Photo Courtesy: Daniel Dunn – USA TODAY Sports
With the 2022 football season having come to a close, it is safe to say that Steve Sarkisian and his coaching staff are entrenched in preparing for next year. Having already made an impact on the high school football recruiting trail, currently being slated as the third-best class in the country, much of the offseason’s focus will be on transfer targets who are ready to play immediately.
Of course, Longhorns fans are now familiar with the value of transfer portal additions, having seen recent additions Quinn Ewers and Ryan Watts play critical roles to the team’s success on Saturdays. While the team has a formidable foundation currently (which will need to be further developed), there are several positions that will need to be the focus of the transfer portal – even after recent adds such as Jalen Catalon and Gavin Holmes.
Focus Areas:
- Wide Receiver: Although the team is set to regain the services of Isaiah Neyor, who sustained a season-ending injury prior to the season-opener, the Longhorns are in desperate need of landing a reliable pass catcher. Thankfully for Longhorns fans, Jordan Whittington announced that he will be returning for another season and freshman phenom Johntay Cook II will compete for playing time early. However, the team proved that they lacked a reliable third receiver last season and the competition for this spot will be the one to watch.
- Defensive Front: Ironically enough, I would expect this to be a position of need even though the coaching staff made this group a focus of their recruiting efforts during the 2022 recruiting cycle. With several key players such as Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo declaring for the NFL Draft, the team will need someone who is ready to fill in the gaps up front immediately (even if the underclassmen are sprinkled in increasingly).
- Mix – Linebackers and Secondary: For the most part, these positions look to have a solid foundation of players that are primed to step up. However, with losses such as DeMarvion Overshown and D’Shawn Jamison, there are certainly headline names that are leaving the Forty Acres. As mentioned earlier, the coaching staff has already been quick to add pieces to the secondary, with Catalon and Holmes, however I would not be shocked to see another addition in the coming months. Meanwhile, at linebacker, with it appearing that Jaylan Ford will be returning next fall, the Longhorns should keep their eyes on adding anyone of high-caliber who is capable of filling in for the loss of Overshown. Also worth noting here, the Longhorns welcomed 2023 five-star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to the Forty Acres and the freshman will likely play a large role on the field next season.
