Longhorns Country

Longhorns Land Notre Dame P Will Mercer From Transfer Portal

The Longhorns continue to stay active in the transfer portal, adding an impact bullpen arm in Notre Dame's Will Mercer.

Connor Zimmerlee

© Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

While the season didn't end the way the Texas Longhorns would have liked, coming up just short of another trip to Omaha, they haven't spent any time licking their wounds. 

Rather, David Pierce and his coaching staff have been proactive in adding key pieces via the transfer portal. So far the Longhorns have landed an impact outfielder in Casey Cummings from the JUCO ranks and Baylor Bears pitcher Will Rigney. 

On Tuesday they added another pitcher, with Notre Dame's Will Mercer announcing his commitment to the Longhorns for the final season of his collegiate career. 

Mercer was an electric left hander out of the bullpen for Notre Dame, dazzling in 2023. He made 17 appearances in relief for the Fighting Irish, finishing with a 3-1 record and 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings of work. 

The bullpen at times was a major issue for the Longhorns during the 2023 season, blowing late leads. However, they righted the ship in postseason play and showed their true potential in the NCAA Tournament.

Of course, they will lose talent to the draft and have lost some arms themselves to the transfer portal. Adding an elite, reliable arm in Mercer gives the Longhorns a sure-fire weapon out of the bullpen as they look to get back to the College World Series in 2024.

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

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