Oregon Defensive Lineman Johnny Bowens III To Transfer To Texas Longhorns?

Former Oregon defensive lineman Johnny Bowens III entered the transfer portal this spring and is reportedly getting interest from the Texas Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches from behind the play during the first quarter of / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

Former Oregon defensive lineman Johnny Bowens III entered the transfer portal this spring. The Texas Longhorns are on the hunt to sign Bowens to help bolster their trenches, according to an On3 report.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is looking to add more defensive tackle depth and the former four-star recruit could be a good fit as the Longhorns enter into the SEC Conference.

Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches from behind the play during the first quarter of / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

Bowens played in one game with the Ducks last season and has four years of eligibility remaining. He finished with two total tackles. 

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Bowens picked the Oregon over Texas and Texas A&M coming out of high school as part of the 2023 class.

It’d be a Texas homecoming of sorts, as Bowens is from Converse, Texas.  In the 2023 class, Bowens ranked as the No. 206 player nationally, the No. 23 defensive lineman, and No. 36 player in Texas per the On3 Industry Ranking.

Bowens is one of five Oregon defensive linemen who entered transfer portal, including: Tevita Pome who is enrolled at Oregon State, Jake Shipley who enrolled at North Texas, Jaden Navarrette who enrolled at UNLV and Ben Roberts.

On the flip side, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks have landed some of the top talent from the best programs in the country via transfer, to solidify the roster as they head to the Big Ten Conference.

On the defensive line, the Ducks added Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, a transfer from Michigan State. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 320 pounds, the redshirt junior emerged as a formidable force on Michigan State's defensive line last season with 40 tackles.

Defensive lineman Ja'Maree Caldwell, a transfer from Houston, also is a new Duck. While at Houston, the 6-foot-1, 325-pounder mostly played the two interior tackle positions, but also was effective when shifted to the left side of the defensive line. During his two years and 20 games at Houston, he recorded 39 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. The redshirt junior has one season left of eligibility.

In total, the Ducks have added 14 players and have the No. 2 ranked transfer portal class, according to 247Sports, trailing Ole Miss.

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