Who entered the Texas football portal, and how will this affect the team’s chances in the College Football Playoff? Following the Super Bowl defeat.
The Texas secondary suffered a blow Monday evening when two defensive backs entered their names in the transfer portal and will not compete in the College Football Playoff. Let’s take a look at who left and what it means for the Longhorns when they face Washington in a CFP semifinal on January 1 in New Orleans.
Who is leaving the University of Texas football program?
Safety Jalal Catalon will leave Texas after only one season, and second-year cornerback X’Avion Brice will also leave after recording two tackles and a pass breakup in four career games. Catalon, a graduate transfer from Arkansas, started the season as the starter, but injury woes have limited him to just 17 tackles in eight games.
What impact will these departures have on Texas’ chances in the CFP semifinals?
Brice was not a starter at cornerback or a key contributor on special teams. A healthy Catalon, on the other hand, could have helped the safety rotation, especially since freshman Derek Williams Jr. will miss the first half of the Sugar Bowl against Washington due to his targeting ejection against Oklahoma State in last week’s Big 12 championship game.
Catalon’s playing time had decreased since his injury against Oklahoma on Oct. 6. He didn’t play again until the Nov. 18 game against Iowa State, and he didn’t play at all against Oklahoma State. Third-year sophomore Michael Taaffe has taken Catalon’s place in the starting lineup alongside senior Jerrin Sanders, and Williams and fellow freshman Jelani McDonald have also seen increased playing time.
In the Sugar Bowl, the Texas secondary will face Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a Heisman Trophy finalist who has thrown for 4,218 yards and 33 touchdowns this season.
