IT Today: Biggest transfer additions, losses in the Big 12

Welcome to Inside Texas Today! Every weekday, Inside Texas Today will provide the latest on Texas Longhorns sports from around the Forty Acres. This morning, a look at the biggest additions and losses via the transfer portal for each Big 12 team ahead for the 2022 season.

Here’s the Thursday, May 5, 2022 edition.

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Texas

Biggest addition: Quinn Ewers
Biggest loss: Terrence Cooks

There’s no doubt the addition of Ewers to the Texas roster in December changed the trajectory of Texas’ 2022 season. He likely made Texas a destination for other transfers on the offensive side of the ball for the upcoming season, and increased the quality of the quarterback room.

However, Texas’ linebacker situation is not particularly great at the current moment aside from the top two or three. Though he didn’t see a lot of time last year, Cooks was seen as a prospect who had a high ceiling at the position.

Baylor

Biggest addition: Josh White
Biggest loss: Gerry Bohanon

Baylor picked up a quality linebacker for Dave Aranda’s defense in the form of White. Aranda leveraged a pre-existing relationship with the LSU transfer to get him to Waco to be a part of a formidable Bear defense.

Though Baylor reportedly chose Blake Shapen to be the starting quarterback, the Bears still lose a quality, experienced quarterback in Bohanon. He would have been a solid backup plan for Shapen, who is listed at 6-foot-0, 192 pounds. Bohanon would have been an excellent backup plan, but Aranda made his move in the spring to go with what was on the roster.

Iowa State

Biggest addition: MJ Anderson
Biggest loss: Isheem Young

Anderson provides some depth and a scheme fit for Iowa State’s system, but the loss of Young means a loss of a key cog in that system. Young was co-defensive freshman of the year for the Cyclones in 2020, and recorded 55 tackles and two interceptions last year in 12 games as the middle safety in the Cyclone defense. He elected to transfer to Ole Miss.

Kansas

Biggest addition: Kalon Gervin
Biggest loss: Steven Parker

The Jayhawks added an experienced Mel Tucker defensive back via the portal, but lost a Texas high school football product and defensive pass rusher in Parker.

Kansas State

Biggest addition: Adrian Martinez
Biggest loss: Marvin Martin

The Texas game last year should have made it obvious to K-State that there was no clear heir to Skyler Thompson, who was just selected in the NFL draft. When Martinez decided to leave Nebraska, he didn’t have to look too far to find his next destination.

Though Martin was relatively green, he made an impact on special teams for the Cats and was likely to be part of the defensive backfield rotation.

Oklahoma

Biggest addition: Dillon Gabriel
Biggest loss: Caleb Williams

No team was likely affected more by the transfer portal than Oklahoma. Among several losses was the most important one in former five-star Caleb Williams, who followed Lincoln Riley to USC.

Needing a quarterback for the 2022 season, Brent Venables snatched Gabriel, a scheme fit in the Jeff Lebby offense, from UCLA just days before Gabriel was set to enroll in Westwood.

Oklahoma State

Biggest addition: Casey Collier
Biggest loss: Tanner McCalister

The Cowboys gain a tackle candidate in the form of Collier, whose sister played basketball for Texas. The loss of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was accentuated when McCalister, one of his top charges, went to Ohio State with him.

TCU

Biggest addition: Terrence Cooks
Biggest loss: Ochaun Mathis

Texas’ loss was TCU’s gain, as Cooks stayed within the conference to play for a Big 12 rival. However, Mathis, arguably the most sought-after defender in the transfer portal, left the TCU defense for Nebraska after several All-Big 12 seasons.

Texas Tech

Biggest addition: Baylor Cupp
Biggest loss: …

Tech may have had the best offseason in the Big 12. It was good news after good news after good news, and no major contributors left Joey McGuire’s program. They added Cupp, who had faced injury problems in the past, but has an immense amount of potential.

West Virginia

Biggest addition: JT Daniels
Biggest loss: Akheem Mesidor

Not only did WVU gain a top offensive coordinator in Graham Harrell, they also grabbed a former five-star in Daniels. After Stetson Bennett grabbed hold of the UGA starting quarterback job, Daniels sought an offense that offered some sense of familiarity. There will be a lot of USC lookbacks in that room.

Mesidor recorded 38 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the Mountaineers last year before electing to transfer closer to home.