Will he stay or will he go now?
After a report emerged from Inside Texas on Thursday morning that redshirt freshman nickel back Wardell Mack plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal in January, the program had to put word out that Mack is expected to remain on the Forty Acres.
The questions about Mack’s future come as as head coach Steve Sarkisian holds exit meetings with players
following the conclusion of the regular season with seven players set to depart the program as of Thursday morning.
A 6’0, 184-pounder from New Orleans (La.) John Ehret, Mack signed with Texas as a member of the 2024 recruiting class after flipping from Florida in November. Mack also held offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among others, before finishing the cycle as a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 149 player nationally and the No. 19 cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Mack played 25 snaps across four games in 2024, recording two tackles and an interception in his debut against Colorado State.
In 2025, Mack suffered two setbacks — the arrival of freshman Graceson Littleton, who won the starting nickel job over Mack, and a DWI arrest in the days following the loss to Ohio State that also included a drug charge that was later dropped.
The charge resulted in Mack not seeing action in the Week 2 win over San Jose State before making six appearances and playing 73 snaps, recording four tackles while allowing six receptions for 56 yards on eight targets.
Beyond the arrest, the concerning development for Mack’s future was his inability to find a role on special teams, playing four snaps on kickoff coverage in blowouts. If Mack does remain on the Forty Acres, Littleton’s presence at nickel back will block playing time unless one of them moves to cornerback, but for now, Mack still has a chance to reach his potential with the Longhorns.
