Texas draws Three of a Kind at defensive tackle for first portal window
The portal number at defensive tackle has danced between three and four. We heard four before they extracted Justus Terry from Georgia, and then we heard three. Once Sydir Mitchell went into the portal—for real this time—the number was back to four.
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While we have long stated that elite defensive tackles are nearly impossible to find in the portal, especially ones without significant baggage, you can find experienced pieces who elevate the group from “we’re in trouble” to “we’re okay.”
Last spring, IT reported the defensive staff felt good about defensive tackle. That was largely due to Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. Depth was still an issue, so the staff added Jermayne Lole and Bill Norton in the spring portal. Those four played the bulk of the snaps at D-tackle this past season. Losing that much talent with the starters and experience with the backups was certainly a concern. So what did the staff do? They got more aggressive in the first portal window.
Hero Kanu (Ohio State) joined Cole Brevard (Purdue) and Travis Shaw (North Carolina) on the Texas roster this morning. With only 229 career snaps, Kanu is the least experienced of the trio, though he’s about to enter his fourth year of college. Brevard has 1,084 career snaps. Shaw has 626 snaps.
Experience matters, but so too does the physical maturity that often accompanies experience. Kanu is listed at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds. If that’s accurate, he’ll play around 315 next year. The staff will build him up like it did Broughton. Brevard is 6-foot-3, 333 pounds. Shaw is 6-foot-5, 330 pounds.
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We know for sure that Texas has added experience and size, but the lingering question—one we’ll get a much better feel for this spring—is talent. However, because Brevard and Shaw have so many snaps under their belts, it’s not hard to find very promising tape of each. Brevard plays with quickness and pop out of his stance and does a good job of using his arm length to control the man across from him. Shaw, a former five-star, started playing like it more consistently this past year. He’s huge and athletic.
Kanu is still largely what he was as a recruit who was originally from Germany—intriguing. He has great length and baseline athleticism, but how close is he to putting things together? My working theory is that, like Broughton and Collins, he was about to step up at Ohio State after the departure of NFL players in front of him. I can’t say his 2025 will look like their 2024, but maybe his 2026 will. Indeed, Kanu having two years of eligibility might be the greatest part about this signing.
If you’ve followed Texas closely, you know the staff loves to rotate the big bodies. Three is not enough. That means they’ll seek a fourth addition in the spring portal while also looking to play the younger guys, specifically Alex January and Justus Terry. IT has shared very promising information on each of them of late.
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With the understanding difference-making defensive tackles are unicorns in the portal, this was a job well done by the Texas staff.
