see defections, because players might not fit in the new schemes or the new coaching staff may evaluate those players differently than the previous one.

Of the 22 recruits signed in that class (18 signed by Herman, four by Sarkisian), nine are no longer with the program. Six of those nine were signed by Herman, the other three by Sarkisian.

2021 signees no longer on roster

DB	JD Coffey III	Herman
DB	Ishmael Ibraheem	Sarkisian
DB	Jamier Johnson	Herman
DL	Jordon Thomas	Herman
DL	David Abiara	Sarkisian
DL	DJ Harris Jr.	Herman
LB	Terrence Cooks II	Herman
WR	Keithron Lee	Sarkisian
P	Isaac Pearson	Herman

 

But some of those 2021 recruits have become valuable contributors. Ja’Tavion Sanders, the former five-star recruit, is a budding star tight end, finishing second on the team with 54 receptions in 2022. Barryn Sorrell emerged as an effective edge rusher, compiling nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season.

Conner started all 13 games at left guard in 2022. Running back Jonathon Brooks is set to take on a larger role with Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson moving on. Several other 2021 recruits have been rotational players who should see their roles grow in 2023.

And of the 13 from the 2020 roster who still remain, most played a role in Texas’ 2022 turnaround. Linebacker Jaylan Ford was a contender for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Majors and Jones started all year on the offensive line and Jordan Whittington had his most productive and healthiest year to date.

Scholarship players remaining from 2020

2018	Christian Jones	OL
2019	Jett Bush	LB
2019	David Gbenda	LB
2019	T’Vondre Sweat	DL
2019	Jordan Whittington	WR
2020	Jahdae Barron	DB
2020	Vernon Broughton	DL
2020	Alfred Collins	DL
2020	Kitan Crawford	DB
2020	Jaylan Ford	LB
2020	Sawyer Goram-Welch	OL
2020	Jake Majors	OL
2020	Jerrin Thompson	DB

There’s still work to be done before Texas kicks off its 2023 season versus Rice on Sept. 2. The second signing period begins Wednesday, with the Longhorns possibly adding another 2023 player or two, and Sarkisian and his staff can address any lingering needs through the transfer portal.

But as it sits, Texas’ roster is in good shape, certainly good enough to compete for a Big 12 championship. The Longhorns, who last won the league in 2009, would love to take the next step and take the crown as their exit for the SEC nears.

 

 

1 hour ago, closetohumping said:

What is that, Gulf Coast Community College?

Garden City Community College in lovely Garden City, KS

Just now, Radical Larry said:

Garden City Community College in lovely Garden City, KS

Home of LB Brent Venables from 1989-1990. 

Is Demas allowed to leave the state?

1 minute ago, conVINCEd said:

Is Demas allowed to leave the state?

Only if he's wearing a ridiculous chef's hat.

23 minutes ago, Bill Lumbergh said:

Only if he's wearing a ridiculous chef's hat.

His real goal in life is to be on Chopped and GGG. 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Butch Had Not

12 hours ago, Radical Larry said:

Garden City Community College in lovely Garden City, KS

Came across rather well on Last Chance U compared to the featured meathead at Independence. 

16 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

Is Demas allowed to leave the state?

If he is, do we have to let him back in?

20 hours ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

Home of LB Brent Venables from 1989-1990. 

And former Runnin’ Horns shooting ace Brandy Perryman. 

20 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

Is Demas allowed to leave the state?

In fact, he’s encouraged to. 

22 hours ago, closetohumping said:

KKL must be ecstatic.

 

Suck it Sooners

 

13 hours ago, texifornia said:

Suck it Sooners

 

They will. Happily.

 

 

1 hour ago, TheMailBox357 said:

 

 

Catalon looks pretty big.

Another ex-aggy finds a home

 

41 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Another ex-aggy finds a home

 

Is ULM joining the SEC?

9 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Is ULM joining the SEC?

That would violate the gentleman’s agreement the conference has with LSU.  

53 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Another ex-aggy finds a home

 

I thought he "medically retired"?

Alabama and Auburn donors are worried but they have Senator Tommy Tubs on the case. He's introducing a bill to address NIL and curtail transfers. Article is behind a paywall, but here's the key graph:

what jurisdiction would the federal congress have here to make these kinds of laws?

11 minutes ago, Viper said:

what jurisdiction would the federal congress have here to make these kinds of laws?

Everything is interstate commerce now. Justice out front shouldda told ya. 

Of course someone like Tommy fucking Tuberville is tone deaf enough to fail to understand the optics of "we want to put more controls around these (often black and often from lower income household) athletes and limit their rights and earning potential artificially compared to the rest of society. mostly, we want to do this because we just want things to go back to the way they used to be (he damned near says this verbatim). we're doing all of this also because these boys and girls are just too stupid to understand how hard it is to graduate college in the first place, so we have to do their thinking for them."

9 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Of course someone like Tommy fucking Tuberville is tone deaf enough to fail to understand the optics of "we want to put more controls around these (often black and often from lower income household) athletes and limit their rights and earning potential artificially compared to the rest of society. mostly, we want to do this because we just want things to go back to the way they used to be (he damned near says this verbatim). we're doing all of this also because these boys and girls are just too stupid to understand how hard it is to graduate college in the first place, so we have to do their thinking for them."

That’s a winning re-election strategy in Alabama.