Texas Longhorns RB Tre Wisner Announces Final Decision on Future

It will be a new era at running back for the Texas Longhorns in 2026

After a disappointing 9-3 season, Texas may have to get worse before it gets better. Before the season started, the Longhorns were the No. 1 team in the nation with a Heisman-favorite at quarterback and among the favorites to win to National Championship. Now, they are on the outside looking in and are at risk of losing key players to the transfer portal and the NFL Draft.

Earlier this month, star running back CJ Baxter became the latest Longhorn to depart the program, electing to enter the Transfer Portal. And now, they have lost their leading rusher as well.

According to multiple reports, Texas star running back Tre Wisner, who has led the team in rushing in each of the last two seasons, has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Tre Wisner’s Impact on the Texas Longhorns

Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (26) celebrates after a victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The junior running back has been heavily involved in the Texas offense since his sophomore season and has posted 1,734 career rushing yards with nine rushing touchdowns over his three years with the team. His most productive season was his sophomore campaign, in which Wisner recorded 1,064 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Throughout his time at Texas, Wisner really never took on the feature back role he may have been looking for. In 2024, he shared the backfield with Jaydon Blue and had to do the same with CJ Baxter in 2025 while battling injuries. With Baxter gone, it was widely thought that Wisner would return to become the No. 1 back.

That said, Wisner's best performances seemed to always come in rivalry games as well. That was especially the case this season, with the North Texas Native putting on a show in a 23-6 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners and a 27-17 victory over the then-No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies. He recorded 155 rushing yards on 19 carries, averaging 8.2 yards per carry against the Aggies and 22 carries for 94 yards against the Sooners.

“He was an absolute warrior,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said after the Lone Star Showdown. “We controlled the game and put them in some stressful situations because of how we were able to possess the ball.”

In 2024 it was much of the same, with Wisner posting 118 yards on 13 carries against Oklahoma and 186 yards on 33 carries vs. the Aggies.

And with his departure, the Longhorns now have a hole to fill at the running back position. Fortunately, it appears that Sarkisian already has a plan to fill it.

"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 Texas run game struggled in 2025, and a lot of its issues pointed back to injuries to running backs and an inexperienced offensive line. Bolstering both units will set quarterback Arch Manning and the rest of the offense up to build on what success they were able to find late in the season.

Now, a new era begins, with fond memories of Wisner and everything he brought to the program.