Texas Football: 3 stars UT is targeting in transfer portal

In the last few days, Texas football has seen more movement in the NCAA Transfer Portal regarding players the staff is targeting and departures from this past season's squad. Texas has seen a handful of players enter the transfer portal since late last week.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns staff have also scheduled more visitors among portal targets since last weekend. Texas hosted one portal visitor at a key position of need last weekend. And there will be more portal visitors who will be on campus this coming weekend as this staff looks to address more positional needs with impact players with proven experience at the FBS level.

Top priority proven transfer targets for Texas football early in the 2024 offseason

Texas has already added three portal commitments in this transfer window that opened on Dec. 4. The three portal commitments that the Longhorns signed this transfer cycle are the former Houston Cougars sophomore wide receiver Matthew Golden, UTSA Roadrunners redshirt sophomore edge rusher

The staff is far from done adding impact players at positions of need in the portal who can upgrade the roster and fit the culture the Longhorns have built in the locker room in the last few years. The portal will continue to be a very relevant part of Texas's early offseason to-do list.

Here are three star players the Longhorns are targeting in the portal early in the offseason.

Silas Bolden, WR

Among the top positions of need the Longhorns are targeting in the transfer portal early this offseason is wide receiver. Texas is looking to get multiple immediate impact wideouts with proven experience to replace what they are losing in the receiving corps this offseason.

The Longhorns are losing all three starting receivers to the NFL Draft this spring. Junior field receiver Xavier Worthy, redshirt senior slot receiver Jordan Whittington, and junior boundary receiver Adonai Mitchell have all declared early for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Texas added Golden as an immediate impact starter to replace either Whittington in the slot or Worthy at the field spot. But the Longhorns still have two other starting spots to fill in the receiving corps before spring ball in a couple of months.

A top target that has emerged for the Longhorns at receiver in the portal, who could be a starter out of the slot, is the former Oregon State Beavers redshirt junior wideout Silas Bolden.

Texas officially offered Bolden just a handful of days after he originally entered the transfer portal on Jan. 7. He is scheduled to visit Texas this upcoming weekend.

Bolden broke out as a stud slot receiver and explosive special teams weapon during the 2023 season for head coach Jonathan Smith and the Beavs. The All-PAC-12 Second-Team selection registered a career-high 54 catches for nearly 750 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Bolden truly displayed his versatility and explosiveness for the Beavs this past season. He was the only PAC-12 receiver to register a receiving, rushing, and special teams touchdown during the 2023 campaign.

After Bolden visits Texas this weekend, he is also scheduled to make trips to see the Arizona Wildcats (Jan. 19), Washington Huskies (Jan. 20), and USC Trojans (Jan. 27).