In this era of NIL in college sports, the NCAA Transfer Portal is a constantly-moving cycle that Texas football has to at least keep its finger on the pulse. Despite the winter transfer portal window not opening for another few weeks.
Portal wave already taking shape for the winter window for Texas football entering next offseason
The cushion between signing day for high school recruits in the 2024 class on Dec. 4 and the opening of the next portal window is literally less than one week. That shortened window between signing day for high school recruiting and the transfer portal opening pretty much forces college head coaches to know what's going to happen in the transfer market before it opens up.
The next portal window is open from Dec. 9-28, which is shortened from where it used to be from early December at least through late January.
For head coach Steve Sarkisian and staff, the good news is that the Longhorns have a great recruiting class and look to have coaching staff and a reasonable semblance of projected roster turnover considering the NFL Draft next offseason.
Texas's portal needs will be a realistic evaluation of which spots on the roster on the two-deep can get plug-and-play immediate upgrades to bolster each side of the ball.
Here are three early possible portal targets for the Longhorns with the winter transfer window approaching in a little over three weeks.
JeRico Washington Jr., CB
Next offseason, the Longhorns are set to experience a massive loss in the secondary, with senior cornerback Jahdae Barron exhausting his eligibility. There is also the possibility that Texas loses junior defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau, if he declares early for the 2025 NFL Draft next spring.
Texas probably needs at least one portal cornerback next offseason to replace the lost depth at the position for next year.
Since the Longhorns are going to pursue starting-caliber corners, there isn't a huge pool of qualified potential targets who have already announced intentions to enter the portal during the winter window.
From what is available now, looking forward to the winter portal window at the cornerback position, a possible early target Texas could kick the tires on is former Kennesaw State redshirt freshman transfer JeRico Washington Jr.
Washington is one of the most promising one-on-one corners in man coverage in the Group of Five programs. He's the highest-graded cover corner in the Conference-USA this season (per PFF). Washington also leads the C-USA in forced fumbles (three), and seventh in the conference in pass breakups (six).
Pete Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns usually like to have lengthier corners they can put out on an island one-on-on on defense. Since Washington is listed at 5-foot-10 and 175-pounds, his length and frame would be a hold-up regarding his fit in the Longhorns' defensive scheme.
Washington announced his intention to enter the transfer portal this fall amid a wave of exodus from the Kennesaw State program after the saga involving the firing of the Owls head coach midseason this year. Within the past week, even the former Kennesaw State head coach's son entered the transfer portal (per On3's Pete Nakos).