Texas had lofty ambitions coming into the 2025 season. Now the program would be happy only by keeping its key player in Austin. Steve Sarkisian’s camp has seen a lot of outgoing players, and the list is getting longer. Ahead of the Michigan game, after the majority of veterans from his unit decided to jump ship, an ace running back became the 19th player to announce his transfer portal decision.

Texas has seen QB Trey Owens and wide receivers DeAndre Moore decide to enter the portal. WR Aaron Butler did the same along with DL Connor Stroh and Melvin Hills III. Other names in the list include linebacker Liona Lefau, DB Santana Wilson, Derek Williams Jr, and kicker Will Stone. However, the attrition from the running back group is still the most concerning.

Veteran running back Quintrevion Wisner on Friday decided to enter the transfer portal. His decision comes after other RBs like Jerrick Gibson, CJ Baxter, and Rocky Stewart also announced their transfer portal decisions. Wisner’s leaving only adds to Texas’ run-game problems and puts even more pressure on Steve Sarkisian to figure out a solution fast.

Factor in that Texas is losing defensive end Ethan Burke, Jaylon Guilbeau, linebacker Anthony Hill, and Trey Moore to the NFL draft, and the team looks more hollow than ever. Plus, senior safety Michael Taffe is also losing eligibility in 2026.

“He was an absolute warrior,” Sarkisian said after the Lone Star Showdown. “We controlled the game and put them in some stressful situations because of how we were able to possess the ball.”

The decisions are more concerning ahead of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Michigan on 31st December. Wisner was the leader in the RB room, notching up 597 yards this year. Baxter and Gibson, on the other hand, accumulated 348 rushing yards combined. The production will need to come from somewhere, and RBs like Cristian Clark and James Simon haven’t shown that production on Wisner’s level yet.

Steve Sarkisian has promised to bring players through the portal to offset the losses. However, how far that would work is anyone’s guess. “An interior defensive lineman is something we’ll address in the portal, potentially a linebacker, potentially something in the secondary, potentially a running back,” said Sarkisian. “I mean, so there are needs there that we’re going to address.” The Longhorns’ run game already struggled massively in the 2025 season.

Texas is ranked 101st in rushing offense and has notched just 129.67 yards per game. Against the Gators’ D line, the team managed just 52 rushing yards, and the offensive line was unable to create holes for the run game. A similar case emerged against Kentucky when the rushing offense was hindered by glaring play-calling issues as the team was limited to just 47 yards. The 2025 season was also the first time we didn’t see a 1,000+ yard rusher in the Sarkisian era.

But what factors explain Texas’ ongoing attrition?

Factors leading to attrition at Texas

The RB room’s attrition can be explained by the Longhorns firing their RB coach, Chad Scott. The RB coach was fired on Tuesday, just a year after his arrival on the Forty Acres. In his place, Steve Sarkisian has now hired Gators’ running back coach Jabbar Juluke. With his arrival, the Longhorns might be hoping to land Gators veteran RB Jadan Baugh. Although he hasn’t yet decided to enter the portal.

Another factor for the attrition can be explained by the post-season fallout after missing the playoffs. The team ended its season with a 9-3 record, and the O-line struggled massively. Moreover, many still think Arch Manning isn’t what he was promised despite his late-season resurgence. So, with opportunities abound in the NIL era, jumping ship seems a no-brainer.

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Lastly, Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling wasn’t world-class either this year. The team lacked an offensive identity, over-reliance on conservative schemes, and widespread third-and-long situations. Couple it with redzone inefficiencies and Sark failing to adapt to personnel’s weaknesses. Owing to the woes, when calls were made about Sark giving up play-calling duties, the head coach remained adamant.

“Clearly, I’m not calling enough stuff for our guys to feel good about what we’re doing,” said Sarkisian. “No, because that’s why I got hired. I was a really good offensive coordinator.”

We saw the play-calling woes against Ohio State in the season opener when the offense turned over twice inside the 10-yard line. Other instances of the head coach’s weak calls abound. All signs then point to a trust deficit in Texas right now, and Sark might have to do more than tap into the portal and offset the transfers.