Disclaimer: This article is being submitted on January 17th around 7 PM, the portal season for the spring is closing in so there may be commitments at any second, if someone on this list has decided, it was probably recent enough to miss it. I had O’Cyrus Torrence and Mason Brooks as my top lineman this morning before each committed to other schools.
As the first wave of transfer portal begins it’s final splash of commitments, it’s time to see what Texas is planning to do in regards to the offensive line. With a tremendous unit via the recruiting class, and hopes to continue adding with Devon Campbell, the belief is Texas will pass on lineman in the first wave and potential re-assess following the spring season.
Anyone who watched the Longhorns last season could admit, the offensive line needs work, and while the recruits being brought in are promising, I am of the belief that some veteran help could do wonders for the Longhorns official product next season.
So let’s dive in shall we? As things stand, the depth chart would likely feature an offensive line with Christian Jones, Kelvin Banks, Jake Majors, Junior Angilau, and one of Andrej Karic or Hayden Conner. If Campbell does commit, I assume Jones will compete with Karic and Conner for the last spot on the offensive line. While bringing in Campbell can help alleviate concerns, there are still many benefits to adding some veteran play through the portal with the struggles from the line last year and chance at freshman woes from the possible two true freshman starters this line would feature. So let’s turn our attention to the portal, and see what the world of college football could have to offer.
8. Spencer Rolland (Harvard)
Our first trip for lineman is in the Ivy League as 6’6 Spencer Rolland is an intriguing option as the Longhorns are looking for a veteran tackle to add to the mix. Rolland was right tackle for Harvard in 10 games this season and has received FBS interest from programs like Penn State and North Carolina amongst others. With two years of remaining eligibility, Steve Sarkisian and company could look to get in the mix.8. Spencer Rolland (Harvard)
Rolland is a nimble and smart lineman with plenty of length. While he needs to add weight, there are impressive aspects to his games, especially with his ability to move downfield in the run game. Here in a game against Dartmouth from this past season, you can see Rolland (lineman closest to the camera) get around the field with ease.
Now in order to truly make the jump to the next level, Rolland will need to get stronger and he should be able to do so by adding weight. Managing that added weight will be crucial for the lineman to continue his dominant play. At 285 though, he demonstrates quality control in his play. Keep an eye on Rolland no matter where he ends up as a name of interest for the NFL.
Prediction if not Texas: North Carolina
7. Eleasah Anderson (Sam Houston State)
If you paid attention to the FCS last season, then you had to notice Sam Houston State. One of the reasons for their success was the massive offensive line they trotted out featuring numerous accolades. Anchoring that line was the 6’4 345 pound left tackle, Eleasah Anderson.7. Eleasah Anderson (Sam Houston State)
His teammate, Prince Pines, has received more attention from the FBS, but I believe Anderson has a higher ceiling. The first course of action would be to kick him inside to the guard spot. His power and strength stand out and should be put to use on the inside.Here is his frame being used to his advantage in the South Dakota State game, watch as Anderson just mauls his defender to the outside taking him out of the play with ease and opening up the run.
While the common theme of this article will have guys I think could add weight, I think Anderson might play a little cleaner if he dropped 10-15 pounds. He is a big dude, but I think he could move a little better, and in turn be a more efficient blocker with some shed weight. I think he also is strictly a guard at the FBS, which can hurt the versatility aspect, but should be fine given the depth already at tackle for the Longhorns.
Anderson has some projection to him here at this #7 spot, but if accomplished there is a lot of damage that could be done with him on the line. We’ll have to wait and see what activity he gets in the second wave of the portal, but don’t be surprised if Anderson ends up in the FBS.
Prediction if not Texas: Toledo
6. Cole Garcia (Rice)
Watching the Texas game, there was a lineman for the Owls who stood out above the rest. He wasn’t just okay either, he was impressive, he flashed. If the Longhorns didn’t notice him, then I’m some rambling fool on the internet calling into question their ability to evaluate talent. (They don’t even have to offer him, I just think Garcia looked very solid in this game) That’s how good this man looked. The 6’4 320 pound offensive lineman has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and could help be an instant contributor wherever he ends up at.6. Cole Garcia (Rice)
It is not often a trait used to describe linemen but one of my favorite things about Garcia's game is suddenness. He moves with urgency and aggression that helps him succeed from play to play. The motor always seems to be running and at 6’4 320 that is a nice combination. Here is a help block rep against Texas, the block itself isn’t anything too crazy, but watch how quickly he (Left guard #73) bursts over to help out his tackle and ensure that the defender wouldn’t disrupt the play.
That kind of urgency in a lineman feels rare, and has really got my interest piqued with Garcia. As far as interest goes, he seems to only be receiving offers from G5 schools, most notably, UTEP was the first offer he tweeted about. Garcia had some moments he got overpowered on film, but ultimately he has the frame and play strength to succeed, and the motor to make him thrive. Regardless of if he gets the attention from schools I think he deserves, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear Garcia’s name as a big time blocker wherever he lands.
