Texas Longhorns Emerge As Favorites For UCLA DL Transfer Jay Toia

The Texas Longhorns may have a chance to bolster their defensive line in a big way.

Nov 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Keaontay / Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Longhorns have big shoes to fill across their defensive front, literally and figuratively.

They lost two NFL-caliber linemen in T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II to the NFL Draft after the duo each had career years. They also ranked as two of the best run stoppers in the country, and while the Longhorns have guys like Arizona transfer Tiaoalii Savea, Alfred Collins, and Vernon Broughton waiting in the wings, they want more talent in that room.

Something that appears to be incoming based on recent expert predictions, as multiple recruiting analysts from Horns247 have inserted crystal balls in favor of the Longhorns for UCLA Transfer, Jay Toia.

Nov 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Keaontay / Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Both Hanks South and Jordan Scruggs inserted predictions that have the Longhorns landing the Los Angeles native. This past season for the Bruins, Toia recorded 28 total tackles and a sack. He stands in at a whopping 6-foot-3,325 pounds.

According to 247Sports, he ranks as the No. 178 player in the portal, and No. 19 player at his position. As a recruit, Toia was ranked as a four-star recruit and chose USC where he didn't play in his lone year there, over offers from Oregon, Cal, Michigan and LSU among others.

The Longhorns assembled the No. 7 transfer portal class in the country during the previous portal window, and now that spring ball is pretty much wrapped up they know where they need to improve. Barring any changes in the weather, Texas will host their spring game on Saturday.