Texas a possibility for ace Stanford transfer NiJaree Canady

Texas softball could be a potential destination for one of the top pitchers in the nation, Stanford Cardinal ace transfer NiJaree Canady, this offseason.

Stanford star P NiJaree Canady is a likely transfer target for Texas softball this summer

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on June 16 that the 2024 USA Softball Player of the Year Canady planned to enter the transfer portal early this offseason. Multiple reports since Sunday have confirmed that Canady has entered the portal.

Canady was the most dominant pitcher in college softball for the Cardinal this season. She led the NCAA in strikeouts (337), earned run average (0.73), and strikeouts per seven innings (10.2). Canady finished the 2024 season with a 24-7 record over 230.2 innings pitched, including 24 complete games and nine shutouts.

Canady has two years of eligibility remaining.

There are a couple of rumored possible destinations for Canady after she entered the transfer portal early this week. On Texas Football's Blake Munroe reported on June 17 (premium content) that Texas and the Oklahoma Sooners are two likely destinations for Canady to consider in the portal.

It sounds like Canady doesn't like the idea of the west to east coast travel with Stanford set to join the ACC next year. These two programs (Texas and Oklahoma) entering the SEC make a lot of sense for Canady.

Canady is a native of Topeka, KS, so Texas and Oklahoma are both relatively close to home for her. Both programs are also among the best in the nation, with the Longhorns and Sooners entering this year's Women's College World Series as the top two ranked teams.

Munroe reported that Texas and Oklahoma "are expected to go all in on her and move quickly" with Canady now officially in the portal. This seems like the definition of a "must-win" recruitment for both schools so that each does not lose the nation's most dominant pitcher to their rival entering the SEC in 2025.

Texas faced Canady twice in her four starts for Stanford in the Women's College World Series. She technically shut Texas out in the last of those two starts before the Longhorns scored the game-winning run on a Cardinal defensive error to advance to the WCWS final against Oklahoma.

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