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Arizona transfer DL Tiaoalii Savea takes visit to Texas

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•01/21/24•

ChandlerVessels

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Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Texas looks to be an early contender to land Arizona transfer defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Savea posted a few photos to Twitter on Sunday of himself in a Longhorns jersey from a recent visit he made to Austin.

Savea entered the transfer portal on Friday. He is one of several Wildcats to make the decision after coach Jedd Fisch left for Washington. Per NCAA rules, Arizona players are granted a 30-day window to enter the portal following a coaching change.

In two years with the Wildcats, Savea made 19 appearances. He played in 12 of Arizona’s games this season, tallying 22 tackles, six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. In his first season at Arizona, Savea recorded 14 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

The blocked field goal attempt helped Arizona upset No. 9 UCLA 34-28 at The Rose Bowl. In his lone season at UCLA, Savea saw action in 10 games, finishing the season with seven total tackles.

Tiaoalii Savea played high school football at Desert Pines (NV), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 263 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on Texas’ transfer portal situation

Texas has seen double the players transfer out (15) compared to transfer in (7) so far this offseason. However, it’s been a net positive for the Longhorns, who rank No. 14 overall and No. 4 in the SEC according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

Five of the seven transfer players that Texas has brought in rank among the top 50 in On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings. That includes former Alabama receiver Isaiah Bond, who comes in at No. 6 overall and No. 2 at his position. Bond was the Crimson Tide’s second-leading receiver this past season with 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns.

Texas is also in contention to land another top 50 transfer, former Washington cornerback Jabbar Muhammad. On3 predicts him to have a 99.9% chance of signing with the Longhorns.

The Longhorns are coming off of a 12-2 finish and appearance in the College Football Playoff this past season. They are set to join the SEC next season, so beefing up the roster through the transfer portal appears to be a top priority for coach Steve Sarkisian. If Texas can land Savea, it would be another big win in that regard.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.