Texas football suffers first spring portal loss in WR Brenen Thompson

In the last few days, the news cycle in the NCAA Transfer Portal concerning head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football program has picked up in a big way. Early this week, Texas started what is a multi-day visit with the former Minnesota Golden Gophers senior grad transfer defensive lineman Trill Carter.

The portal is a two-way street, though. It looks to be possibly giving to the Longhorns as much as it takes.

That is evidenced by the reported loss of second-year wide receiver and track star Brenen Thompson to the transfer portal on the afternoon of April 12. Nick Harris of Rivals was one of the first to report that Thompson “has requested to enter the transfer portal after one season in Austin”.

Thompson is the first Longhorns player to enter the portal since the start of spring ball for the Longhorns, which specifically took place on the week of March 6. He is also the third Texas wideout to enter the portal in the 2023 class along with redshirt sophomore Troy Omeire and redshirt freshman Agiye Hall.

Texas football sees its first portal departure of the spring in WR Brenen Thompson

Texas has also added one wideout via the transfer portal this offseason in the former Georgia Bulldogs sophomore AD Mitchell. From the high school ranks, Sark and the Longhorns added three blue-chip wideouts, two of which are currently enrolled on campus and participating in spring ball.

Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that Thompson didn’t participate in spring ball for the Longhorns. He runs track at Texas, which occupies the spring semester for athletics for the second-year Spearman, TX, native.

Texas signed Thompson as a highly touted four-star recruit in the 2022 class out of Spearman High School. He picked Texas over offers from other top schools such as the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Oregon Ducks, and Texas A&M Aggies.

The 5-foot-11 and 165-pound Thompson took snaps in eight games for the Longhorns last season, getting targeted twice in the receiving game. He reeled in one reception for 32 receiving yards, which came against Oklahoma State on the road on Oct. 22.

Thompson will have three years of eligibility remaining at his next stop out of the portal this offseason.

Texas finished up the 2022 season with a record of 8-5 (6-3 Big 12). The annual Orange-White spring football game is set for April 15 at DKR in Austin.