This SEC powerhouse landed five players in The Athletic’s top 25 transfer portal rankings

With five players near the top of The Athletic’s top 100 transfer player rankings and a sixth not far behind, the Longhorns did a lot more than just reload this offseason. Texas went 10-3 in 2025 after entering the College Football season ranked No. 1. Yet the playoff passed them by, as they never really recovered from a season-opening loss at Ohio State. 

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The Longhorns lost three of their top five rushers to the portal, both starting cornerbacks to the NFL draft, and their most disruptive linebacker to graduation. The response? One of the most aggressive and arguably most effective transfer portal hauls in program history.

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Six Longhorns land in The Athletic’s top 100 transfers for the 2026 offseason, five of them in the top 25. The throughline connecting all of them is the same: Texas targeted proven, high-motor players who succeeded at major conference programs and still had something to prove. Every one of these additions arrives with a chip on their shoulder, whether from bad QB play, injuries, or programs that underperformed around them. Arch Manning is back and has an offense to match.

No. 1: Cam Coleman, WR (Auburn)

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) catches a pass during practice at Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

Over two seasons at Auburn, Coleman accumulated 1,306 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 93 catches across 25 games, doing it on a team that went 1-7 in SEC play. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound former five-star was producing in spite of his surroundings, not because of them. 

He joins returning wideouts Emmett Mosley and Ryan Wingo, who each produced for the Manning-led attack under Sarkisian. Coleman is the headliner of this entire portal class, a likely first-round pick in 2027 should he choose to go pro, who chose Texas specifically to showcase what he can do with a competent quarterback throwing him the ball.

No. 9: Melvin Siani, OT (Wake Forest)

Siani arrives from Wake Forest with 24 career starts under his belt, including all 13 games at left tackle in 2025. The 6-foot-6, 302-pound lineman from Hamilton, Ontario, did not allow a sack in 487 pass-blocking snaps last season. 

He figures to be a monumental upgrade over Brandon Baker at right tackle, sliding in alongside returning left tackle Trevor Goosby. After signing with Texas, Siani took to social media and predicted he would be a first-round NFL draft pick. Bold claim. Not an unreasonable one.

No. 11: Rasheem Biles, LB (Pitt)

Biles played three seasons with the Panthers before transferring to Texas, finishing 2025 with 100 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four pass breakups, two interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns in only 10 games. The two-time All-ACC pick led the conference in tackles for loss and drew interest from Colorado, Michigan, and Ohio State before choosing Austin. 

New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was extremely persistent in pursuit, and Biles fills the void left by Anthony Hill Jr. as the centerpiece of Texas’s linebacker room.

No. 14: Hollywood Smothers, RB (NC State)

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The story of how Smothers ended up in Austin is almost as good as what he brings. Smothers had previously committed to Alabama but never officially signed his financial paperwork with the Crimson Tide, and Texas got him on campus for a visit. He flipped. In 2025 at NC State, Smothers posted 160 carries for 939 yards and six touchdowns while adding 37 catches for 189 yards. 

A first-team All-ACC selection, Smothers told On3 his motivation for choosing Texas was straightforward: “NIL didn’t play a big factor for me. I honestly just want to win. And I feel like we are in the best position to go win it all with the talent and depth at Texas.”

No. 21: Raleek Brown, RB (Arizona State)

Brown, a fifth-year back who began his career at Southern Cal, earned All-Big 12 first-team honors in 2025 after rushing for 1,141 yards and four touchdowns for the Sun Devils. He also hauled in 34 catches for 239 receiving yards, showcasing pass-catching talents that made him one of the portal’s most coveted backs. 

Brown is a speedy runner and flashed that explosiveness with 75- and 88-yard runs in 2025. Paired with Smothers, Texas now has a genuine two-pronged backfield threat Manning can lean on throughout a full SEC schedule.

No. 65: Bo Mascoe, CB (Rutgers)

Mascoe logged 53 tackles, four pass breakups, and one interception in 2025 for the Scarlet Knights. The connection to Texas is a familiar one. Texas cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey recruited and coached Mascoe at Rutgers, reuniting the two in Austin. 

The Longhorns lost both starting cornerbacks from the 2025 season in Malik Muhammad and Jaylon Guilbeau, leaving an urgent need in the secondary. Mascoe brings Big Ten starting experience and two years of eligibility remaining.

The rest of the portal haul

Texas didn’t stop at six difference-makers. Sarkisian took 22 total portal additions, the most of his tenure, with the Longhorns finishing third nationally in 247Sports’ final transfer portal team rankings. Michigan State tight end Michael Masunas gives Manning a reliable target in the seam. Arkansas defensive lineman Ian Geffrard and LSU’s Zion Williams bolster the interior of Muschamp’s front, replacing two departing senior nose tackles. 

Florida State linebacker Justin Cryer adds depth behind Biles. The specialists were rebuilt entirely with a new kicker, punter, and long snapper. Sarkisian put it plainly in March: “Just because we take a guy from the portal doesn’t mean he can’t develop.” That mindset runs through every name on this list, proven contributors with more to give, landing in Austin at exactly the right time.

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