Prediction if not Texas: UTEP
5. Tre'Mond Shorts (East Tennessee State)
With a young offensive line, quick fix veterans seem like the proper approach to the transfer portal. East Tennessee State OT Tre’Mond Shorts has received plenty of attention as he enters his sixth and final season and looks to make the move up to the FBS. 5. Tre'Mond Shorts (East Tennessee State)
At 6’4 326 pounds, Shorts helped anchor an East Tennessee State offense that featured two 1,000 yard rushers and helped the Buccaneers go 11-1 including a trip to the FCS quarter finals. Shorts is a big bodied mover who can open up space in the ground game. Check out the gif below, while the play isn’t very successful, you can see Shorts at left tackle picking up multiple blocks, covering ground very quickly. That time of downhill ability as a blocker is extremely promising and would make Bijan Robinson a very happy man if he could run behind it.
Shorts' talents don’t stop with the run, there is work to be done but Shorts works well as a dependable pass-blocker. He has strong hands and flexible hips to pick up blocks out of frame. Quinn Ewers will need protection in his first full year under center at the college level, I would trust Shorts to be somewhere on the offensive line to help him with that.
For concerns on Shorts, I think there is still some needed work in terms of speeding up his pass sets. However his size and natural strength can shine through at times. Shorts seems to be a lineman being pursued by many at the FBS and for good reason. If Texas could bring him in, there would be reason for excitement as the former ETSU star seems poised to succeed in his jump to the FBS.
Prediction if not Texas: Nebraska or LSU
4. Tommy Brown (Alabama)
Tommy Brown enters the transfer portal after spending 4 years with the Crimson Tide and never carving out a role with the team. However, he does have experience under Steve Sarkisian and Kyle Flood who now are with the Texas Longhorns. 4. Tommy Brown (Alabama)
Watching Tommy Brown, a lot of his work is in a rotational role, but he was able to show some flashes. In the 2020 match up against Kentucky, he demonstrated quality run blocking traits against some hefty linemen. Brown has the size (6’7 320) to play outside if needed and can pull as a blocker as asked. Here in the Kentucky tape is a rep where he shows nice power, going against Kentucky’s interior defensive line and driving his assignment upfield to clear space for the run.
Ultimately, the evaluation will be much deeper for Sarkisian and Flood on Brown than my own, as I have limited tape of his limited playtime. That doesn’t mean that Brown can’t show some promise though at a better school for opportunity. With Texas, the opportunity is there, and Brown might just be the guy for the job.
Prediction if not Texas: UCLA, UCONN, or Utah
3. Tyler Steen (Vanderbilt)
The Texas Longhorns have added plenty of talent to the offensive line, but many wonder about the tackle position for 2022. Well how about an SEC lineman with 19 starts and much more experience in rotational time. Many may scoff at the idea of adding a player from Vanderbilt onto the roster as the program hasn’t produced much success as of late, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t standout players who could help at other programs, and Steen will be a tremendous addition for whatever program lands him. Rivals’ Eric Lammers, the football recruiting analyst for the Ohio State and Penn State sites sees tons of promise in Steen, check out his tweet regarding the former Vanderbilt offensive tackle.3. Tyler Steen (Vanderbilt)
I agree with Stemmers, as Steen has the versatility to kick inside, but he’s proven himself at tackle too, allowing for Coach Flood to have some personnel flexibility if they were to bring Steen in. Regardless of where Steen plays, his traits will shine. His best trait might be his hands, Steen has some exceptional grip strength to sustain blocks when he is able to get into the frame. Below shows Steen in a late season matchup against Ole Miss where he showed dominance controlling his pass block.
The issues with Steen generally circle back to Lammers’ tweet above, he is an interior offensive lineman in a lot of ways. One of those ways is his lack of length to cover ground. Listed at 6’5, I think Steen is probably more in the 6’3 ballpark, and his arms are definitely short. Here’s a rep where it doesn’t cost him, but it can be seen how Steen doesn’t cover as much ground as larger offensive linemen.
Steen is a dependable player with two years of remaining eligibility to help the immediate future of the Texas OL. While the batch of young talent may cause questions for Steen’s long term forecast, I truly believe he has the skill set to fit in at four of the five spots on the line, and should be able to find a spot no matter how the line develops for the Longhorns.
