In the midst of spring camp, second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football program are looking to continue to build up the roster to prove a point during the 2022 season. Texas is facing a big campaign in 2022, and much of that has to do with the addition of the former Ohio State Buckeyes freshman transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers.
This former Longhorns commit and elite five-star Southlake Carroll quarterback recruit Ewers is by far the most heralded addition for Sark and his staff out of the NCAA Transfer Portal so far this offseason. Texas could have their starting quarterback that can take the program to the next level for at least the next couple of years by adding Ewers out of the portal.
But Ewers has a long way to go still in terms of his development in Sark’s offensive scheme before he is really ready to assume the reigns of this offense in any effective way. Through the first few weeks of spring ball, Ewers has shown flashes but also showed that he still has necessary strides to make before he can win the starting job over rising junior quarterback Hudson Card.
Which transfer portal targets for Texas football this spring could help elevate Quinn Ewers in 2022?
In the meantime, though, it’s worth taking a look at the supporting cast Ewers could have on this offense this fall. Texas has a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, but there are some concerns that still need to be worked out. The offensive line and receiving corps still have questions that must be answered before the 2022 season begins.
With that in mind, here’s a look at three spring transfer portal targets that the Longhorns could look into in order to help elevate Ewers in 2022.
Deion Smith, WR
The potential transfer portal target for the Longhorns on this list that had his name on the open market for the longest up to this point of the offseason is the talented and potent former LSU Tigers 6-foot-3 and 205-pound freshman wide receiver Deion Smith.
It’s a tad bit surprising that Smith remained uncommitted in the transfer portal for so long through the spring. Smith originally put his name in the transfer portal back in early December following the departure of former LSU national-title-winning head coach Ed Orgeron. And he obviously has yet to find his next landing spot out of the portal.
Moreover, while Texas hasn’t shown any public interest in Smith out of the portal as of yet this offseason, he’s still a wideout that could help out this offense in multiple ways. Smith is a truly gifted wideout that could make an impact on the outside for Texas.
Since his days at Jackson Academy in Mississippi, Smith was a solid blocker for an outside receiver. And he continued to prove that point during his freshman campaign at LSU. He was the highest-graded blocker among underclassmen wideouts that were eligible in that regard for the Tigers last season.
That’s not to mention the fact that Smith is one of the most talented and potent wideouts still available in the portal.
The main reason why Sark and the Longhorns would avoid pursuing Smith out of the portal this offseason would be the fact that they already landed the former Wyoming Cowboys breakout redshirt freshman wide receiver Isaiah Neyor. Texas might start getting a logjam among their outside receivers if they added Smith.
On the other hand, if Texas loses any more wideout depth to the portal this offseason, they’ll need to replace it somehow. Smith should be one of the top names on that list if that is something that plays out in the weeks and/or months ahead.
Smith would just add more potent depth in the receiving corps on the outside that could give the talented Ewers another big body to throw to on intermediate and deep balls.
Jonathan Denis, IOL
There is not much left in the portal at this point of the offseason for Texas to pursue if they want help in this spot. But that’s not to say that Texas offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood should not be seeking out help in the portal this offseason for his position group.
Flood and the Longhorns definitely could still use some instant help out of the portal this offseason to build up the offensive line from the indications we’ve seen in spring ball for the last few weeks. There are still numerous concerns regarding the offensive line that came about early in spring camp.
And the one potential transfer portal target along the offensive line that could help the Longhorns this spring is the former blue-chip recruit and Oregon Ducks sophomore interior offensive linemen Jonathan Denis. Texas would likely get an offensive lineman that could immediately contend for a starting role in fall camp out of Denis.
The 6-foot-3 and 305-pound offensive lineman could help Texas likely at offensive guard if they could get in on his recruitment out of the portal in the very near future. He’s got a high ceiling with solid fundamental footwork, good hands, and noticeable power off the line of scrimmage.
The problem for Texas, if they wanted to pursue Denis out of the transfer portal, would be the fact that it looks like the Miami Hurricanes (due to the connection with former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal) and the Clemson Tigers have the most relevant ties to him. But it should be worth a shot for Texas to at least look into Denis for help along the offensive line.
That would be something that could help shore up the blocking in front of Ewers so he’s not running for his life early and often this fall as Casey Thompson and Card were at times last season.
Agiye Hall, WR
The most intriguing potential transfer portal target at this point of the offseason for Sark and the Longhorns staff that could really elevate the supporting cast at the skill positions around Ewers is a former Alabama Crimson Tide freshman stud. Former Alabama freshman wideout and touted blue-chip recruit Agiye Hall is certainly a name to watch in the portal this spring.
Hall is likely the biggest name to emerge in the transfer portal so far this spring around the college football landscape. And considering the fact that Texas won’t encounter many other players in the portal with the potential that Hall brings to the table, it’s worth looking into offering him to join an already talented and potent receiving corps in Austin.
Granted, it is worth noting that Hall emerged in the transfer portal a few days ago due to a team suspension that head coach Nick Saban spoke on this week. Texas would obviously have to see if this is something that would cause an issue if they added Hall out of the portal this offseason.
Moreover, there are multiple ways that Sark, new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Brennan Marion, and the Longhorns could utilize Hall in this offense in 2022 and beyond. The 6-foot-3 and 195-pound Hall is an incredibly versatile and potent wideout that could be used all over the field for Texas.
Texas also has multiple connections with Hall dating back to his recruitment out of Bloomingdale High School in Florida. The Longhorns’ special teams coordinator/TE coach Banks was his primary recruiter coming out of high school at Alabama. And Texas also was one of the schools that offered Hall and was a player early on in his recruitment.