A promising offensive tackle bolts Aggieland for Austin, igniting another fiery chapter in the storied Texas rivalry.
Texas A&M’s offseason roster reshaping took an uncomfortable turn this week as true freshman offensive tackle Jonte Newman entered the transfer portal and landed with the program’s most familiar adversary, the Texas Longhorns.
Newman, a Cypress Bridgeland product, originally signed with the Texas A&M Aggies as part of the 2025 recruiting class, choosing the Aggies over Texas when he committed in December 2024.
Less than a year later, that decision has flipped, adding another layer of intensity to an already heated Lone Star Showdown rivalry.
The move was first reported by On3 insider Hayes Fawcett, who noted that Newman will arrive in Austin with four full years of eligibility remaining.
At 6-6 and 315 pounds, Newman brings the kind of frame that keeps offensive line coaches intrigued, even if the on-field production hasn’t arrived yet.
Newman’s time in College Station was limited during his freshman season. He appeared in just two games, logging seven total snaps against Samford and Auburn before preserving his redshirt.
While he never cracked the regular rotation, his recruiting pedigree and physical tools made him a developmental piece the Aggies hoped to mold over the next few seasons.
From an A&M perspective, this loss underscores the reality of the modern transfer portal era.
Young players who haven’t yet found their footing are often the most vulnerable to movement, especially when depth charts remain unsettled.
Losing a former four-star lineman is frustrating on its own; losing him to Texas amplifies the sting.
For the Longhorns, Newman represents a low-risk depth addition as they continue stacking bodies up front. Texas is prioritizing offensive line depth after narrowly missing the College Football Playoff last season, and Newman becomes another long-term project with upside rather than an immediate plug-and-play solution.
For the Aggies, the takeaway is less about one player and more about the broader challenge of roster management in the SEC.
Developmental prospects can quickly become portal targets, and rival programs are always watching.
Newman may not have played a major role yet, but in today’s college football landscape, even unfinished pieces can turn into rivalry flashpoints.