Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns' Punter Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Texas football backup punter Ian Ratfliff announced he is entering the NCAA transfer portal with three years of eligibility left.

Isa Almeida

Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns punter Ian Ratliff (left) and kicker Will Stone (right) hold up their horns when arriving at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before a game against the Rice Owls. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns punter Ian Ratliff (left) and kicker Will Stone (right) hold up their horns when arriving at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before a game against the Rice Owls. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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Sophomore punter Ian Ratliff is departing the Longhorn roster and entering the NCAA Transfer Portal with three years left of eligibility, he announced on X.

Ratliff did not see any action as a freshman in 2023 and had limited playing time when freshman starter Michael Kern was out with an injury.

In two games against Oklahoma and Georgia, Ratliff recorded eight punting attempts for 352 yards, 52 long for an average of 44 yards per punt. The sophomore also tallied one fair catch and two touchbacks. Ratliff did not see the field again after Kern returned.

Ratliff didn't have a great performance against the Bulldogs in Texas' first loss of the season. At the start of the second quarter, his punt didn't make it past midfield allowing Georgia's Anthony Evans III to return it 19 yards to the Longhorns 13-yard. The play resulted in a field goal for the visitors.

Another punt resulted in a field goal for the Bulldogs just two drives later, as the punt allowed Georgia to start near midfield again.

The Humble, Texas, product was a two-time All-District honoree and earned second-team All-District 21-6A accolades as a kicker in 2020 and a punter in 2022. He was ranked as the No. 24 punter nationally by Kohl’s Kicking.

By entering the transfer portal, Ratliff will be looking to enter a program where he will get more playing time and possibly be the starting punter -- a role that was unlikely for him to have in Austin.

Texas recently landed a commitment from Utah punter Jack Bouwmeester, who's one of the top players in the transfer portal this season.

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Isa Almeida
ISA ALMEIDA

Isa Almeida is a writer covering the Texas Longhorns for SI/Fan Nation, having joined the team on June 1, 2024. Raised in Southeast Brazil, Isa is now a third-year Journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin. Fluent in both English and Portuguese, Isa brings a diverse background and a wealth of knowledge to her writing. In addition to her work with SI/Fan Nation, Isa also covers the soccer and women's basketball beats for The Daily Texan. Her journalism journey is firmly rooted in her academic pursuits and her passion for sports.

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