Texas Targeting Top Transfer Portal Defensive Back Out of ACC

The Texas Longhorns are honing in on one of their top targets as they retool in the secondary for next season

Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Edwin Joseph (33) before the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns will have a lot of new faces on their roster next season, and two positions will look nearly entirely new. After seeing a mass exodus in their running back room and in the secondary, head coach Steve Sarkisian will be tasked with replacing that talent when the transfer portal opens next month.

One player, however, has started to separate himself from the others and could be one of the top secondary players for the Longhorns next season. Long-time Florida State Seminole Edwin Joseph, one of the top secondary players in the portal, has become the target for the Longhorns so far.

Landing one of the top portal entrants won't be easy, but if the Longhorns could land Joseph, it would bring valuable experience for what projects to be a young secondary room.

Just Looking to Play

Edwin Joseph intercepts a pass during FSU's matchup against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Oct. 11. | Emily Steward/FSView and the Florida Flambeau / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joseph is the number-three-ranked safety in the transfer portal, according to On3 Sports, and the number 55 player overall. After a productive three seasons and a tumultuous timeline with the Seminoles, though, Joseph is looking for somewhere that will give him the best shot at raising his stock ahead of the NFL Draft.

“I’m just looking for a place to fall in and play, develop for another year," Joseph said. Do what I have to do, and hopefully get drafted.”

The 2025 campaign was the most successful of Joseph's stay with the Seminoles, finishing with 37 tackles, 19 of them for solo tackles, five passes defended, one forced fumble, and coming up with the interceptions. The increase in production followed a breakout season in 2024, when he finished with 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and one interception, showcasing his capabilities during his redshirt freshman season.

Marcus Benjamin, an analyst for On3, reported that the Longhorns are one of the schools interested in adding the 6-foot, 200-pound defensive back. They will be competing against other SEC schools, though, including their bitter rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies, who have shown interest in the Tigers' transfer. Other SEC schools that have shown interest include the Georgia Bulldogs and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Joseph is yet to plan any visits, and with a short window opened for the transfer portal, it will be a hectic two weeks figuring out where he will call home for next season. For the Longhorns, he would be a massive addition to a position group that will need someone who can be productive and become a veteran leader for a young group around him.

The transfer portal will open on January 2 and remain open for two weeks, closing on January 16.