Prediction if not Texas: Miami (FL), Florida State, or Tennessee
2. Mac Hollensteiner (Georgetown)
If I told you that one of Texas’ highest priorities in the portal should be someone from an FCS team that went 2-8 last season you may raise an eyebrow, but talent comes from anywhere and Mac Hollensteiner is the real deal. A lengthy 6’6 310 lineman that was able to move and play both tackle spots for the Hoyas, Hollensteiner has caught the attention of numerous FBS programs including portal darlings, Michigan State. Also offering the tackle are programs such as Virginia, Colorado, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State, and many others.2. Mac Hollensteiner (Georgetown)
Hollensteiner has length for days, and with that length comes quality movement skills that should help translate to the FBS level. He can shoot his hands inside well to get proper grip on his engagements and it allows him to control his matchup. Here in the gif below (Sorry for quality, not much HD Georgetown film) Hollensteiner (left tackle #77) seems so casual as he overpowers his defenders. His frame shows some potential to continue adding weight, but his overall punch strength and athleticism is extremely promising for his projection.
As far as work to be done, I think Hollensteiner needs to improve his leverage. At 6’6, it can’t be easy to get low, but right now Hollensteiner plays way too high and at the next level I think it could create some issues. Regardless of if he dawns the burnt orange or not next season, he should get in the habit of creating better leverage and he could be an instant stud for whatever program picks him up.
With 2 years of eligibility left, the former Hoya could be an excellent option to occupy the outside allowing Banks to develop on the inside for a couple of seasons. Not to mention that Hollensteiner could grow into quite the player himself and potentially head for the NFL after just a year.
Prediction if not Texas: Michigan State, Virginia, or Oklahoma State
1. Hunter Nourzad (Cornell)
The Ivy League talent dump reaches its conclusion at the top spot, and that is with Cornell right tackle, Hunter Nourzad. Nourzad is a 6’4 298 pound tackle with plenty of FBS interest. He is scheduled to take visits with Auburn, Virginia Tehc, Penn State, Iowa, and Illinois. However, he is likely a summer arrival, which means Texas could get involved if Nourzad doesn’t commit before February signing day.1. Hunter Nourzad (Cornell)
As far as evaluation goes, Nourzad is a high motor player that covers ground extremely well. Maybe an assumption, but coming from an Ivy League school its safe to assume the play IQ is high as well. Nourzad is very quick to react and it helps him get an advantage when facing off against defenders. Here are two clips, one pass block one run block (right tackle #64) where he clears out space and keeps the ball clean. Nourzad also has the skillset to play all over the offensive line as needed.
The reality is, Nourzad is probably someone Texas won’t land. They’re likely passing over players on the offensive line right now in hopes of it paying off in February. Not that Texas’ pursuit would’ve changed the game necessarily, but with a guaranteed 50k, a coach with the reputation of Kyle Flood, and the chance to join a major program, it’s tough to see a talent like Nourzad go unattempted even if the process is understandable.
Prediction if not Texas: Iowa, Auburn, Penn State, or Virginia Tech
Other Potential Options:
Tate Heitmeier (Texas State) - 36 starts and 42 games of experience. 6’3 310 pounds moves well with nice balance. Needs to improve his hand placement. Think he moves up but I do not see him as a Texas level lineman. Weirdly absent at times in the lineup, unsure why.
Steven Losoya III (Middle Tennessee State) - 6’4 305 pound tackle with 14 starts, 11 in 2021. Experience at both tackle spots and inside. All Freshman accolades in 2020. Likely entering the portal in hopes of moving up, could be a quality addition.
John Paul Flores (Dartmouth) - Two years of experience as Darmouth’s left tackle. Has received FBS interest including offers from SMU & Virginia. Nice length and movement skills. Think his grip strength and anchor could use improvement, could add some weight.
Prince Pines (Sam Houston State) - Left Guard for Sam Houston State, has an offer from Mississippi State. A bit inconsistent in his play, could be a lot better with more leg drive. Has issues of losing balance outside of frame and getting beat. Still a high quality FCS lineman likely to make the jump to P5 FBS play.
Ira Henry (Florida State) - Lineman who left the Seminoles following the addition of Wisconsin lineman Kayden Lyles. 6’4 314 versatile piece who was often used as depth all throughout the line. Could potentially find success in a full time role.
Logan Brown (Wisconsin) - Former 5 star tackle who has failed to get into the lineup for the Badgers. With an OL guru like Kyle Flood, there is a chance he could truly reach his full potential. Hasn’t entered the portal yet but failure to be a solidified starter could push him to enter.
Michael Miranda (Penn State) - 2nd Team All Big Ten Center in 2020. 6’3 305 pounds with a stout frame and solid leverage. Felt his tape was a little disappointing.
As I said early in the article, how Texas addresses the offensive line is up in the air. There is truly a chance that a Campbell commitment results in 0 transfer portal additions for the unit at all. However, Kyle Flood & Steve Sarkisian cannot assess the lack of additions to a lack of overall talent. Even this late in the game, there are student-athletes who could step in and make an immediate impact for the offensive line. So the question is, will Texas make a move for that improvement or put all their chips in on Campbell?
