Arizona Ex DT Bill Norton Commits to Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns needed defensive line depth, and they got just that on Monday

Sep 2, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Bill Norton (45) tackles / Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

If the Texas Longhorns had one real weakness following the conclusion of spring football, it was most certainly the depth of their interior defensive line.

Behind the front line of Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton, the Longhorns were set to deploy with a only one other player - Arizona transfer Tiaoalii Savea - who had true extensive Power 5 experience.

In fact, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian voiced those concerns following the Orange-White game, hinting that another transfer move could be on the way.

"The depth on the defensive line is not where we need it to be," Sarkisian said. "Hopefully, we can address that. That's a bit concerning. We don't have enough bodies. There are not enough big humans. It's simple math."

Now, that move has already come into fruition, with Arizona transfer defensive tackle Bill Norton committing to the Longhorns on Monday.

Sep 2, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Bill Norton (45) tackles / Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

Norton, who spent the first four years of his college career with the Georgia Bulldogs before transferring to Arizona ahead of last season, will have one year of eligibility remaining.

At Georgia, Norton played in 19 games over four years, making 13 tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss. In his one year with the Wildcats, Norton had 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles.

Now heading to Austin, Norton will reunite with his former teammate in Savea, as well as his former defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, who Texas hired as the team's new linebacker's coach this offseason.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Norton was a four-star recruit coming out of Christian Brothers (Memphis, TN), and ranked as the No. 157 player in the country, No. 21 defensive tackle and No. 4 player in Tennessee in the 2019 class.