Why the Texas Longhorns Should Pursue This Florida State Standout Transfer

The Texas Longhorns could find their next lockdown corner in the transfer portal from the ACC

Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles safety Earl Little Jr. (0), defensive back Ashlynd Barker (27), defensive back Edwin Joseph (3), and defensive back Ja'Bril Rawls (11) celebrate after an interception during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The beginning of the season is near, and while some teams will continue playing as the College Football Playoff approaches, others are shifting their focus to improving for next season. With the new one-time transfer portal rules, which open on January 2, many teams will have a clearer idea of the positions they need to replace and who to replace them with.

That includes the Texas Longhorns, which have been on the wrong end of players leaving. Whether the departures are due to taking their talent to the NFL or shocking transfer portal additions, they have taken a hit. No spot has felt the brunt of it more than the secondary for the Longhorns, either, but a solution might have just happened.

Standout cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls entered the transfer portal from the Florida State Seminoles, and he could be an early answer to their secondary concerns for the 2026 season.

Reloading With Experience

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) celebrates after he intercepts a pass from Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (not pictured) during the second half at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Longhorns roster, even despite their departures from the program at the end of the regular season, is still littered with talent. That's the one thing there is no shortage of, especially in the secondary; however, they lack meaningful game experience. With a relatively young roster next season, depending on how they handle the transfer portal, Rawls could be an answer to their positional needs and lack of experience.

Rawls was in Tallahassee for three seasons, ranked as a three-star recruit out of high school. He sat out his freshman season developing. In 2024, he began to make an impact, playing in 11 games under head coach Mike Norvell and finishing the season with 14 tackles. This season, though, he became a revelation for a Seminoles defense that lacked any meaningful fire under them.

During the 2025 campaign, he logged 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one interception, and one fumble recovery. Despite only playing in seven games due to a lingering injury, he logged the 10th most snaps on the team, proving to be not only a playmaker but a lockdown corner who plays with physicality for the Seminoles.

While there is still no clear path for what the Longhorns' secondary could look like next season, adding a player of Rawls' ability, with two years of eligibility remaining, would only bolster a position group that could use a player with valuable in-game experience.

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