Steve Sarkisian Confirms Where Texas Could Be Active in Transfer Portal

The Texas Longhorns will officially have a talented group of incoming freshmen on the roster for next season, as the program signed 23 commits during Wednesday's Early Signing Day.

But of course, the Longhorns will certainly be looking to fill the gaps with additions from the transfer portal this offseason.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has consistently said that the Longhorns "won't major" in the portal and will continue to prioritize high school recruiting, but after missing out on the College Football Playoff, the program will need to add some instant-impact players headed into next season.

Steve Sarkisian Gets Honest About Texas' Transfer Portal Priorities

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on during the third quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

While speaking with the media on Early Signing Day, Sarkisian didn't hesistate to admit some of the areas where the Longhorns could be active in the portal.

He mentioned offensive line and defensive line along with potential additions at running back, linebacker and in the secondary.

"As I touched on, I think the offensive line is something that we're going to address in the portal," Sarkisian said. "An interior defensive lineman is something we'll address in the portal, potentially a linebacker, potentially something in the secondary, potentially a running back. I mean, so there's needs there that we're going to address."

The Longhorns have had some major additions out of the portal in recent seasons. From wide receivers like Adonai Mitchell and Matthew Golden to safety Andrew Mukuba, Texas' rise back to national relevance has featured some game-changing transfers.

However, as Sarkisian has emphasized over the years, culture fit is often the No. 1 priority when evaluating a player out of the portal.

"But again, do they fit us? Do they fit us physically in the style in which we want to play?" Sarkisian said. "Do they fit us culturally from a character standpoint? And that's the homework that we need to do to get that done. And so again, the transfer portal is great, and like I said, it fills needs for us. But at the end of the day, when you really look at us year in and year out, the bulk of what we do is in high school recruiting."

Texas' portal needs will also depend on who stays and who goes. The Longhorns could likely have multiple players elect to transfer in the coming weeks, which could impact what areas the team will need to address more heavily.

Time will tell how things play out in Austin.