Longhorns Transfer Portal Updates: Two Major Visits This Week
AUSTIN, Texas -- It's been a rocky ride for Texas Longhorns men's basketball this offseason as coach Rodney Terry continues to shape the roster ahead of his first full year at the helm.
There's certainly been the good.
Texas secured transfer commitments from guard Max Abmas and big man Kadin Shedrick while star forward Dylan Disu announced he'll return for next season. Tyrese Hunter has also said that he has no intentions of entering the portal and is still committed to Texas if his NBA endeavors don't work out.
But there's also been the hard-to-swallow bad.
Ron Holland, a five-star 2023 signee and projected starting forward next season, decommitted from the program unexpectedly on Friday. This came just two weeks after fellow five-star signee A.J. Johnson decommitted as well to pursue professional opportunities. The Longhorns now have zero commitments in the 2023 recruiting class.
And along with losing Marcus Carr, Sir'Jabari Rice, Timmy Allen and Christian Bishop due to eligibility, the Longhorns have also lost Arterio Morris and Rowan Brumbaugh to the transfer portal. Forward Dillon Mitchel declared for the draft while keeping his collegiate eligibility, but his return is much more uncertain than Hunter's.
But there could be some major roster additions on the horizon for Terry and crew, as the Longhorns are looking to persuade some talented transfers on visits this week.
Chendall Weaver, Guard, UT-Arlington
Weaver is making his official visit to the Forty Acres on Wednesday, as the Longhorns potentially inch themselves closer toward snagging the talented young guard.
The 2023 WAC Freshman of the Year, Weaver has become a primary target for Terry and staff, as Inside Texas has reported that the Longhorns are "all in" on him. However, the competition will be steep, as Weaver made an official visit to Texas A&M on Tuesday while also considering Texas Tech.
Weaver started in 25 of his 32 appearances as a freshman last season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and two assists on 44.2 percent shooting. His scoring averages don't tell the whole story though, as he scored in double figures in seven of his last 10 games this past season. This included a career-high 21-point effort against Sam Houston on Feb. 4, which began a six-game stretch of scoring at least 10 points.
At 6-3, 164, Weaver showed impressive ability on the boards as well, as he had 11 games with at least six rebounds and a 10-rebound game on Dec. 19 against San Francisco.
The Longhorns would potentially add their go-to sixth man off the bench by securing a commitment from Weaver.
Ze'Rik Onyema, Forward, UTEP
Onyema visited the Forty Acres this week as well. He played for Terry during RT's final year as head coach at UTEP during the 2020-21 season, so the connection there appears very real. A native of El Paso, Onyema was apart of Terry's 2020 recruiting class for the Miners.
This past season, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and shot 55.4 percent from the field in 31 starts. The Longhorns played UTEP in the season opener, coming out with a hard-fought 72-57 win at the Moody Center. But Onyema was a major reason the game was a bit closer than expected, as he led the Miners with a team-high 10 points to go along with four rebounds off the bench. This marked the only time he didn't start all season for coach Joe Golding.
Onyema has already visited Vanderbilt and is set to visit Ole Miss and Texas Tech as well. The Longhorns will be hoping that Onyema's familiarity with Terry helps put Texas in front of a race that appears competitive as of now.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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