Nobody has been immune to heartbreak since the college football transfer site launched in 2018, and the Texas Longhorns are no exception.
Over the last six years, the Horns have lost 101 players to the portal, thanks in large part to the program’s rotating door of head coaches.
Which ten players have left Austin and were the most heartbreaking losses for Texas fans?
2019 transfer portal – 10 departures
- Bru McCoy – five-star WR – to USC
- Cameron Rising – three-star QB – to Utah
While neither Bru McCoy nor Cam Rising played for the Longhorns, they were highly recruited out of high school and had made significant commitments to Texas.
Both McCoy and Rising were expected to excel in college, as they later demonstrated, and were significant losses for the Horns when they entered the transfer portal.
Rising moved to Utah and totaled 5,572 throwing yards and 46 touchdowns. McCoy transferred to USC and spent one season with the Trojans before transferring to Tennessee. He is currently listed as active on the Vols’ roster for 2024.
2021 transfer portal – 15 departures
- Keaontay Ingram – three-star RB – to USC
- Juwan Mitchell – three-star LB – to Tennessee
Keaontay Ingram was scheduled to be the next man up in the Texas running back room. Ingram rushed for 1,811 yards over three seasons for the Horns before moving to the USC Trojans.
In 2021 at USC, Ingram had 911 yards and 5 touchdowns, as well as 156 receiving yards.
Juwan Mitchell made 101 total tackles for Texas before leaving for the Volunteers and then the Colorado Buffaloes. Mitchell played three seasons of college football after leaving Texas, totaling 80 tackles, three pass deflections, and one interception.
2022 transfer portal – 23 departures
- Marcus Washington – four-star WR – to Nebraska
- Tyler Owens – five-star S – to Texas Tech
Marcus Washington is an athlete through and through, and he was expected to be the Horns’ best receiver. As a reserve wide receiver in 2021, Washington has 277 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Tyler Owens struggled to establish himself as Texas’ No. 1 safety, but if patience had been his virtue, he could have been an invaluable addition to the Horns. After moving to Texas Tech, Owens recorded 56 career tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
2023 transfer portal – 20 departures
- Brenen Thompson – four-star WR – to OU
- JD Coffey – four-star S – to SDSU
Following somewhat successful seasons with the Longhorns, wide receiver Brenen Thompson and safety JD Coffey were both ranked as four-star transfers in the 2023 portal.
Thompson had only 7 receptions for Oklahoma in 2023, but he gained 241 yards, averaging 34.4 per catch, and two touchdowns.
Coffey made 12 total tackles for the San Diego State Aztecs last season and was an important part of SDSU’s defense.
While Coffey and Thompson haven’t broken any records since departing the Horns, they would’ve been valuable assets on either side of the ball.
2024 transfer portal – 24 departures
- Isaiah Neyor – three-star WR – to Nebraska
- Austin Jordan – four-star CB – to TCU
Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian recently acquired a large number of players through the transfer portal, but they also lost 24 former Longhorns. The Horns’ greatest losses this offseason have been wideout Isaiah Neyor and cornerback Austin Jordan.
While neither guy was going to be the go-to player at their respective positions, they would have made excellent No. 2s for Texas as it enters the SEC.
In 2023, after transferring from Wyoming, Neyor had only one reception for 14 yards. Jordan, who played two years for Texas, recorded 11 total tackles and one interception.
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