The Texas Longhorns continue to be active in the NCAA transfer portal, hosting former Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Sterling Berkhalter on Thursday, according to reports.
On Friday, the news broke
that Berkhalter signed with the Longhorns.
The 6’3, 203-pounder just received a waiver for a sixth season of eligibility.
Berkhalter was an unranked prospect with an offer from Liberty out of Cincinnati (Ohio) Princeton in the 2020 recruiting class before spending a year at Georgia Prep Sports Academy, where he developed into one of the top prep prospects in the country and signed with North Carolina AT&T over 14 other offers, including continued pursuit from Liberty.
In Greensboro, Berkhalter started in three of his five appearances, recording seven receptions for 62 yards before starting 10 of 11 games in 2022, flashing some explosiveness with 28 receptions for 414 yards and two touchdowns, including three catches that went for 34 or more yards.
After transferring to Cincinnati, Berkhalter redshirted in 2023 while appearing in two games, then appeared in 12 games with 11 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown, an average of 17.4 yards per catch.
Berkhalter transferred again for the 2025 season, landing at Wake Forest for the most productive season of his career with 30 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns, including a 61-yard touchdown reception against Towson. Playing outside on more than 80 percent of his snaps for the Demon Deacons, Berkhalter was effective over the middle and on intermediate routes, as well as flashing strong ball skills with six contested catches on nine targets.
Berkhalter isn’t especially dynamic after the catch, only forcing seven career missed tackles on 78 receptions and averaging 4.8 yards after the catch in 2025, but he does raise the floor for the Texas wide receiver room this season.
After Texas lost DeAndre Moore Jr. and Parker Livingstone to the portal, the Horns were able to land star transfer Cam Coleman, and added more depth at the position with Berkhalter capable of providing an experienced option on the outside if Kaliq Lockett doesn’t develop into a rotation player in 2026.
