During Steve Sarkisian's headline-setting campaign in the transfer portal this offseason, one of the biggest pickups that the Texas Longhorns made was veteran linebacker Rasheem Biles (which he has now taught everyone is pronounced: "Ra-Heem."
After three seasons with the Pitt Panthers, he was one of the most highly sought-after players in the portal, but he chose none other than the Horns to commit to, even while teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes and others were reaching out.
However, he committed to Texas and is preparing to suit up in burnt orange for the first time in just a few weeks. As his first fall camp unfolded, Biles had already noticed a difference between the team he was currently on and the program he had just spent three years with.
"At Pittsburgh, we had some guys, definitely, but we didn't have as many guys as we do here. That’s really just been the biggest thing in the defense," Biles said after a fall camp practice.
That. That right there is the difference between a premier program and an average one, even when you're comparing one team from a Power Conference to another. More specifically, it highlights the depth of talent that can be seen in the SEC and, even more specifically, at Texas.
Just a year ago, Biles was amassing a resume worth 100 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions for two touchdowns. Even while doing that, he didn't have the same amount of talent on his defense as he has now.
Also read: Projecting Texas football's 2026 depth chart before the start of fall camp
With stars like Colin Simmons, Graceson Littleton, Hero Kanu, and others lining up next to him, Biles knows just how special and deep the talent on his current team is.
The Texas defense stands out to even the most veteran players
Even when it came to Ohio State, Biles knew it wasn't the right place for him. The Buckeyes, despite having won a National Championship just two years ago, and the Big Ten don't hold a candle to the Longhorns and the Southeastern Conference.
"I ain't really trying to be in Columbus. I ain't trying to be a Buckeye," Biles said about OSU recruiting him out of the portal. "Like they didn’t want me out of high school, and I was right there, so ain't no point in trying to get me now."
Piling on, Biles shared he's excited for Week 2, when he and the Longhorns will host his hometown team, having grown up in Columbus, OH.
"I want to play in big games in January, I’m tired of sitting home and watching those games on TV," Biles said of missing the College Football Playoff for the first three years of his career.
Even comparing Texas and the SEC to a team and conference like Ohio State and the Big Ten, a star player like Biles knows just how much better the Longhorns can be, especially when compared to a team like Pitt that is in the ACC.
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