3 new portal entrants Texas could target this week

After the spring NCAA Transfer Portal 45-day window opened for underclassmen to enter on April 16, Texas football has been active trying to fill a couple of positional needs in the late stages of camp. Texas is looking to add an impact defensive tackle and potentially one piece to the special teams unit during the spring portal window.

Texas football targeting defensive tackles in the portal this week with the spring window open

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns shored up most of the areas of the roster they needed to during the first portal period of the offseason. Texas has depth and talent in abundance on most areas of the roster.

The problem is that the Longhorns have some talented players who have either been recruited over or have a difficult path to playing time this fall on the two-deep. The steep competition at so many position groups on both sides of the ball, along with the 85-player scholarship limit, has led to some roster attrition, with Texas losing guys it doesn't want to depart the program this spring.

But that is part of the game with the transfer portal.

It wouldn't surprise me if Texas adds a couple of impact players from the portal during the spring window. Here's a look at three portal targets for the Longhorns to pursue that entered the transfer market after the spring window opened earlier this week.

Bryce McFerson, P

Last offseason, special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jeff Banks and the Longhorns shored up the punting game with a portal addition, Stanford Cardinal senior grad transfer Ryan Sanborn. Texas got more consistency and flipped the field more often with the reliable Sanborn handling the punting duties last fall.

After Sanborn exhausted his eligibility this offseason, Banks is kicking the tires on getting another proven punter from the portal this spring. Potentially, the best option among punters available in the portal this spring is the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish redshirt freshman starter Bryce McFerson.

McFerson announced on his X account on April 16 that he intends to enter the transfer portal this spring.

If Banks and the Longhorns were set on the idea of adding a second punter via the portal this spring, McFerson checks many of the boxes they'd want to handle the punting duties. McFerson has multiple years of eligibility remaining and had a solid first season as Notre Dame's starting punter.

McFerson ranked among the top 30 punters nationally in yards per punt (45.1), average hangtime (3.94 seconds), and touchback percentage last season.