Sean Miller proved this past weekend that he's not playing around when it comes to the 2026 transfer portal. Not only did he sign one of the top scoring guards available, but he got the top-ranked power forward in the portal, TCU's David Punch, to officially bring his talents to the University of Texas.
Now, the team can begin to pencil in a depth chart for the upcoming season, especially for the frontcourt seeing as they're probably finished adding bodies there. The Longhorns have 5-6 players who could end up seeing legitimate playing time in the paint, and all of them were hand-picked by Sean Miller within the last 18 months.
There's potential for the Longhorns to have a top 3-ranked frontcourt in the SEC heading into next season, as both Punch and Matas Vokietaitis have an excellent mix of scoring ability and defensive prowess.
BREAKING: Elite TCU transfer David Punch has committed to Texas. 🤘
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) April 13, 2026
The 6-7 forward averaged 14.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 BPG this season.
Massive pickup for Sean Miller. pic.twitter.com/q72BPbTPkH
Let's dive into how things will probably look in the paint for Texas in 2026/2027:
Power Forward | Center |
|---|---|
David Punch | Matas Vokietaitis |
John Clark | Lewis Obiorah |
Declan Duru Jr. | Coleman Elkins |
Despite Punch "only" being 6'7", he's an absolute menace when defending the rim, and can consistently neutralize bigger players due to his length and athleticism. Punch consistently blocks shots from taller players because he's so explosive and has an above-average vertical jump. This is one of the main reasons why Punch was so highly rated and sought-after in the transfer portal this year. Very few players of his size can move the way he can at close to 250 pounds.
After the starters, sophomore 7-footer Lewis Obiorah and 2026 blue-chip PF John Clark took significant steps last year and should be able to contribute valuable minutes next season as depth-level big men.
Declan Duru Jr. is a very interesting player for Texas. There's a chance that he could see time as a wing as well, depending on his athleticism/weight ratio in 2026. He has the size of a power forward at 6'8", 230 lbs., but the scoring ability of a small forward. Right before he came to Texas, he was shooting 41.9% from the three-point line for the Real Madrid U19 team in Spain.
Incoming freshman Coleman Elkins could see time as a rotational rim protector due to his above-average defensive ability, but he'll most likely sit and learn next season before taking on a larger role in 2027/2028.
UPDATE: Declan Duru Jr. just entered the transfer portal. (4/13)