Texas Football: 4 updated transfer linebacker candidates

3. Leon Flanagan Jr., UMass

Another player that the Longhorns could transition between defensive end, edge rusher, and linebacker, is the former UMass Minutemen outside linebacker/defensive end and rising redshirt senior Leon Flanagan Jr. The 6-foot-3 and 220 pound Curtis High School product and Staten Island, NY, native is another one that outshot his recruiting ranking in his collegiate career.

While Flanagan hasn’t been as productive with UMass as Bradley-King with Arkansas State, he proved his value in limited spots over the course of the last three years. He did have an injury filled career that limited a lot of the production that he could’ve put out on the gridiron in the last few years, though.

The only Division I offer that Flanagan received coming out of high school was from UMass. He signed with their 2016 recruiting class as the No. 3,077 ranked high school prospect in the nation, No. 218 outside linebacker, and No. 21 prospect out of New York. The state of New York doesn’t tend to produce much college football talent year over year.

In a grand total of 14 games played with UMass in two different seasons, Flanagan registered 56 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, one interception, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble.

The multiplicity and underrated physical tools that Flanagan brings to the table makes him a very solid potential depth transfer target that recently hired defensive coordinator Chris Ash and the Longhorns can go after.