Sean Miller Reveals What Texas ‘Wanted To Covet’ in the Transfer Portal

Speaking on The Field Of 68: After Dark, Sean Miller shared what attribute Texas was looking to add in the transfer portal.

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a second-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Texas got busy in the transfer portal this offseason. Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope exhausted their eligibility, while Dailyn Swain declared for the 2026 NBA draft after his junior season. Cam Heide also entered the transfer portal, leaving the Longhorns with one returning starter.

However, the Longhorns’ turnaround was successful, and Texas's roster is prepared to contend for an SEC title in 2026 and go on another deep postseason run. Appearing on The Field Of 68: After Dark, Miller shared what the Longhorns coveted in the transfer portal that helped everything come together.

Sean Miller, Texas Longhorns Add Size in the Transfer Portal

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller talks with center Matas Vokietaitis during a practice session ahead of the First Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Nine different Longhorns recorded at least one start last season. Center Matas Vokietaitis is the only one who returned for the 2026 season. Incidentally, he is the perfect fit for what Miller desired to add over the offseason.

“I think size is something that we really wanted to covet,” Miller said on The Field Of 68: After Dark. “When you have size … you could be more interchangeable, different players can be on a court with different combinations. Not, ‘If this one particular player is in the game, then the other can't play.’”

“They platoon for each other. That's really not what we wanted to do, so I think the size and the versatility of our group is something that we really wanted to make sure that we had.”

Vokietaitis is a true 7-footer, anchoring the paint for Texas. Last season, the Longhorns lacked a more traditional 4, with 6’7” Swain and Heide playing in the front court with Vokietaitis. This season, they added Punch at power forward, who is a looming defensive presence in the paint.

TCU Horned Frogs forward David Punch and guard Liutauras Lelevicius box out Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Punch is similar in size to Swain and Heide, but his listed weight at TCU was 246 pounds, making him a bigger body. This pairs Vokietaitis with a reliable defender, which will make the Lithuanian big man’s life easier.

Elyjah Freeman is another addition Texas made that adds to its size. The 6’8” wing has impressive athleticism and length and shows potential as a disruptive defender. Between Freeman and Punch, the Longhorns' defensive potential is high, while last season's defense was unreliable.

Texas will rely on young players to provide depth, like redshirt freshmen John Clark — a 6’9” forward from Houston — and Lewis Obiorah — another seven-foot center from England. Freshmen Austin Goosby and Bo Ogden are also 6’5” with strength and defensive upside who can play the wing.

Auburn Tigers guard Elyjah Freeman celebrates his dunk with guard Tahaad Pettiford as the Tigers take on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Miller shared that he thinks size was one of the defining features of the best teams last season, like UConn, Michigan and Arizona. However, he also cautioned against falling in love with height rather than the player. He shared a conversation he had with Bill Walton that exemplifies what makes Vokietaitis special.

“[Walton] used to say this to me all the time: Sean, does he play basketball because he's tall, or does he play basketball because he loves it?” Miller said. “And then he would say … if we had an intramural game on the other side of campus, and he was six-foot tall, would he enter? Would he go out over there and play? Like, you know, explain his love. Is it true or not?"

“Matas is one of those guys that he plays the game because he loves it, not because he's seven-foot.”

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