Texas Football: Bama WR transfer expected to visit UT this weekend

A big-time new wide receiver target has surfaced for Texas football in the NCAA Transfer Portal on Jan. 12. Former Alabama Crimson Tide standout sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Bond entered the transfer portal on Jan. 12, per a report from On3's Pete Nakos.

Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian have been active in the transfer portal during the December and January window, targeting top impact players who could start immediately with the Longhorns. Bond fits the bill of what Texas is looking for from a potential immediate impact starting wideout in the transfer portal early this offseason.

Texas football targeting former Alabama transfer WR Isaiah Bond

The news of Bond transferring from Alabama comes roughly 48 hours after the retirement of longtime legendary head coach Nick Saban. Following the news of Saban's retirement after 17 years as Alabama's head coach, Tide players have a 30-day window where they can enter the transfer portal.

It looks like this portal recruitment could wind up moving pretty quickly after Bond officially surfaced in the transfer market late this week. A Bama247 report on Jan. 12 (paid content) indicates that Bond is "expected" to visit Texas this weekend.

Another positive indication of where this portal recruitment could be headed for the Longhorns came in the form of an On3 RPM pick from Eric Nahlin of Inside Texas. Just after the news surfaced that Bond had officially entered the transfer portal on Jan. 12, Nahlin entered an RPM pick with a high level of confidence (8 out of 10) projecting his commitment to Texas.

Texas looking at Bond to be another potential immediate impact transfer wideout to add this offseason

Bond and Texas make sense for multiple reasons. First, Bond is a great fit for Sarkisian's offensive scheme. He's a burner with that wirey frame, which Sarkisian has become infamous for developing at the highest level in his offensive system during his time at Alabama and Texas.

The 5-foot-11 and 185-pound Bond is a proven deep threat and can play multiple spots at receiver for the Longhorns. Bond burned Texas for a deep ball touchdown when the Longhorns beat the Tide by double digits in Tuscaloosa in Week 2 of the 2023 season.

Another reason Texas makes sense as a potential landing spot via the transfer portal for Bond is the connections he has to the coaching staff. Texas recruited Bond when he was a four-star prospect from Buford (GA) High School in the 2022 class.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns offered Bond and he officially visited Texas.

Texas has already added one portal wideout commit this offseason. Former Houston sophomore Matthew Golden was the first portal wideout to commit to Texas last month. Golden is expected to start for Texas in the receiving corps this year.

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