Transfer DT Jermayne Lole flips from OU to Texas
Texas addressed a significant need in the transfer portal and did so at the expense of its main rival. Louisville defensive tackle Jermayne Lole, who committed to Oklahoma in April, has flipped his pledge to the Longhorns.
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Lole helps address one of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian‘s chief complaints exiting the Orange-White Game. Immediately following the spring game, Sark lamented that depth on the line was not where it needed to be. Days later, his program added Bill Norton to join fellow transfer D-tackle Tia Savea. Now here in May, Texas has picked up a third transfer to join Kenny Baker‘s position group for the 2024 season.
The addition also takes a needed piece from rival Oklahoma, one of a number of teams who entered the crowded transfer DT market. The flip of Lole leaves Oklahoma with just Damonic Williams in their portal defensive tackle class.
Lole has one season of eligibility.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds by the Louisville Cardinals, Lole tallied 19 tackles with 5.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks during the 2023 season. He joined the Cardinals before the 2022 season and played two games before suffering a season ending injury.
He started his career at Arizona State, where he had 27 tackles in his freshman season in 2018 with 5.0 for loss and three sacks. He then had an uber-productive 2019 season, amassing 71 tackles, 10.0 TFL, and 6.5 sacks. He followed that up with an impressive 24 tackles with 5.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks in just four games in 2020.
His 2019 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus was 75.3. In four games in 2020, he posted a grade of 85.9. During the most recent season with Louisville, his defensive grade was 69.1 with a run defense grade of 70.8. PFF lists Lole with 221 B-gap snaps and 160 over tackle snaps in 2023.
Lole is ranked as the No. 556 player in the transfer portal and the No. 56 defensive lineman according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. On3 ranks Lole as the No. 64 defensive lineman.
Lole had chosen the Sooners over Washington, Texas A&M, and USC. Texas edged USC for the flip.
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Coming out of high school at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, Lole was ranked as the No. 814 overall prospect, the No. 82 defensive lineman, and the No. 81 player in California according to the 2018 On3 Industry Ranking.
