Texas Football: 3 biggest remaining portal needs entering spring ball

For the most part, the bulk of the action for this NCAA Transfer Portal class for Texas football is behind us. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t have a lot of spots available for transfer portal players in the 2023 class this offseason.

That could change at the conclusion of spring ball, though.

If this offseason is anything like last year, Sark and the Longhorns might be in a spot to add two or three more portal players in May after the conclusion of the spring game. I would still expect a little bit more roster turnover as the depth chart starts to come into focus throughout spring drills.

Yet, it’s not just potential roster attrition that will open up opportunities for Texas’ staff to fill some depth needs at certain positions heading into the summer. Texas does have a few notable remaining positional needs that don’t have a ton of depth heading into spring ball.

Texas football’s biggest remaining positions of need heading into the spring

With that in mind, here’s a look at the three biggest remaining portal needs heading into the spring.

Defensive line

Some of the late-cycle evaluations and offers that defensive line coach Bo Davis handed out is indicative that the Longhorns don’t feel completely assured about the depth situation at this spot along the front seven.

Texas does have some notable shoes to fill in 2023 upon the departures of senior defensive linemen Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo. And there weren’t a ton of true defensive linemen that the Longhorns signed in the 2023 class.

Among the early enrollees, four-star Oradell Bergen Catholic (NJ) defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell is the only addition to this position group via the high school ranks in the 2023 class.

Texas is still lacking true depth at defensive tackle behind the senior duo of Alfred Collins and T’Vondre Sweat. And while Mitchell helps to sure up the depth at nose tackle behind junior Byron Murphy II, there’s not a ton behind those two heading into spring ball to anchor the defensive line.

What Texas should be looking for in terms of potential portal targets along the defensive line is a bigger-bodied true defensive tackle that has some long-term upside and likely at least a couple of years of eligibility remaining.

The depth will continue to be thin along the defensive line heading into next offseason, as Texas is likely to lose Collins and Sweat. And I don’t see any replacements to replenish the depth on the two-deep depth chart along the defensive line once Collins and Sweat run out of eligibility.