Retaining key starters for the projected upcoming 2025 offseason roster
Player retention hasn't been a huge issue for the Longhorns compared to some of the other P4 programs with the transfer portal and roster management in recent years. Sarkisian and the Longhorns staff haven't lost any all-conference starters to the transfer portal on either side of the ball in the past couple of years.
Out of the nine Longhorns players who have entered the portal during the winter transfer window, none of them started more than one game for Sarkisian and staff this fall. Meanwhile, the three players the Longhorns have added from the transfer portal can all immediately impact the defensive front and the special teams unit.
Most of the positional departures the Longhorns are trying to replace in the transfer portal for the upcoming offseason are from players exhausting their eligibility or leaving early for the 2025 NFL Draft next spring.
Texas still has various needs to address in the winter and spring transfer windows in the portal for the 2025 season. But the fact that the Longhorns signed the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation for the 2025 cycle in the 247Sports Composite and On3 Industry Ranking means that Texas has a ton of talent coming in at key positions to develop the team and culture over the long term instead of adding a bunch of one and two-year rentals to fill out the two-deep depth chart.