Texas Longhorns Reportedly in the Mix for All-Big Ten Transfer Offensive Lineman

The Texas Longhorns are looking to be big participants in the transfer portal as they look to reload after a 2025 season in which the Longhorns missed out on the College Football Playoff and enter an important 2026 season.

And the Longhorns have begun chipping away at some of their needs around the edges with some of their transfer portal commitments, reshaping the entirety of their special teams while also adding players at positions with a few question marks heading into 2026.

While Texas still hasn't addressed some of its biggest needs, like running back, offensive line, or linebacker, that's not to say that the Longhorns haven't been trying to do so, as with one recent player who entered the transfer portal, Texas is seen as a team to watch for that player.

Texas Linked with Wisconsin Offensive Line Transfer

Texas Longhorns Football Joe Brunner Transfer Portal — Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Brunner (56) blocks for running back Gideon Ituka (10) during the third quarter. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday evening, according to a report from Badger Blitz's Evan Flood on X, Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman redshirt-junior Joe Brunner decided to officially enter the transfer portal and, in the same post, mentioned that the Longhorns are a school to watch, alongside the Indiana Hoosiers.

The six-foot-five, 300-pound offensive lineman is one of the most experienced players available in the transfer portal. Brunner has spent the past four seasons with the Badgers. Over the course of his tenure in Madison, the offensive lineman made a total of 39 appearances.

Brunner has found his form in the past two seasons in 2024 and 2025, where he has become a two-year starter on the offensive line for the Badgers. In total, the offensive lineman has made 24 consecutive starts for Wisconsin, primarily in the interior of the unit at left guard.

2025 was undoubtedly Brunner's best season, in which he started all 12 games for Wisconsin on his way to earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention for his play.

The offensive lineman recorded four consecutive games with PFF pass blocking grades above 80.0 against some of the top teams in the Big Ten, posting those performances against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, and Indiana Hoosiers.

The Longhorns should undoubtedly be a team of note with Brunner now in the transfer portal, as they currently find themselves in immediate need of a plug-in starter on the interior of the offensive line, with both starting right guard DJ Campbell and left guard Cole Hutson out of eligibility after this season.

Adding to that immediate need is that the Longhorns have lost several offensive linemen to the transfer portal who, although they were depth pieces this year, were likely going to have the chance to compete for a bigger role in 2026. In total, the Longhorns are set to lose four players on the o-line to the transfer portal in Nate Kibble, Daniel Cruz, Connor Stroh, and Neto Umeozulu.

All of the losses have made the offensive line one of the biggest needs in the transfer portal for the Longhorns, and a possible addition of Brunner would be a good first step in addressing that dire need with a player with plenty of starting experience in a physical conference like the Big Ten.