The portal continues to give, but no longer is taking away. The Longhorns have done a great job during this portal cycle, particularly in the retention department and it continued this weekend.
The portal has officially closed, but the additions continue coming for the Longhorns. Sarkisian and company added Melvin Siani late last week, firming up the OL in a big way. There is still work to be done there, but there are other areas Texas needs to fill as well, and they did plenty of that this weekend. Much of that came from just keeping certain players in Austin rather than bringing new faces in.
Let’s jump into what was a rather quiet, but impactful weekend for the Longhorns:
Markus Boswell – LB Akron
This was the only portal addition of the weekend for the Longhorns, adding the Austin native to a position of need. Now, this likely wasn’t the name Longhorn fans expected at this spot, but Boswell is an interesting prospect. Coming off a freshman year where he racked up 19 tackles, 1 INT and a sack, he brings great speed and twitch to the table. He’s likely to fit in as a special teamer early on before getting snaps on defense.
To me, this addition sends one very clear message: Will Muschamp and this staff LOVE what they have in Rasheem Biles and Ty’Anthony Smith. Boswell will fit into the depth with Brad Spence, Justin Cryer and Tyler Atkinson. There could be another addition here, but that likely depends on what happens at OL moving forward.
Texas Retention Efforts
This is where the best news of the weekend came from. Throughout this portal cycle, the Longhorns have done a nice job retaining important players, particularly in the secondary. That continued this weekend, convincing Warren Roberson to return to Austin. That not only brings back an experienced player at CB, but likely gets rid of the need to add any more defensive backs in the portal. A safety addition is possible, but much less needed to be an immediate starter as we once thought.
The other name Longhorn fans have been watching is Zina Umeozulu, who also decided he would return for 2026. To me, this is a massive retention. Umeozulu began to flash late in the season last year and I believe he could very well step into the Ethan Burke role next season. Umeozulu is a plus pass rusher, but is incredibly strong in the run and is the perfect player to put across from Colin Simmons or Lance Jackson.
Finally, Justus Terry has resigned for the 2026 season. This was not someone that had much portal talk, but is an important retention nonetheless. Terry can be a game-changing player, particularly in Will Muschamp’s defense. I expect him to not only be one of the best Longhorn defenders in 2026, but one of the best defensive lineman in the SEC. It didn’t look like Texas was going to lose him, but the signature is what you need to see before feeling comfortable.
Former Longhorns Commitments
Rickey Stewart Jr. commits to Stephen F. Austin: The former Longhorn RB has found his way to East Texas to join the Lumberjacks. Stewart is a very talented player and you’d have to imagine he will have plenty of chances to prove that next season.
Nick Brooks commits to Alabama: Brooks was somewhat of a surprise when he entered and it seemed like he wanted to play tackle instead of guard. He is likely to have a clearer path to that at Alabama this season, but it will be interesting to see if can crack the starting five in 2026.
Christian Clark commits to South Carolina: Another Longhorn RB has set up shop in the SEC with Christian Clark becoming a Gamecock this weekend. This is a fantastic landing spot for Clark and next to LaNorris Sellers, he should be able to shine.
