Texas Basketball: 3 immediate impact summer enrollees for Longhorns

Texas basketball and new full-time head coach Rodney Terry got down to work within the last couple of weeks to start summer workouts upon the arrival of the handful of new additions to the program this offseason. Texas’ staff had to get down to work in the NCAA Transfer Portal early this offseason to help rebuild the roster after experiencing some roster attrition in the last couple of months along with some turbulence on the recruiting trail.

Not only did Terry and the Longhorns staff have to replace multiple All-Big 12 departing seniors from last year’s team this spring, but they also had to replace two key de-commits from the 2023 recruiting class.

Texas lost two elite five-star recruits that had signed with the 2023 class last fall during the Early Signing Period. First, Texas lost the commitment of the five-star Southern California Academy combo guard AJ Johnson to Australia’s NBL. And then, Texas saw five-star Duncanville forward Ron Holland de-commit last month to go play in the G-League.

The good news is that the Longhorns were able to get some key players back in the fold from last year’s squad for the 2023-24 campaign. Rising sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell, junior guard Tyrese Hunter, and senior big man Dylan Disu all decided to return to Texas for at least one more season.

Max Abmas and the immediate impact summer enrollees on campus for Texas basketball

What could make the biggest difference heading into next season, though, is how the new portal additions fit into the mix. With that in mind, here’s a look at three immediate-impact summer enrollees for the Longhorns that are now participating in workouts.

Chendall Weaver, G

The youngest new addition to the program for the Longhorns among the portal commits this spring is the former UT-Arlington Mavericks sharpshooting freshman guard Chendall Weaver. The reigning Newcomer of the Year was one of the best shooters available in the transfer portal this cycle, and he will bring a lot of long-term upside and floor spacing to this backcourt rotation for the Longhorns.

Weaver has already drawn attention for what he brings to the table in terms of his physical gifts and athleticism for Texas this summer. The Texas men’s hoops Twitter page posted a video of him skying for a dunk in practice, showing his impressive verticality and dunking ability.

Gerry Hamilton of Inside Texas reported (paid content) this week that Weaver has already put up some “eye-popping” testing numbers and measurements since arriving on campus this offseason. Weaver seems to look the part physically as a guard that potentially has some NBA-caliber tools.

And him being able to get in the weight room with new strength and conditioning coach Cory Schlesinger, who comes to Texas after spending four years in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, should do wonders for the direction of Weaver’s game. He will be able to add some necessary muscle mass to his 6-foot-3 and 165-pound frame to help him compete more effectively against major conference competition on both ends of the floor.

Whether Weaver is starting at the three in a three-guard lineup or coming off the bench as a sixth or seventh man in the backcourt unit next season, he’ll be a high-upside player that makes a huge impact on the offensive end.