3 priority DT transfer targets Texas can land this week

Jay Toia

The other portal visitor among transfer defensive tackles who is currently on campus in Austin on Friday is former UCLA Bruins senior Jay Toia. The 6-foot-3 and 325-pound grad transfer from Simi Valley, CA, has been mentioned as a priority target for Texas since he entered the portal on April 18.

It didn't take long for Nansen and the Longhorns to get Toia to campus for a visit this weekend. Toia arrived on campus for his multi-day visit to Texas on April 19, just 24 hours after he announced he was entering the portal on social media on Thursday.

Texas has emerged as an early favorite in this portal recruitment, with Toia widely considered among the top transfer defensive tackles available in the spring window. Inside Texas's Justin Wells reported on April 19 (paid content) that Texas "will make a hard push" with Toia in the portal, along with Norton.

Toia is another grad transfer defensive tackle who played for Nansen in the last few years at one Pac-12 school. He was recruited to UCLA and coached by Nansen in 2021, after Toia had originally signed his letter of intent with the USC Trojans on signing day that same year.

Both Toia and Norton could bring valuable experience and size to Texas's interior defensive line as grad transfers entering the 2024 campaign, assuming the Longhorns can seal the deal with both of them this weekend.