Texas Football: Predicting UT's next portal commit after Amari Niblack
Jaxson Moi, DL
Defensive tackle will be Texas's biggest positional need to address in the portal after the latest wave of transfers Sarkisian and staff landed in the last couple of weeks. Numbers and proven depth along the interior defensive line are pretty thin for the Longhorns.
That's not a good position to be in with the Longhorns entering the SEC in 2024. Defensive line depth will be critical for Texas to be successful in the trenches in the SEC this upcoming season.
Texas lost its top two defensive tackles to the NFL Draft this offseason. And the Longhorns lost another two defensive linemen from last year's squad to the transfer portal, namely redshirt senior defensive tackle Trill Carter who committed to the Auburn Tigers earlier this offseason.
The Longhorns did get a nice break with the return of senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins for a fifth season. Texas needs Collins and redshirt junior Vernon Broughton to emerge as the premier duo in the next wave of top defensive tackles for the Longhorns.
But depth and proven experience at defensive line is very thin behind Broughton and Collins. It's mostly talented but unproven underclassmen who will be looking to step up for Texas in 2024.
That's why when the new defensive line coach is named, it will be a priority to add proven depth along the defensive line, potentially even during the spring. While the options are pretty limited regarding defensive tackles in the portal with proven Power Five experience and the requisite size to compete in the trenches in the SEC, there are a handful of players Texas could target.
Maybe the best option among defensive tackles with good size and proven Power Five reps in the portal is the former Stanford Cardinal sophomore DL Jaxson Moi. The 6-foot-2 and 305-pound defensive tackle Moi beceame a consistent contributor along Stanford's defensive line last fall.
Moi is a big body who could two-gap and help stop the run and generate an interior pass-rush presence at Stanford last season.
I will say that there has been no reported communication between Texas and Moi. But he is the type of big-frame DL who could have an impact and bolster the depth at defensive tackle for multiple seasons in the future since he has two years of eligibility remaining.