One Texas Transfer Who Will Help Ease NFL Draft Losses — and One Who Won't

The Texas Longhorns will be looking at one of their top transfer portal additions to help after losing a key player to the NFL.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As the dust of the 2026 NFL Draft officially settles, the Texas Longhorns know where several of their key departures are headed after their time in Austin.

In total, the Longhorns saw six of their players selected at some point in the seven rounds of the NFL Draft a week ago. And with the departures, the Longhorns have lost some of their multi-year mainstays from their 2025 squad.

To help offset their losses heading into the 2026 season, the Longhorns attacked the transfer portal, becoming one of the top players in the transfer cycle. Texas brought in 22 transfers, with some of those players likely to play bigger roles than others. Here's a look at one transfer who will help ease the NFL losses and one who might not be as impactful.

Incoming Transfer that Will Help - Rasheem Biles

Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Rasheem Biles and wide receiver Raphael Williams Jr. lead the team onto the field. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The biggest draft loss of note is obviously the Longhorns losing linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. The linebacker was the first Texas player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, being selected by the Tennessee Titans in the back half of the second round.

Hill Jr. spent just three seasons in Austin; however, each of those seasons, the linebacker proved why he was a former five-star recruit. During his time on the Texas defense, Hill Jr. became the anchor of the unit, manning the middle of the defense, helping the Longhorns put together some great defenses over the last few years.

Looking to find someone to pick up where Hill Jr. left off, the Longhorns went into the transfer portal and brought in one of the highly sought-after players in the portal, Pittsburgh transfer Rasheem Biles. In 2025, the linebacker led Pitt with 101 tackles, to go along with 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, and six pass break-ups.

Biles is an explosive linebacker with a nose for the football and is someone who will excel in Will Muschamp's aggressive defensive scheme. The linebacker will look to create havoc plays and be a vocal leader in the Longhorns defense which is losing its previous voice in Hill Jr.

Incoming Transfer that Won't Help - Dylan Sikorski

Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive tackle Skyler Gil-Howard rushes against Oregon State Beavers offensive lineman Dylan Sikorski. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

The Longhorns will head into the 2026 season without one of their cornerstones on the offensive line with DJ Campbell heading off to the NFL after being selected by the Miami Dolphins.

The Longhorns knew they had to attack the transfer portal for help on the interior of the offensive line escapists after some struggles in that area one of Texas’ early transfer portal additions would’ve been looked at to fill that void in Oregon State transfer Dylan Sikorski.

Having Sikorski as a transfer that won’t help isn’t a knock on his ability as the offensive linemen in 2025 played in 10 games, starting six, allowing just eight pressures and one sack in 444 offensive snaps and 250 pass blocking snaps.

The redshirt freshman might not be fully ready to come in and start for the Longhorns in the SEC in year one with the program. However with Sikorski having multiple years of experience left, he might project to be a key piece of the Texas offensive line in the future.

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