Texas Football: 4 early transfer targets for Longhorns next offseason

Joey Slackman, DL

This portal cycle has many top Ivy League transfers among defensive linemen. And the transfer window hasn’t even opened up yet for underclassmen this fall. Literally, the two highest-graded interior defensive linemen from the Ivy League this fall entered the portal within the last week, including the aforementioned Griffith.

The other top defensive lineman in the portal from the Ivy League this fall is the former Penn Quakers 6-foot-4 and 300-pound senior Joey Slackman. The reigning Honorable Mention All-Ivy League selection Slackman entered the portal on Nov. 20 after spending three years at Penn.

Slackman was the highest-graded interior defensive lineman in the Ivy League this season, ranking right above Griffith.

Slackman broke onto the scene this season as the highest-graded interior defensive lineman and run defender in the Ivy League and one of the most improved players in the conference year-over-year.

He was a tremendous run defender, leading the Ivy League in run stops as the anchor of Penn’s interior defensive line. Slackman possesses a good combination of length, upper-body strength, and quickness for an interior defensive lineman, which allows him to quickly shed blocks and find the ball carrier in run defense.

While Slackman’s strength as an interior defender is clearly against the run, he is still a decent pass rusher from the 2I or three-tech. Slackman led all Ivy League interior defensive linemen in sacks (five) and ranked in the top five in quarterback pressures (18) this season.

With Texas likely losing two or three high-quality interior run defenders in Sweat, Murphy, and Collins next offseason, Slackman could be an immediate replacement to shore up the defensive line in this phase of the game. He could also bolster the defensive line rotation by adding another decent interior pass rusher to the mix next season.

If Texas pursues Slackman in the portal this fall, they must act fast. Like Griffith, Slackman will be one of the more highly coveted transfer defensive linemen heading into the offseason. He reportedly received over a dozen offers from FBS schools within the first 24 hours after entering the portal earlier this week.