The Texas Longhorns missed out on securing another defensive tackle from the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday as former TCU Horned Frogs standout Damonic Williams opted to commit to the Oklahoma Sooners.
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After entering the portal shortly after the spring transfer window opened, Williams visited Austin as well as Oklahoma, Missouri, and LSU. Recent reports from Orangebloods suggested that Williams was aiming to maximize his NIL earnings, which the Longhorns were unlikely to match. Following Williams’ official visit to Texas last week, his representatives denied a report claiming Texas was the “clear leader,” and from that point on, the recruitment did not seem to lean in favor of the Longhorns.
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Ranked as the No. 103 player and the No. 10 defensive lineman in the portal by 247Sports, Williams was a consensus three-star prospect from Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany in the 2022 recruiting class. In the 247Sports Composite rankings, he was ranked as the No. 541 player nationally and the No. 77 defensive lineman. Williams chose TCU over 16 other offers, including Michigan, Penn State, USC, and Washington. He had taken an official visit to Cal and initially committed there before switching to the Horned Frogs on Early Signing Day in 2021.
Williams made an immediate impact upon joining TCU, starting 15 games and recording 27 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks as a freshman. In 2023, he notched 33 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.
After defensive tackle Jay Toia decided to return to UCLA despite visiting Texas for the Orange-White game, Williams was the lone remaining public transfer portal target for the Longhorns after Wildcats transfer Bill Norton committed in late April.
Coach Sarkisian emphasized that adding depth at the position remained a priority following the spring-ending scrimmage, but there are no other known targets at defensive tackle at the time of Williams’ commitment to the Sooners.
