Longhorns Transfer Target Ochaun Mathis Headlines Austin Weekend Visits

The Longhorns are looking to add pass-rushing help to the roster, and TCU transfer Ochaun Mathis could be the answer

Matt Galatzan | Apr 16, 2022

In desperate need of improving their defensive front in the 2022 season, Texas Longhorns hit the transfer portal hard, looking for difference makers.

On Saturday, one of the best pass rushers in the transfer market, former TCU defensive end Ochaun Mathis, made his way to Austin for a visit -- his second trip to the 40 Acres to the date.

Alabama wide receiver transfer Agiye Hall is also on campus this weekend and is a major Texas target.

The Longhorns will also be hosting a plethora of recruits in Austin over the weekend, including Naaman Forest (Dallas, TX) offensive lineman Markis Deal, Longview (TX) wideout Jalen Hale, Abernathy (TX) WR/DB Anthony White, Sam Houston (Arlington, TX) tight end Lafayette Kauiway, and Martin (Arlington, TX) defensive back Javien Toviano from the 2023 class.

From the 2024 class, the Horns will be hosting Centennial (Roswell, GA offensive lineman Daniel Calhoun, Duncanville (TX) pass rusher Collin Simmons, Sherman (TX) defensive lineman Xadavien Sims, and Tyler (TX) running back, Derrick McFall.

Mathis announced earlier in the week that he will be announcing his decision at the end of this month.

He will be choosing between the Longhorns, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Penn State, and USC.

Mathis entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season and was immediately projected to land in Austin.

Mathis had 135 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, and four pass deflections in his career at TCU. Mathis had a career-high nine sacks in 2020.

Mathis could be the second Power Five transfer on the defensive side of the ball to come to the Longhorns this offseason after former Ohio State defensive back Ryan Watts signed to the program in December.

The Longhorns also landed quarterback Quinn Ewers on Early Signing Day, who is expected to take over the starting job under center next season.

The Longhorns also added Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley and Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor via the transfer portal before national signing day.

Ewers, Watts, Billingsley, and Neyor are already on campus and taking part in spring practice, and each has already made their mark on the roster.

UCLA linebacker and former Longhorn Caleb Johnson is also a Texas target and is down to Miami and the Longhorns.

If the Longhorns are able to land Mathis and put him alongside pass rusher Ovie Oghoufo, they would have two impact players on the edge in a defense that struggled to get after the passer in 2021.

Whether or not Mathis ends up in Austin, however, the Longhorns are still going to be major players in the transfer portal as the offseason progresses.

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Published Apr 16, 2022

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.