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Which Texas Longhorns transfer will make the most impact? We rank the top 3.
While Texas’ transfer class is not as sizable with big names compared to last season’s Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and Andrew Mukuba, there are still new faces who will likely see immediate playing time.
The Longhorns are poised to lose its big guys in the trenches who were instrumental in a 13th-ranked run defense that limited its opponents to 109 yards per game last season. Much like last year, with the losses of Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat, Texas lost another round of interior defensive linemen, including Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, and Bill Norton. However, one of Texas’ weaknesses was its special teams, as the unit ranked 111th nationally in net punting yards (36.43).
Based on both positions of need and the caliber of the athletes, here are the top three impact transfers you should know going into spring football.
1. Travis Shaw, defensive tackle (North Carolina)
Shaw is a previous five-star lineman recruit whose potential remains largely untapped. Shaw has the size to be a Southeastern Conference defensive tackle — he’s listed at 6-feet, 5-nches tall and 330 pounds — and has three years of playing experience. As a true freshman, Shaw amassed 18 tackles and one pass breakup, but his numbers fell off during his sophomore and junior seasons. With a background in basketball, Shaw has the athleticism and hip flexibility to explode off the edge and disrupt the run game on the interior.
2. Cole Brevard, defensive tackle (Purdue)
Brevard’s transition should be seamless. With over 1,000 snaps of Big Ten football, Brevard brings experience and production in a competitive league. He’s not as big as Shaw at 6-feet3-inches tall and 335 pounds, but has recorded 38 total tackles, nine for loss and four sacks throughout his three seasons at Purdue. Before that, he redshirted for two years at Penn State, appearing in one game during his second season. While Shaw’s biggest value is in the run game, Brevard is a proven pass rusher and run-stopper. His name doesn’t carry the caliber of Shaw’s, but could be someone who blossoms under Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker’s tutelage.
3. Jack Bouwmeester, punter (Utah)
Bouwmeester is an Australian punter who was a three-year starter for the Utes and averaged 44.6 yards per punt in 2024, including 13 punts over 50 yards. His longest was 62 yards against UCF. Twenty-four of those punts resulted in fair catches. For context: Texas’ Michael Kern punted 41 times with an average of 41.6 yards per punt, including four over 50 yards. Bouwmeester was even better in 2023 with 19 punts over 50 yards and leading the Pac-12 with a 45.5-yard average to earn first-team conference honors and a spot as a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. The farther Texas can push teams back, the less work the defense has to do, and if the offense is shaky at first with Arch Manning under center, at least Bouwmeester can buy more time in field position.