AUSTIN -- Three Texas underclassmen, including Texas High graduate Derrick Brown, will enter the transfer portal April 15 when the 15-day window for entry begins.
Rivals.com was the first to report on Wednesday.
Sophomore wide receiver Brenan Thompson, redshirt freshman edge defender Brown and redshirt freshman linebacker Trevell Johnson informed coach Steve Sarkisian of their decision to transfer three days before the Longhorns' Orange-White spring game at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
A former Under Armour All-American and state champion sprinter at Spearman, Thompson appeared in nine games last season and recorded one catch for 32 yards. Thompson was a four-star recruit and the 20th-ranked wideout in the 202 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings.
Despite his tantalizing skill and speed, Thompson didn't have a clear pathway to playing time in 2023. Texas is well-stocked at wideout with Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, Adonai Mitchell, Isaiah Neyor, Johntay Cook II and Casey Cain, among some others.
Brown did not play in 2022. He was a four-star recruit at Texas High, who ultimately committed to Texas over Baylor after narrowing his list of suitors down to those two.
Like Brown, Johnson did not see any game action as a true freshman. The 5-foot-11, 199-pound linebacker was coming off a hip injury that prevented him from playing as a senior at Arlington Martin. A a rising junior in 2020, Brown tallied 109 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback pressures.
Texas could look to bolster its depth at linebacker and on the edges following those losses, though the Longhorns did well in the 2023 cycle with the signing of top-ranked linebacker Anthony Hill, four-star edge rushers Colton Vasek and Derion Gullette and four-star linebacker Liona Lefau.
There will likely be some more attrition in the coming weeks with the portal open from April 15 to 30. And Texas should be active as it looks to bolster its own depth.
"We don't look at it from a developmental perspective," Sarkisian said Tuesday. "We don't look at it from a luxury perspective. We look at it because we feel like there's a potential need there. I like building our program from the foundation, from the ground up. And I think not only is that physical development, I that's cultural development and getting guys buying into who we are and what we do.
"But sometimes things come up at a specific position. And now all of a sudden there feels like there could be a potential void. So you're trying to create some depth and opportunity there."
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