Elite linebacker Rasheem Biles transforms Texas's thin unit, bringing game-changing playmaking and defensive prowess after a standout Pitt career.
If urgency had a zip code this week, it would be Austin, Texas.
On back-to-back days, the Texas Longhorns hosted the top two linebackers in the NCAA transfer portal, a not-so-subtle signal that the staff knows exactly where the roster needs help.
Cal transfer Cade Uluave arrived first. Then Pittsburgh standout Rasheem Biles arrived, a player who checks just about every box Texas could ask for right now, and who now will wear burnt orange on Saturdays after committing to the Longhorns.
At 6-1 and 215 pounds with one year of eligibility remaining, Biles is the definition of a late bloomer who figured things out in a hurry.
Coming out of Pickerington Central near Columbus, Ohio, he was the classic tweener recruit. He played running back, wide receiver, and defensive back.
College coaches love versatility in theory, but recruiting departments love clean projections. Biles did not have one, and missing five games as a senior did not help.
The result was a three star ranking and a list of offers heavy on the MAC. Pitt took a chance. Texas now hopes to cash in.
Biles arrived at Pitt at roughly 180 pounds and needed time in the weight room before he could survive at linebacker. Early on, his biggest impact came on special teams, where he blocked three punts in limited snaps.
That should have been the first hint that something different was brewing.
By 2024, Biles exploded. He started nine games, piled up 82 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown, and led Pitt with nine pass breakups. He was not just active. He was everywhere.
Quarterbacks learned quickly that throwing over the middle was a bad idea.
Then came 2025, when Biles turned good into terrifying. He earned second-team All-ACC honors with 101 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two pick-6s, and a fumble returned for a score. Linebackers are not supposed to fill the stat sheet like that. Biles did it anyway.
Texas desperately needs that kind of production.
With Anthony Hill Jr. and Trey Moore headed to the NFL and Liona Lefau and Bo Barnes exiting via the portal, the linebacker room is thin and unproven.
Coverage is where Biles separates himself from most portal linebackers and where Texas was burned late last season.
The message from the Forty Acres is clear.
Texas is done patching holes. They are hunting difference makers. Now, Biles becomes an answer.