Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are looking to add more defensive tackle depth after the spring NCAA Transfer Portal window closed early last week. But the options among proven defensive tackles in the portal are pretty limited at this point of the offseason.
Texas football “eyeing” Oregon transfer DL Johnny Bowens
Last week, the Longhorns missed on their top priority defensive tackle target in the portal, TCU Horned Frogs junior transfer Damonic Williams, when he committed to the Oklahoma Sooners.
Texas is now zoning in on another portal defensive tackle target late this spring. On3 reported on May 7 that Texas is a “school to keep an eye on” for the former Oregon Ducks freshman transfer defensive tackle Johnny Bowens III.
The Longhorns offered Bowens during his recruitment out of high school. He committed to Oregon over the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies in the fall of 2022.
The No. 32 transfer defensive tackle in the 247Sports Composite took 11 defensive snaps over three games for the Ducks during his true freshman campaign last fall. Bowens took seven defensive snaps late in the game in Oregon’s season-opening win at Autzen Stadium over FCS Portland.
He also took three defensive snaps in the Week 3 win over Hawaii and one snap in the win over Cal in Pac-12 play in Week 10. Bowens registered three combined tackles and three defensive stops.
Bowens has all four years of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-3 and 290-pound defensive tackle from Converse (TX) Judson High School ranked as the No. 212 prospect nationally in the 2023 class in the 247Sports Composite, No. 26 defensive lineman, and No. 37 from Texas.
Defensive tackle still a focus for Texas in the portal
Texas has already added two defensive tackles from the portal this offseason: Arizona grad transfers Bill Norton and Tia Savea. Norton and Savea joined new Texas co-DC/LB coach Johnny Nansen, who they were coached by at Arizona last season, to add defensive tackle depth for the Longhorns entering the SEC in 2024.
