Texas Football: Predicting UT's next portal commit after Isaiah Bond
Silas Bolden, WR
While the need for the Longhorns to add proven impact players at wideout via the transfer portal isn't nearly as pronounced after the addition of Bond, Texas's staff still views one key player at the position as a possible take. Former Oregon State Beavers redshirt junior slot receiver Silas Bolden is a multi-phased threat who the Longhorns still like among their portal targets at wideout this offseason.
Bolden was among the trio of portal visitors that the Longhorns hosted on campus for visits this weekend. Texas was the first school Bolden visited among four official trips he's scheduled. The other three official visits on the docket for Bolden are to see the Arizona Wildcats (Jan. 19) and USC Trojans (Jan. 27).
Bolden also had a trip scheduled to see the Washington Huskies on Jan. 20. But he canceled the visit after the news that Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer will be the next Alabama head coach.
The early returns from Bolden's official visit to Texas this weekend are resoundingly positive. Horns247 reported on Jan. 14 (paid content) that Texas came out of the visit this weekend as the "team to beat" for Bolden.
Despite adding a portal commitment from Bond, Texas still sees value in the experience Bolden brings and the threat he poses on special teams as a returner. Texas is reportedly pitching Bolden to be the "vet in the group" at wide receiver.
That would make sense given that Texas only has two upperclassmen at wideout with proven live-game reps under their belt. And those two wideouts, Bond and Golden, haven't taken a single live-game rep in a Longhorns uniform.
Getting someone with multiple years of proven experience at the Power Five level in a winning program at Oregon State in the last few seasons would be beneficial for this wide receiver room from the perspective of having that veteran leadership and guidance.
Up next for Bolden are the aforementioned trips in the next couple of weeks to Arizona and USC. He also reportedly is looking at a visit to Salt Lake City to see the Utah Utes in the coming weeks.