Texas Football: Predicting UT's first portal departure of the offseason

J'Mond Tapp, EDGE

Like defensive back, Texas has upgraded at the edge rusher position via high school recruiting and the transfer portal heading into this offseason. Texas added two blue-chip edge rushers from the high school ranks in the 2024 class, highlighted by the elite Duncanville five-star Colin Simmons.

The Longhorns also signed an immediate impact pass rusher from the transfer portal in the former UTSA Roadrunners redshirt sophomore Trey Moore.

Simmons and Moore will both be locking down spots on the two deep at the EDGE positions in 2024.

Those two will be competing with Texas's two returning starters at the EDGE position, junior Barryn Sorrell (assuming he returns to school for another year) and sophomore Ethan Burke. And that doesn't even include the handful of former blue-chip recruits Texas returns at EDGE in 2024 (i.e., Colton Vasek and Tausili Akana).

That will make it difficult for the other EDGEs on the roster, namely sophomore J'Mond Tapp to push for significant defensive snaps this year. Tapp did get a spot on the two-deep at EDGE down the stretch this season. He took nearly 100 defensive snaps over seven games during the 2023 campaign.

Tapp was stuck behind sophomore Justice Finkley, Sorrell, and Burke in the rotation at the EDGE position for most of the season.

In the last two seasons, Texas fans have been waiting for Tapp to have that breakout moment where he starts to put together that talent and athleticism he brings off the EDGE in live-game action. But Tapp just hasn't shown that impact-ability consistently in live-game action at Texas.