Over the past four years, Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian have excelled in recruiting skilled players from the NCAA Transfer Portal to strengthen crucial positions on both offense and defense. In recent offseasons, Texas has prioritized quality over quantity, strategically targeting key transfers to enhance the roster.
Which former Texas football transfers turned into the biggest stars at other schools?
Over the past four years, the Longhorns are among a select few P4 programs that have never had 12 or more transfer portal commitments in a single cycle. The only time Texas reached double digits in portal additions was last year when Sarkisian and his staff brought in 12 transfers.
Under Sarkisian’s leadership, Texas has excelled in roster management and player development for the NFL Draft. It’s rare for the Longhorns to lose a key starter on either side of the ball to the transfer portal.
However, several talented players have transferred in search of larger roles at other FBS programs. With Texas boasting strong depth across all position groups, earning a spot on the two-deep has become increasingly difficult.
Here are the six best former Longhorns who have transferred from Texas in the past five years.
Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB
Ja’Quinden Jackson began his college career at Texas in 2020, redshirting due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility rules. He transferred to Utah before the 2021 season and made the switch to running back in 2022.
Jackson quickly emerged as one of the top freshman running backs in the P5 that season, establishing himself as a dynamic scoring threat for the Utes. He delivered standout performances, surpassing 100 rushing yards and scoring in key wins over Colorado and USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
The former Duncanville blue-chip recruit from the DFW Metroplex only continued to shine in his final two college seasons. Across his junior year at Utah and his senior season at Arkansas in 2024, Jackson totaled over 1,500 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
This past season, he formed one of the SEC’s most formidable QB-RB rushing tandems alongside quarterback Taylen Green, capping off his career with a personal-best 15 rushing touchdowns.
Keaontay Ingram, RB
Former Texas running backs coach Stan Drayton recruited Keaontay Ingram as a blue-chip prospect in the Longhorns’ 2018 signing class. Ingram made an immediate impact as a true freshman, rushing for over 700 yards and scoring five total touchdowns.
He took another step forward in 2019, surpassing 850 rushing yards and recording a career-high 10 total touchdowns. However, after playing six games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Ingram transferred to USC for his senior year.
In 2021, he posted a career-best season with over 900 rushing yards for the Trojans. His strong performance led to his selection in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
Logan Parr, G
Interior offensive lineman Logan Parr was among the talented players who transferred from Texas due to the high level of competition on the Longhorns’ offensive line. After spending three seasons in Austin, he transferred to SMU a couple of years ago.
Over the past two seasons, Parr stood out as the only starting guard with P4 experience who didn’t allow a single sack, according to PFF. Since arriving at SMU in 2023, he provided veteran leadership and stability to the Mustangs’ interior offensive line.
In 2024, Parr earned Third-Team All-ACC honors and was the most reliable pass protector for an SMU squad that reached the ACC Championship Game.
Jalen Catalon, S
Had he stayed healthy throughout his college career, safety Jalen Catalon could have been one of the top playmakers in the SEC over the past five years.
Catalon made an immediate impact as a Freshman All-American at Arkansas in 2020, but injuries sidelined him for multiple games every season from 2021 through his time at both Arkansas and Texas.
Last fall at UNLV, he had a strong bounce-back season, recording nearly 100 tackles and five interceptions. Now, he’s using his final year of eligibility to transfer to Mizzou for the 2025 season.
Maalik Murphy, QB
Quarterback Maalik Murphy played a crucial role as Texas’ backup in 2023, stepping in when Quinn Ewers suffered an upper-body injury. He led the Longhorns to two Big 12 victories, including a dramatic overtime win against a top-25 Kansas State team.
Following the season, Murphy transferred to Duke, where he won the starting job and had a breakout year. He threw for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns, guiding the Blue Devils to their first nine-win regular season in a decade.
Despite his impressive performance, Murphy opted not to stay with head coach Manny Diaz in Durham. Instead, he entered the transfer portal for the second straight offseason and is set to join Oregon State for the 2025 season.
Cameron Rising, QB
Cameron Rising was the first West Coast quarterback recruited by Tim Beck and former Texas head coach Tom Herman in the late 2010s. Along with fellow 2018 blue-chip signee Casey Thompson, Rising was expected to play a key role in the future of Texas’ quarterback room.
After spending his freshman season at Texas, he transferred to Utah in the 2019 offseason. Rising went on to lead the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 Championships and double-digit win seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Had it not been for recurring injuries over the past couple of years, Rising could have solidified himself as the best Utah quarterback of the 21st century. Despite missing nearly two full seasons, he still ranks fourth in career passing touchdowns and sixth in passing yards in Utah football history.
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