Texas Football: LSU snags NDSU transfer LB Jabril Cox over Longhorns

A key NCAA Transfer Portal target of the Texas football program, former NDSU LB Jabril Cox, announced his commitment to LSU on April 2.

One player that would’ve been a huge get for the linebacking corps with the Texas football program out of the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason was the former North Dakota State Bisons national title-winner Jabril Cox. The rising senior linebacker was a stud in three years for FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.

What was also interesting between the Texas Longhorns football program and Cox while he was on the open transfer market was the Big 12-head coaching connection. His former head coach at North Dakota State, Chris Klieman, is now in the same role with the Kansas State Wildcats.

Moreover, there was reported interest (The Athletic, paid content) from the Longhorns once Cox hit the transfer portal earlier this offseason. But he also got interest from all over the college football landscape. Other interested parties included the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Florida State Seminoles, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Michigan Wolverines (among a ton of other coaching staffs around the country).

Cox would take around one month to make his decision for where he would play his final year of college football. He made his decision on April 2, and the announcement came on his Twitter timeline. He chose to take his talents to Baton Rouge to join head coach Ed Orgeron and the defending National Champion LSU Tigers.

This is obviously a big get for LSU, and it brings about an interesting storyline for Cox and the Longhorns. LSU is supposed to take on Texas in Week 2 of the 2020 college football season. Cox would get to face a team that had a lot of interest seemingly coming his way.

Nonetheless, LSU is still getting a quality linebacker that racked up a massive stat line in three years at North Dakota State. He tallied up 258 total tackles, 32 tackles for loss (for around 150 yards lost), 14 sacks, six interceptions, 18 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries with the Bison.

Texas could’ve used the addition of Cox to the linebacking corps. He would’ve bolstered the depth at that level of the defense alongside the likes of Ayodele Adeoye, Juwan Mitchell, and Joseph Ossai.