After losing five backs, Texas secures All-Big 12 talent Raleek Brown, injecting much-needed firepower and versatility into their backfield.
The portal combat that is going on in the octagon of college football is brutal.
The Texas Longhorns have lost five of their running backs to the transfer portal: Quintrevion Wisner, C.J. Baxter, Jerrick Gibson, Rickey Stewart Jr. and Colin Page. This has cost the Longhorns experience and depth at the position. But there is a beacon of light now emanating from the running back room on the forty acres.
Former Arizona State back Raleek Brown has committed to Texas.
As the No. 4-ranked running back in the portal, Brown led the Sun Devils with 1,141 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2025. He averaged 6.13 yards per carry. In addition, Brown caught 34 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
For his efforts, Brown was named first-team All-Big 12.
Brown posted four games of over 100 yards rushing, including 255 yards and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in a 42-17 win over Colorado.
At 5-foot-9, 195 pounds, Brown lacks size for the position, but he makes up for it with elite speed and quickness. He ran track in high school at powerhouse Mater Dei, where he recorded times of under 11.00 seconds in the 100 and 4.47 in the 40-yard dash.
As a team, Texas rushed for less than 2,000 yards in a season for the first time since 2017. Their output was 749 yards less than the 2024 season. Wisner led the Longhorns with 597 yards and three touchdowns. Baxter was hampered by nagging injuries. Gibson added 152 yards in spot duty. Page and Stewart were buried on the depth chart. Brown can certainly alleviate some of that lost production.
Texas failed to rush for 100 yards in four games in 2025, going 2-2 over that stretch. In losses to Florida and Georgia, they combined to rush for just 75 yards. But the Longhorns came on strong toward the end of the season, combining for 453 rushing yards and five touchdowns in wins over Texas A&M and Michigan to finish 10-3.
Adding Brown to the Longhorns backfield is a huge win for coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff. With his pass-catching ability, Brown gives Sarkisian another offensive weapon that opposing defenses must now account for. The Longhorns have answered the bell and are addressing their needs as the portal combat continues for another week. It remains to be seen if the Longhorns will have their hand raised as the king of the octagon.