Texas Basketball: 3 new grad transfers the Horns should pursue this week

The headlines that continue to dominate the news cycle for the Texas basketball program at this point of the offseason mostly concern the NCAA Transfer Portal. Texas and new full-time head coach Rodney Terry have already added four commits via the transfer portal this offseason.

But there is still some work left to do for Terry and the Longhorns staff in the transfer portal this offseason to help rebuild this roster ahead of the 2023-24 season. Texas still has at least two spots to fill out on the roster before Terry and his staff should be confident in the rotation heading into next season.

And that’s just coming from a pure numbers perspective.

Terry and the Longhorns obviously have to find the right fits both in terms of the culture they want to build within the program along with making sure the skill set is the right fit. Finding players with proven production at the collegiate level is also a priority for Terry in the portal.

Zyon Pullin and the new grad transfers Texas basketball should look at in the portal

With all of this in mind, here’s a look at three new graduate transfers the Longhorns should pursue this week.

Peyton Daniels, G*

One of the more recent transfer portal entrants around the college hoops landscape that caught my eye in the last week or so is the former Jacksonville State Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores sophomore guard Peyton Daniels.

The reason why Daniels has an asterisk next to his name on this list is that he doesn’t look to technically be a graduate transfer. Yet, despite him entering the transfer portal seemingly after the window closed for underclassmen to be immediately eligible on May 11, I can’t find anything that shows that he’s not eligible for next season.

Daniels’ name showing up in the portal was announced on May 26 is something that shouldn’t fly under the radar for a team like the Longhorns that is looking for more guard depth in the rotation heading into next season. Daniels could be the type of developmental guard that could help to round out the scholarship portion of the backcourt rotation for Terry and the Longhorns.

The 6-foot-2 and 185-pound combo guard could be a solid playmaker that the Longhorns could develop coming off the bench. He’s a capable initiator and shot-creator that still has very good court vision for a guard that isn’t a pure floor general.

Daniels does have limited production at the collegiate level, only having played two dozen games at Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt during the last two seasons. But he did show flashes of brilliance last season at Jacksonville State, especially on the offensive end.

He averaged around seven points per game, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal while shooting 32 percent from the field, 37 percent from deep, and 85 percent from the charity stripe. And Daniels was able to produce at that level mostly as a reserve guard while playing less than 20 minutes per game for the Gamecocks last season.

By no means do I think Daniels is the type of high-octane guard that would compete for a starting spot if he were to hypothetically transfer to Texas this offseason. But he could be a quality depth piece that provides a solid source of playmaking and shot creation coming off the bench behind other guards like junior Tyrese Hunter, senior Max Abmas, and sophomore Chendall Weaver.