The transfer portal continues to affect local college football programs as more and more players pick their new destinations.
Former Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon has chosen to continue his career with the Texas Longhorns, and his former Arkansas teammate, Malik Hornsby, has committed to Texas State.
Catalon, a Mansfield (Texas) Legacy High School alum, is a former All-SEC player with 159 tackles and five interceptions in his career. He has only played in seven games the last two seasons combined due to injury but is considered an NFL-caliber player when healthy.
Hornsby, a former four-star recruit, was the fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback and 99th-ranked overall recruit in the class of 2020. He spent three years at Arkansas but only played in eight games — throwing 39 passes and making one start.
With starting quarterback KJ Jefferson returning for the 2023 season, Hornsby needed to find somewhere that would give him a chance for more playing time.
Baylor has started to land some transfers after a quiet start to transfer portal season. The Bears are now ranked 24th among transfer classes for 2023, according to 247 Sports, and have recently picked up commitments from former North Texas tight end Jake Roberts and former Michigan State kicker and Highland Park (Texas) native Jack Stone.
Roberts was a three-year starter at North Texas and finished the 2022 season with a career-high 394 yards and three touchdowns, while Stone was used as a long-range field goal and kickoff specialist in East Lansing.
The Bears also saw starting defensive back Al Walcott enter the portal and commit to Arkansas.
The University of Houston also picked up another transfer commitment on Tuesday in former Texas A&M linebacker Ish Harris.
Harris was the 50th-ranked player in the state of Texas out of Pilot Point High School in the class of 2022. He did not see the field for the Aggies as a freshman and became one of many to transfer from the program after the season.
Other than losing Roberts, things seem to have quieted a bit for North Texas. Quarterback Austin Aune, the oldest quarterback in the FBS, entered the portal last week and has since withdrawn to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Oklahoma currently owns the No.13 transfer class, according to 247 Sports, and has not obtained any further commitments this week. However, starting linebacker, David Ugwoegbu entered the portal on Tuesday. Ugwoegbu has been part of the starting lineup in Norman for four years and made a career-best 101 tackles this season.
Former SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai announced his transfer commitment to Wisconsin last week, meaning there will be a new starting quarterback for the Mustangs in the fall. Running back Tre Siggers has also entered the portal, but SMU still boasts the ninth-best transfer group in the country, according to 247 Sports, with 12 players joining the Mustangs through the portal.
TCU has also had a great start to the portal season, landing five players from elite programs and building the No.20 class, according to 247 Sports.
Texas A&M’s high volume of departures has been highly publicized as the Aggies have lost more players to the portal this offseason than any other school. The Aggies have only added three transfer commitments and have the 46th-ranked class, according to 247 Sports.
The Texas Longhorns brought in players like Ryan Watts, Agiye Hall, and Isaiah Neyor through the portal last offseason, and all were expected to play big roles in 2022. This year, Texas’s transfer class currently includes just three players and ranks 39th, while many players have also left via the portal — including Hall.
Catalon became the third commitment earlier this week.
Texas State has landed Hornsby and former Oklahoma defensive back Joshua Eaton to carry its transfer class. With a brand new coaching staff, the Bobcats are not expected to do much on the field this year, but those are two additions that can help lay a solid foundation for the program as highly-rated players seeking more opportunities on the field.
Texas Tech has added former Syracuse outside linebacker Steve Linton as the fourth transfer commit in its four-man class.
