Texas Football: 5 former 5-Star recruits to pursue in the portal this year

Shane Simmons, DE

Amid all of the names still in the transfer portal at this point of the offseason, one that sticks out the most is the former Penn State Nittany Lions five-star DeMatha Catholic outside linebacker/defensive end and senior Shane Simmons. This sizable and athletic 6-foot-3 and 250 pound defensive end is a truly proven commodity in the portal at this point in time.

Simmons played for Penn State and head coach James Franklin for the past four years and was solid for them when healthy. But it was just last month that he put his name in the transfer portal as one of the more intriguing options for a program like Texas.

The question will remain for the Texas coaching staff; is it worth getting another addition out of the portal that plays along the front seven. Texas did lose some key pieces of their front seven this offseason, including star edge rusher Joseph Ossai (drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals) and defensive end Ta’Quon Graham (drafted by the Atlanta Falcons).

If they still want one more piece to add along the front seven, more specifically along the defensive line, they should look no further than Simmons. During his four years playing for the Nittany Lions, Simmons registered 59 career combined tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and one pass breakup.

Back during the 2016 recruiting cycle, Simmons ranked as the nation’s No. 41 high school prospect, No. 4 weak-side defensive end, and the top overall prospect out of Maryland (247Sports Composite).