Texas Longhorns Finally Earning Respect in Latest Transfer Portal Rankings

The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team had one of the most confusing seasons of any team in the country last season.

Head coach Sean Miller's squad finished SEC play 9-9, and 10th place overall in the conference. After an early exit in the SEC Tournament by Ole Miss, it felt like if the Longhorns would be dancing in the NCAA Tournament, it wouldn't be for long. But that's no mindset to have in March.

The Longhorns looked like a completely different team after earning their bid for the NCAA Tournament. A Sweet 16 appearance now has the expectations a little higher in 2026. This team will have a revamped roster this upcoming season, and ESPN's Jeff Borzello is very high on the Longhorns' 2026 transfer portal class.

Big Things Coming

March 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Borzello has ranked Miller's Longhorns as the third best recruiting class in the country.

"One of only three teams with four players ranked inside our top 100 transfers, Texas carried the momentum from its surprising Sweet 16 run onto the recruiting trail. Punch was one of the best players in the portal, a breakout who does a little bit of everything," wrote Borzello.

The Longhorns have the second-best transfer portal class in the SEC. Miller's squad is one spot ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats. However, old friend Rick Barnes has the Tennessee Volunteers at number one in the transfer portal rankings.

Reasons To Be Excited

Mar 3, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson (2) reacts to a play against the Utah Utes by guard Josiah Sanders (5) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

If a program wants to get to the next level, then they have to find the talent to get them there. The 2026 transfer class is a mix of everything needed to make a team successful. Former Colorado Buffaloes point guard Isaiah Johnson can get buckets in a hurry. Johnson averaged 16 points per game last season.

The highest-rated portal player for the Longhorns is former Auburn Tigers small forward Elyjah Freeman. Last season for the Tigers, Freeman averaged 9.2 points per game and 5.2 rebounds. Freeman shot an incredible 50% from two last season.

Add former TCU Horned Frogs power forward David Punch, Volunteers guard Amari Evans, and combo guard Mikey Lewis to the mix, and you have a well-rounded team heading into the 2026 season.

On the recruiting side of things, the Longhorns are bringing in the number 6 freshman class for 2026. This upcoming season has all the ingredients to be very special.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google