According to multiple reports, safeties Jerrin Thompson and Kitan Crawford announced their departure for the NCAA transfer portal on Friday, after each spending four years on the Forty Acres. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both have one year of eligibility remaining and will look to use the portal to have a more productive season next year.
Thompson’s absence means the Texas secondary will be missing a key player, as he made 38 tackles, broke seven passes, and caught three interceptions this season, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Thompson was mentioned by head coach Steve Sarkisian as one of the players who believed in his plan from the beginning and have seen it come to fruition.
“I just felt like it was important to be authentic early on,” Sarkisian explained. “Fast forward now three years later, those guys that are still on our team today that were here three years ago all of those guys were critical: Jordan Whittington, T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, Xavier (Worthy), Jerrin Thompson, Jahdae Barron.”
Crawford recently had a breakout season in 2022, after only having five tackles the year before and finishing his third year with a career-high of 25 tackles after switching from cornerback to safety. This season, the Texas native continued to produce, recording 24 tackles and his first career interception against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship game.
Senior defensive tackle DeAngelo Carter, also known as Trill, who only played for Texas for one season, is another notable player entering the portal. Carter, who transferred from Minnesota in 2023, had nine tackles, one and a half tackles for loss, and one sack as a Longhorn. Despite being overshadowed by the efforts of Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat, Carter was expected to be the next in line for a starting spot, but he will now also be utilizing the portal to capitalize on his one year of eligibility remaining.
With so many key players leaving Texas, the safety room will be brimming with new faces by 2024. The Longhorns have already lost several defensive backs, including Jalon Catalon, Larry Turner-Gooden, BJ Allen, and X’Avion Brice, leaving Sarkisian with big shoes to fill with recruits.
The Texas defense, on the other hand, has already found commits through the portal, including Clemson transfer and safety Andrew Mukuba. Sarkisian’s recruiting tour also included former Florida commit and No. 2 safety recruit in the country, Xavier Filsaime. The McKinney native wants to be on a team of athletes “who want to win,” according to 247Sports’ Mike Roach.
