Travis Shaw, DT (North Carolina)
The other ACC defensive line transfer target the Longhorns hosted for a visit to Austin this weekend was former North Carolina Tar Heels junior transfer defensive tackle Travis Shaw. After it looked like Shaw was potentially leaning toward a return to Chapel Hill to play for the Tar Heels for next season after UNC hired Bill Belichick, Texas threw its hat in the ring in this portal recruitment.
At 6-foot-5 and 330-pounds, Shaw has the type of size and proven experience playing up front for a P4 defensive line for multiple years that the Longhorns want at defensive tackle for the 2025 season.
Shaw visited Texas on Friday and Saturday, going just a bit longer than Jones' trip to Austin on Jan. 3. The early returns from Shaw's trip to Austin over the past couple of days appear to be pretty positive. It sounds like he had a good experience during his official visit to Texas on Jan. 3 and 4.
From what's been reported from Shaw's portal recruitment since he officially entered the transfer market on Dec. 10, it doesn't sound like he's taken any other visits to other schools pursuing him beside the trip to Texas this weekend.
Texas really needs help at defensive tackle for this upcoming offseason, with all the portal departures that have hit the Longhorns' defensive line room over the past few weeks in the winter transfer window in December. The Longhorns and Kenny Baker could really utilize big and experienced P4 defensive tackle transfers to replace what they're losing from portal departures (i.e. Sydir Mitchell and Tia Savea) and exhausted eligibility for 2025.
Shaw took over 300 defensive snaps for UNC's defensive front seven this season. He led UNC defensive tackles in run stops (13), defensive grade, and fumble recoveries (two).