One Texas Wide Receiver Surprised by DeAndre Moore Jr.'s Transfer Decision

Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. has elected to enter the transfer portal instead of playing in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, but it seems his teammate thought he had other plans.

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) celebrates with Texas Longhorns wide receiver Parker Livingstone (13) after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

With the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl less than 24 hours out, speculation about what the Texas Longhorns and Michigan Wolverines will look like without several key contributors has only increased. 

Several players have already made decisions to declare for the NFL Draft or enter the transfer portal, meaning that they will forgo their last opportunity to take the field in 2025.

One of these players is former Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., but it seems as though the details of his departure surprised even his teammates.

Fellow wide receiver blindsided by Moore’s transfer decision

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) catches the ball during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Wide receiver Parker Livingstone set aside time to speak with the media ahead of the Longhorns’ matchup vs. the Wolverines, addressing a variety of topics regarding Texas football.

At the very end of his time with the press, Livingstone received a question about his former fellow pass catcher. 

His answer revealed that he might not have known more than the rest of the world did about Moore’s status.

“I thought he was going to go to the NFL,” Livingstone said. “But he’s a great player, a great leader. Hurts to have someone like that not in our room, but it just creates opportunities for us young guys to step up and take control of the room.”

This suggests that Moore was moving quietly when it came to making decisions about his future, which isn’t all that irregular when it comes to business like this. However, it will still probably be interesting for former teammates like Livingstone to see Moore in a different uniform in 2026.

The portal opens officially on Jan. 2, remaining active until Jan. 16. It is during this time that Moore will select a destination for his new beginning.

How Texas will adapt to his absence

Sep 20, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Parker Livingstone (13) catches a pass during the first half against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

In the meantime, the Longhorns will continue on in his absence. As Livingstone touched on, the bowl game will serve as an opportunity for younger players like himself to start to emerge in more prominent leadership roles. 

With one less player to share reps with, fans can expect more from wide receivers Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V as well. Wide receivers like Daylan McCutcheon and Kaliq Lockett could also work themselves further into the rotation. 

This room still has the potential to bring a lot to the table without Moore, and it will be interesting to see if they deliver on that potential when the time comes. Additionally, monitoring which receivers slide into more vocal leadership roles might be worthwhile when the offseason officially begins.