Texas Football: Joshua Moore now in the transfer portal

A loss that isn’t that surprising at this point came for new head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football program early this week when redshirt junior wide receiver Joshua Moore officially put his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. An ESPN report, among other sources, indicates that Moore is in the transfer portal now, as of Nov. 8.

Sark also mentioned in his Monday weekly press conference that Moore is no longer with the team following the loss to head coach Matt Campbell and the Iowa State Cyclones on the road on Nov. 6.

It’s difficult to tell whether this was a move that came from the coaching staff, or if Moore was planning to enter the transfer portal anyway. The statements that Sark gave on this situation in his Nov. 8 press conference does provide a condescending tone compared to what he said about Moore following the situation the two had in practice last week.

"“The plan is for Josh to go into the portal,” Sarkisian said on Monday. “That’s his option and opportunity to do that; that’s what college football provides, and we wish him the best of luck.”When addressing the situation last week, Sarkisian downplayed it and said Moore was still with the team. But, now, the Longhorns’ leading receiver in 2020 is set to play elsewhere."

Texas football WR Joshua Moore now in the transfer portal

Moore and Sark got into a reported heated exchange in practice last week. And there was the idea going around that Moore’s status with the team was in doubt. But he would return to the team later last week in practice and take the field with the Longhorns for the Iowa State game over the weekend.

It didn’t take long, though, for the news to come down that Moore is no longer with the team and in the transfer portal. Moore is another one of the former blue-chip recruits that was closely tied to the staff under former Texas head coach Tom Herman that didn’t really connect with the current staff or the new offensive scheme.

Moore was the most productive returning wide receiver for the Longhorns this year. He registered 30 catches for 472 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches last season. But through nine games this fall, Moore had 24 catches for 265 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.

Problems with drops and a lack of targets at the outset of the regular season caused a pretty major regression for Moore statistically this season. It just looks like he struggled to adapt from the Herman-style offense to Sark’s scheme.

Nonetheless, this is a big loss for the Texas receiving corps down the stretch. Moore was the second-leading active wideout for Texas at this point of the season. With redshirt sophomore wideout Jordan Whittington injured, Moore was the second option in the passing game oftentimes behind freshman Xavier Worthy.

Following the embarrassing 30-7 loss to Iowa State last weekend, Texas is now sporting a record of 4-5 (2-4 Big 12). Texas is set to take on the Kansas Jayhawks and head coach Lance Leipold next on Nov. 13 at home at DKR.