Texas Longhorns Hosting Arizona DL Transfer Tiaoalii Savea

The Texas Longhorns are again looking to bolster their roster through the college football transfer portal.

The Texas Longhorns had a spectacular season that saw them not only win the Big 12 title in their final season in the conference, but also make the College Football Playoff.

A big reason for their success was the development and strong performances by their defensive front. The duo of T'Vondre Sweat, who actually won the Outland Trophy for his dominance, and Byron Murphy II, were absolute menaces to opposing teams trying to run the ball. It was nearly impossible to consistently have success in running the ball against them and this defense, but following their great season, they both declared for the NFL Draft.  

While the Longhorns do have Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton ready to step in and assume the starting roles with some promising youngsters behind them, they have also looked to the portal for experience. According to his social media, former UCLA and Arizona defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea is on campus for an official visit.

Arizona DL Tiaoalii Savea / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Savea spent the past two years with the Wildcats after one at UCLA. Over the span of his two years in Tuscon, he appeared in 19 games. This past season he had much more of an impact, playing in 12 of Arizona’s games totaling 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. 

If the Longhorns were to add the 6-foot-4 305-pound Las Vegas native, their transfer portal class would only continue to be that much more impressive. The Longhorns have brought in seven transfers, and through the portal have completely rebuilt their receiver corps, while also bolstering their defense in a major way as well.

Texas Longhorns Way-Too-Early Defensive Depth Chart Projection

Adding Savea to this defensive front would provide more experience and much-needed physicality as Texas is set to join the SEC in 2024.