Texas football nabs All-SEC-caliber DB transfer in Jalen Catalon

The third addition by way of the NCAA Transfer Portal for the Texas football program arrived on Jan. 9. Texas picked up a commitment out of the portal from the former Arkansas Razorbacks redshirt junior safety and grad transfer Jalen Catalon.

Catalon committed to head coach Steve Sarkisian, safeties coach Blake Gideon, and the Longhorns after a successful visit to Austin on Jan. 8. He spent essentially the entire day on Jan. 8 with the likes of Sark, Gideon, and the rest of the Longhorns’ defensive staff.

The announcement came via social media on the afternoon of Jan. 9 that Catalon will be bringing his talents to the Forty Acres.

Catalon is the second defensive back to commit to the Longhorns out of the portal this offseason, with the other being the former Wake Forest Demon Deacons redshirt sophomore cornerback Gavin Holmes.

Catalon will be able to fill a positional need for the Longhorns right away at safety. If healthy, Catalon should be able to immediately start for Texas at the boundary safety spot upon the departure of senior safety Anthony Cook.

Texas football gets a top playmaker at safety in Arkansas transfer Jalen Catalon

What Texas is getting out of the 5-foot-9 and 200-pound Mansfield, TX, native Catalon is a true playmaker that can anchor the entire secondary. When healthy, Catalon was a force to be reckoned with as a leader in the Arkansas secondary.

During the 2020 season, Catalon received All-SEC honors. He also graded out as the second-best starting safety in the SEC in 2020.

Catalon ranked in the top 10 in the FBS in combined tackles in 2020, with 99. He also registered two tackles for loss, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

But the issue that the Longhorns will have to face with Catalon is the concerning injury track record. Catalon has only played one full season as a starter in college. He was a full-time starter for Arkansas that was extremely productive when healthy in 2020.

The last two years, unfortunately, saw Catalon deal with a myriad of injury issues, which limited him to playing just seven games.

And Catalon only saw the field in the opener for the Razorbacks during the 2022 season. An upper-body injury kept Catalon off the field for essentially the entire 2022 campaign for the Hogs.

The good news is that it sounds like Catalon is cleared to be a full participant in camp this offseason. Barring any setbacks in the spring or in fall camp, Catalon should be ready to go for the 2023 campaign.

What Jalen Catalon brings to the table when healthy

If Texas is getting the healthy version of Catalon, this secondary could even be getting an upgrade compared to what it had with Cook in the mix. Catalon can make plays all over the field. He’s got great instincts on the ball, which translates when he’s chasing down the ball carrier or when he’s in coverage.

Catalon’s timing and instincts in coverage allowed him to be a real ball-hawking safety in 2020 and 2021 at Arkansas. In 2020, he was the third-highest-graded SEC safety in coverage.

And he continued to rack up unique accomplishments in 2021 when Catalon became the only SEC safety to register at least five forced incompletions while not giving up a single touchdown in pass coverage.

Catalon is also extremely rangy in pass coverage. His play recognition and route timing allow him to be really disruptive when covering short and intermediate routes. And Catalon is also rangy enough to help over the top when needed defending the deep ball.

But Catalon is not just a one-trick pony. He also excels at stopping the run. Catalon just has insane instincts and football IQ. Whether it’s coming out of the box or chasing down the ball carrier to the boundary, Catalon’s pursuit is pretty special.

It’s also worth noting that Catalon ranked among the five highest-graded SEC safeties in run defense during the 2020 season.

All in all, Texas is getting someone that should be an all-conference safety in the Big 12 if Catalon is healthy next season. Catalon and junior field safety Jerrin Thompson have the potential to be one of the best safety duos in the Power Five in 2023.

Catalon will arrive on the Forty Acres with one or two years of eligibility remaining, depending on if he decides to utilize the COVID-19 redshirt season. He’ll be joining a secondary that was one of the most improved in the Power Five during the 2022 campaign.