Texas Longhorns Projected Starting 5 Following Transfer Portal Madness

As the chaos of the transfer portal winds down, what might the Texas Longhorns’ starting five look like in Year 2 with Sean Miller?

Saint Mary's Gaels guard Mikey Lewis takes a shot during a first-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The transfer portal formally closed last week on April 21, but the dust is still settling. The NCAA has been as busy as ever as teams and players try to push the boundary of who is and is not eligible, all while the looming presence of the 5-in-5 rule threatens to uproot everything.

The Texas Longhorns have largely been considered offseason winners and could be in a position to prove that last season’s Sweet 16 run was just the beginning with head coach Sean Miller. With most of the transfer portal moves complete and several offseason needs addressed, the starting lineup is taking shape ahead of tip-off in November.

Projecting the Texas Longhorns’ Starting 5 for 2026–27

PG: Isaiah Johnson

Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson dribbles against Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

One of the first players connected to the Longhorns in the early stages of the transfer portal process was Isaiah Johnson. The dynamic guard surged from a three-star prospect to a coveted young guard over the course of his freshman season.

With the Colorado Buffaloes, he scored 16.9 points per game (17.9 during Big 12 play) and shot 37.8% from three-point range on 4.6 attempts per game. He ranked sixth in the Big 12 in true shooting percentage (63.4%) while recording the fifth-best offensive rating (130.4). He is also an aggressive downhill player who was one of the best in the Big 12 at drawing and converting fouls.

Johnson is more of a combo guard than a traditional play-setting point guard, though he did average 3.0 assists per game. He averaged 3.9 assists during his last 15 games when he became a full-time starter.

Point guard was one of the most important positions to address, and Texas landed one of the top options in the portal.

SG: Mikey Lewis

Saint Mary's Gaels guard Mikey Lewis controls the ball during a first-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

It was uncertain whether or not Texas would try to find a veteran option to start over Austin Goosby, a four-star incoming freshman and McDonald’s All-American. While Goosby could take over during the season or earn some spot starts, Saint Mary’s (CA) guard Mikey Lewis might be the Game 1 starter.

Coming off a season where he was named to the All-WCC First Team, Lewis brings more on-ball creation, can handle the ball and is a reliable shooter. At 6’3”, he is not the most reliable inside scorer, but he attempted 5.6 three-pointers per game, converting them at a 36.8% clip.

Lewis started every game for the Gaels in 2025 as a sophomore and is capable of explosive scoring nights. He scored 20 or more points eight times and had 31 in the regular season finale against Gonzaga.

SF: Elyjah Freeman

Auburn Tigers guard Elyjah Freeman dunks the ball as the Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nineteen-year-old forward Elyjah Freeman has had quite the journey at a young age. He began his career at Division II Lincoln Memorial in Harrogate, Tenn., where he was the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. He then transferred to Auburn and started 21 games while averaging 9.2 points.

With a 6’8” frame, Freeman’s length gives him a strong defensive upside, and he is a high-flyer who gives the other team trouble when he gets a path to the basket. With LMU, he shot 45.6% from deep on low volume (1.8 attempts per game) and shot 34.3% on 2.7 attempts with Auburn.

Freeman is a toolsy player who could be disruptive on both ends. He could be a connecting piece on offense and defense, with some shooting potential. With Dailyn Swain headed to the NBA, small forward was one of the most important positions to find a starting-level player.

PF: David Punch

TCU Horned Frogs forward David Punch reacts against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. | Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

Texas has never been a program afraid to dream big, and David Punch was the big addition of the offseason. On3 ranked him 11th among transfer portal entrants, and he could be one of the most important players on the roster.

With Nic Codie and Cam Heide on their way out, Punch gives the Longhorns much-needed size on the inside and defensive ability. He averaged nearly two blocks per game in his sophomore season and ranked 15th in Evan Miya’s DBPR, which measures a player's on-court defensive value.

While he is limited in what he provides as a shooter, he averaged 14.1 points per game and 6.8 rebounds. He could be the anchor to the Longhorns’ system.

C: Matas Vokietaitis

Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis 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. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

One of the reasons Texas was able to make its run to the Sweet 16 was the improvement from Matas Vokietaitis. The 7-footer from Lithuania had 23 points and 16 rebounds against BYU in the Round of 64, and his size played a factor in the rebounding battle all postseason.

Vokietaitis still has room to improve. He struggled to avoid foul trouble, especially late in the season. He had four or five fouls in 12 of his final 17 games and fouled out of the First Four game against NC State.

He could also afford to be more aggressive as a scorer. He averaged 13 shots per game in the first three NCAA Tournament games — a major factor in his postseason surge — but only attempted five shots in the loss to Gonzaga. Texas was 3–7 when he attempted fewer than seven shots.

As the only returning starter, Vokietaitis plays a big role as Texas looks to return to the postseason, but the Longhorns will need to be better in the regular season. After going 21–15 (9–9 in SEC play), the team barely squeaked into March Madness. This talented roster could help the Longhorns earn a better seed line in the 2027 NCAA Tournament.

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