Linkin Garcia is a rising sophomore considered a strong 2027 MLB Draft prospect.
LUBBOCK - Texas Tech shortstop Linkin Garcia has signed with the Texas Longhorns out of the transfer portal.
Garcia, a 6-5 freshman from Newport Beach, Calif., was one of the best freshman in the country in 2025. He hit .342 with four home runs and 51 runs batted in his first collegiate season.
That production has earned the first-team All-Big 12 selection the attention of scouts at the next level.
The Longhorns' future infielder was tabbed the No. 63 overall prospect among those eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft pool by Baseball America. The publication also included Garcia in its Top-25 Freshmen list for the 2026 season.
He joins the Longhorns with three years of eligibility remaining.
Garcia posted a photo on Instagram of him decked out in burnt orange, with the caption reading, "Longhorns nation let's ride."
Some reports suggest Garcia will play third base for the Longhorns, as he comes with experience at both spots on the left side of the infield.
The announcement comes as Texas is preparing to appear in the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in the Jim Schlossnagle era. The No. 6-seeded Horns will host No. 11 Oregon this weekend at Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
And on the softball diamond, Garcia's announcement comes on the same day the Longhorns and Red Raiders will face off in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Women's College World Series championship for the second year in a row.
Last year, the Horns won Game 3 10-4 to claim their first national championship. Mike White's Longhorns return a star-studded lineup that includes All-Americans Reese Atwood and Teagan Kavan from that team, but the Red Raiders' breakout 2025 year has continued with a monster transfer portal class that joined forces with superstar NiJaree Canady and has racked up 60 wins on the season.
Oh yeah, and on the gridiron, this in-state rivalry is combusting with extreme levels of social media toxicity as football coaches Steve Sarkisian and Joey McGuire tussle in the media over Texas Tech's weak Big 12 schedule, to which McGuire has pushed for the Longhorns to step up to the plate (back to baseball for a metaphor) and work out a Week 1 meeting.
Texas Tech had an underwhelming season on the baseball diamond as fans began questioning the future of longtime head coach Tim Tadlock. Those woes have continued into the offseason with the Red Raiders losing their prized young talent.
The Longhorns and Red Raiders' rivalry is only expected to continue once we turn the calendar and prepare for the start of the 2027 baseball season, though it's unlikely the teams will see each other.
