Texas reportedly targeting NDSU transfer LB Jasir Cox

There is actually a rise in the activity of late for second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football program in the NCAA Transfer Portal of late. Texas looks to be getting more lines of communication out heading into the spring than they were a few weeks prior in early February.

We still don’t have a clear idea of who the next addition for the Longhorns could be out of the transfer portal. But there is one new emerging name in relation to the Longhorns out of the portal that is definitely one to watch at this point of the offseason.

According to a report from Inside Texas on Feb. 24, Texas has reached out to the former FCS North Dakota State Bison senior linebacker Jasir Cox after he put his name in the transfer portal on Feb. 23. Texas looked to make a pretty quick move with Cox after his name showed up in the portal in the middle of this week.

Texas football now reportedly in contact with NDSU transfer LB Jasir Cox

Cox is likely to draw a lot of interest out of the portal this offseason, though. Texas could wind up being one of multiple blue blood programs that show interest in him as this month concludes.

The biggest name on the Longhorns staff that reportedly got in contact with Cox was co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jeff Choate. Texas also reportedly had the director of player personnel John Michael Jones involved in this process of connecting with Cox.

Choate has experience developing linebackers at the FCS level from the more than half-decade he spent as the head coach of the Montana State Bobcats. He and fellow co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Pete Kwiatkowski also likely have some urgency in getting linebacker help since this is a major position of need ahead of spring ball.

Moreover, Cox has apparently heard from the likes of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Texas State Bobcats, and even the James Madison Dukes. JMU is moving up from the FCS to the FBS level in football in 2022.

What Cox brings to the table in the transfer portal this offseason is 124 career combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Cox was one of the highest-graded FCS linebackers in the country last season. He also can get after the quarterback at times and stuff the ball-carrier at the line of scrimmage.

Cox has more than 20 quarterback pressures under his belt for his career and more than 50 stops.

Texas was previously in contact with the brother of Jasir and fellow former North Dakota State standout linebacker Jabrill Cox in the transfer portal a couple of offseasons ago. But Jabrill would wind up committing to the LSU Tigers out of the transfer portal over the Longhorns. Maybe Texas can flip the script with Jasir this offseason.