The Portal is Open!
Over the course of the next month, I'll provide daily (or-semi daily) updates on the events in the Portal, especially as they relate to Texas.
Longhorns Lose Another DT
The Longhorns lost yet another interior defensive lineman to the Portal on Wednesday with the announcement from redshirt freshman Sydir Mitchell that he was entering his name into the Portal.
So, just how big of a loss in the man-mountain from New Jersey?
Well, it's really a matter of perspective.
The 6-6, 350-pound Mitchell only played 32 snaps the entire season and it's really hard to say at this exact moment what the expectations for a return in 2025 should/would have happened, especially when you consider that Aaron Bryant played 46 snaps in 2023 and had zero increased roll in 2024. Same with Jeray Bledsoe, who played 80 snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2023.
While there was certainly hope around Mitchell, he was/if from being a guarantee on the box as a player at this level. If I had to wager money, I'd wager it on him not emerging as a player that anyone on Orangebloods is longing for in future seasons.
All of that being said, he was a body (a big one at that) and the scholarship board is suddenly lacking warm bodies, as only true freshman Alex January and Melvin Hills are scheduled to return to the roster in 2025. That's it. Everyone else is graduating or bouncing into the Portal. It means that the Longhorns are going to have to dip into the Portal in a big way to cover themselves at the position in 2025 the way a team with national title aspirations should.
Texas needs at least 4 from the Portal before the team arrives for camp in August in 8+ months.
Texas dipping into Nansen's old stomping grounds?
There's a lot of smoke out in these Portal streets that the Longhorns are making a move for Arizona star cornerback Tacario Davis, who entered the Portal this week after flirting with departing the Arizona program for a large spell of the 2024 off-season.
The 6-4 corner from Long Beach, California was a second-team All-Big 12 selection this season and a Thorpe Award semifinalist in 2024 after having earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2023.
The connection to Texas assistant coach Johnny Nansen is one of the obvious connection, but you'd think that another team with less obvious front-line cornerback talent on the roster going into next season (Malik Muhammad, Kobe Black and Kade Phillips for starters) would be a more attractive landing spot for a player that is viewed as a possible Top 100 NFL Draft choice, yet there is some speculation that the Longhorns could be in the cornerback market if current sophomore cornerback Malik Muhammad chooses to test the Portal waters at some point.
Regardless, keep an eye on Davis in the coming days. The Texas speculation seems to be picking up some steam, regardless of whether there is additional attrition at the position for the Longhorns.
While we're keeping an eye on Davis, it couldn't hurt to keep some attention on Arizona senior safety Dalton Johnson, who entered the Portal this week after posting 189 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, an interception and 6 forced fumbles in his career with the Wildcats. The former Katy High star was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection this season after recording 94 tackles in 11 games.
Wednesday's Biggest Portal addition..
Junior Mississippi State wide receiver Kevin Coleman is looking for his fourth team in as many years after catching 74 passes for 932 yards and 6 touchdowns this season.
Coleman started his career at Jackson State, before going to Louisville and then Mississippi State.
Updated Texas Scholarship Board
Here's how the scholarship board looks following today's attrition.
