3 biggest transfer portal misses for Texas so far this offseason

Drew Sanders, EDGE

What currently feels like the biggest loss in the transfer portal through the offseason thus far for the Longhorns is the former Alabama sophomore edge rusher and elite five-star recruit Drew Sanders. There won’t be many other edge rushers that come about in the transfer portal this offseason that the Crimson Tide weren’t intent on losing.

Sanders sounds like he is the only transfer portal departure for the Crimson Tide this offseason where the coaching staff is really distraught about losing him. That says a lot about what he brings to the table off the edge.

The recruitment of Sanders out of the transfer portal boiled down to the Arkansas Razorbacks, Oklahoma Sooners, and Texas. Arkansas and Oklahoma got the first two visits from Sanders last week. And then, the Longhorns were hoping to seal the deal with Sanders when he arrived on the Forty Acres around Jan. 14.

Sanders announced on social media during the holiday weekend that he would be committing to Arkansas out of the portal over Oklahoma and Texas. One of the potential deciding factors could be the position Sanders wants to play at. It sounds like Arkansas was willing to let Sanders play as more of a true linebacker instead of an edge rusher/defensive end.

Given the needs that Texas has at edge rusher, it makes sense that wouldn’t be the staff’s original pitch to Sanders on his visit over the weekend. That still doesn’t make this loss of the Texas native Sanders to the Razorbacks and head coach Sam Mitchell any easier to digest, though.