Texas DL Sydir Mitchell enters transfer portal for second time this cycle

Texas defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell has entered the NCAA transfer portal for the second time this transfer cycle, On3 has learned.

Mitchell announced on Dec. 11 that he would be entering the portal before reversing course the following day and deciding to stay with the Longhorns. Now, he’s re-opening his recruitment. Despite the announcement, Mitchell never officially entered the portal, which made it it appear as though he would return to Austin for a third season in 2025.

Instead, he’ll go forward with the portal decision he originally made last week and find a new home in college football.

Mitchell, a redshirt freshman, has played in nine career games and compiled seven tackles over that span. The 6-foot-6, 340-pound defensive lineman will have three years of college eligibility remaining. He’s appeared in eight games throughout his two seasons in Austin, including just four in 2024 to secure a redshirt.

He struggled to crack the Texas playing rotation through his first two seasons in Austin, managing just four total tackles and just a half-tackle for loss in 2024.

Before college, Mitchell was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 233 overall prospect, the No. 26 defensive lineman, and the No. 4 player in New Jersey.

The portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. More than 2,800 FBS scholarship players entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer database during the 2023-24 school year. Removing those who withdrew or went pro, the final total sat at 2,707 transfers.

That means roughly 25 percent of all FBS scholarship players hit free agency in one year, per On3’s Pete Nakos.

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.