3 recent reclamation projects for Texas that didn't pan out
Under head coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas football has done well overall in evaluating personnel for roster fit and on-field impact with its NCAA Transfer Portal recruiting efforts over the last few years. Since 2021, it's easy to say that Sarkisian and staff have continued to make better and better use of the transfer portal.
Texas football has made the most of transfer portal recruiting in the last two years under Steve Sarkisian and staff
As Sarkisian has moulded Texas's roster into what he envisioned when he first took over the program early in the 2021 offseason, the transfer portal has yielded better and better results for him and his staff.
It's well known how Sarkisian and the Longhorns staff had to take many more risks with player evaluations and personnel fit recruiting from the transfer portal when he first took over the program a few years ago. In order to fill out the roster and maximize talent and potential, Texas took in more players that would be considered "projects" or developmental guys over multiple years.
Texas no longer has to rely on those high risk, high reward portal players to maximize the two-deep on both sides of the ball entering the SEC in 2024. Instead, the Longhorns can pick and choose the immediate impact transfers that can most help them right away at key positions of need.
Here's a look back at three developmental players and reclamation projects the Longhorns took in from the transfer portal recently that didn't pan out for Texas.
Jahleel Billingsley, TE
Arguably, two of the biggest risks Sarkisian and the Longhorns staff took with the transfer portal in their first few years since 2021 was with the 2022 class of transfers. More specifically, Texas took risks on two former Alabama Crimson Tide players who had seemed to fall out of grace with head coach Nick Saban at the time, including tight end Jahleel Billingsley and wide receiver Agiye Hall.
"We're at a space now in year four where we don't have to take as many risks. Early on, when you come in and you're 5-7, you're probably taking a few more risks. You're probably saying, 'Okay, I see the talent. There might be some marginal character in here. But who else is it? Because we're having a hard time recruiting player X, Y and Z, who have it all buttoned up."
- Steve Sarkisian
Billingsley was one of the most talented tight ends available in the transfer portal during the 2022 offseason. Texas was looking to upgrade its receiving tight ends by bringing in Billingsley alongside then freshman JT Sanders. Keep in mind that at the time Sanders hadn't quite yet had his breakout 2022 campaign, so Billingsley was brought in to shore up the depth and proven experience in the tight end room that offseason a couple of years ago.
There's no doubting the raw ability and NFL tools Billingsley brings as a bigger-frame tight end who can threaten opposing defenses in the receiving game in multiple ways.
Billingsley not only led all Alabama tight ends in receiving yards in 2020 and 2021, but he also played a critical role in the Tide's National Championship run in 2020 with a receiving touchdown in their CFP semifinals win over Notre Dame.
A combination of off-the-field issues and Sanders breaking out at the tight end position for the Longhorns limited Billingsley's impact at Texas during the 2022 season. After he made his debut in the middle of the regular season in Week 7 against Iowa State, Billingsley's snaps and production were limited. He only had six targets that season, resulting in three catches for 38 yards and no scores.