Texas Football: 3 Ex-Horns back in the transfer portal this offseason

A record number of players have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in the December window, including quite a few former Texas football players. Texas has lost eight players to the transfer portal in the December window, most of whom weren't significant contributors on the two-deep this season.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have done a nice job with roster management and the transfer portal in the last few offseasons. This December window is a good example of how the Longhorns have upgraded at key positions of need while avoiding costly losses in the portal among starters on the roster.

Multiple former Texas football players have re-entered the transfer portal this December

Texas has added three immediate impact starters via the transfer portal in the December window, including wide receiver Matthew Golden, EDGE Trey Moore, and defensive back Andrew Mukuba.

As Texas has added impactful players to the roster in the last few years, many of the pieces it lost to the portal in the last few offseasons have resurfaced on the transfer market. Multiple former Longhorns who transferred out of the program in the last few years wound up entering the portal more than once.

Here are three former Longhorns players who are back in the transfer portal this offseason.

Tyler Johnson, OL (Colorado commit)

Among the most proven interior offensive linemen who surfaced in the portal during the December window was the former Texas and Houston Cougars redshirt junior Tyler Johnson. Since he ranked as the No. 1 IOL in the 247Sports Composite transfer rankings, it wasn't surprising to see Johnson find a new home quickly via the portal. He committed to the Colorado Buffaloes on Dec. 9, just a couple of days after he originally entered the portal.

Johnson entered the transfer portal on Dec. 7 after Houston fired head coach Dana Holgorsen. He was one of nearly a dozen Houston players that entered the portal in the December window.

Golden, Texas's second portal commitment in this transfer cycle, was one of the 11 Houston players who transferred out of the program this month.

Johnson leaving via the transfer portal is a big loss for the Cougars interior offensive line. He was Houston's highest-graded starting interior offensive linemen and best pass blocker in each of the last two seasons.