Texas Football: Key D-Lineman gone with Marqez Bimage entering the portal

The depth for the Texas football program along the defensive line took a major depth hit on March 4, with senior defensive lineman Marqez Bimage putting his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. The report that dropped on March 4 that announced the news that Bimage was putting his name in the transfer portal in the first place emerged on Horns247.

Bimage opted out of playing in the 2020 college football season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was one of multiple Longhorns players that didn’t participate in the 2020 season. He’s also one of multiple now former Longhorns to put their names in the transfer portal since the conclusion of last offseason.

With senior defensive end Ta’Quon Graham and junior star linebacker/edge rusher Joseph Ossai both declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft this offseason, losing Bimage to the portal too hurts. Texas had a shot to give some significant playing time to Bimage next fall if he had stuck around.

Now while Bimage putting his name in the portal doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t return to the Forty Acres later this year, it usually means he will land elsewhere.

What Texas football is losing in Marqez Bimage

During his three years playing for Texas, Bimage registered 17 career combined tackles (14 solo and three assisted), two tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. His most productive season came during his junior campaign in 2019. In the 2019 season, he registered 10 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

Moreover, Bimage was a key underrated part of the Longhorns 2017 recruiting class. He was an unheralded three-star recruit hailing out of Brenham High School in Brenham, TX. Bimage ranked as the nation’s No. 514 2017 high school prospect, No. 34 weak-side defensive end, and No. 70 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranked him as the No. 34 weak-side defensive end and No. 73 prospect out of Texas.

Coming out of Brenham High School back during the 2017 recruiting cycle, Bimage held offers from just over a dozen schools. Some of the other notable schools on his offer sheet included the Cal Golden Bears, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Indiana Hoosiers, LSU Tigers, SMU Mustangs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Utah Utes.

Where Bimage lands next could be anyone’s best guess. There’s no 247Sports Transfer Portal Crystal Ball Predictions in yet for Bimage. But he could be a nice plug and play option immediately for any program that could land him next.

Texas finished up the 2020 season with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) under the direction of the former head coach Tom Herman. Their last game resulted in a 55-23 drubbing of the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl back on Dec. 29.