Should Texas Longhorns Look at Former 5-Star EDGE After Transfer Portal Entry?

The transfer portal is subject to create quite a bit of movement in terms of the Texas Longhorns roster, both through the losing and gaining of players.

Javion Hilson of Cocoa chases down Newberry ballcarrier Jamarcus Wimberly | Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As more players start to announce their plans to enter the transfer portal, people naturally start speculating potential landing spots for athletes moving around.

This prediction process is somewhat complicated, especially given how much goes into it. When coaches look to attack the transfer portal, they have to consider returning talent, new recruits and players they’re losing to either the NFL Draft or the portal.

That being said, one player who recently announced his decision to explore other options might be worth the Texas Longhorns taking a closer look at.

Missouri defensive end to enter the transfer portal

Cocoa Javion Hilson looks to the sideline during the game against Gadsden County in the FHSAA football Class 2A state championship Thursday, December 12, 2024. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK | Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Missouri Tigers defensive end Javion Hilson has revealed his plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2, 2026.

The freshman originally hails from Cocoa, Florida, and this won’t be his first time changing his mind about a program. 

As a four-star recruit in high school, he had at first committed to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Then, he decided to be closer to home by flipping to the Florida State Seminoles. He decommitted from there as well, taking official visits to Central Florida, Syracuse, Michigan and Missouri before picking Missouri as his landing spot. 

However, as evidenced by his choice to enter the portal, the school might not have been the right fit for Hilson. 

He played in three games for 31 snaps in the 2025 season, but he looks to take his talents somewhere else for 2026.

It’s hard to say where he might end up, but the Longhorns might look into the prospect and what he could bring to the table. Senior edge rusher Ethan Burke has finished out his college career, meaning that a little bit of an opening could exist within this position group. 

The Longhorns also saw defensive linemen Corey Wells and Dylan Berymon decommit from Texas ahead of Early National Signing Day, meaning that they could be looking to strengthen their defensive front through the portal. 

Whether they take a chance on Hilson or not will remain unknown at least until the portal opens in early January, but he could be a player worth keeping up with during that two-week window of movement. 

Things could start to look chaotic in terms of roster changes, and his decision to enter the portal is one of many that could contribute to a major shift within the SEC and beyond it in 2026.