In the biggest potential developmental loss for the Texas Longhorns since the winter window opened for the NCAA transfer portal last week, rising redshirt freshman linebacker Bo Barnes is expected to depart the Forty Acres, according to Wednesday reports.
The 6’1, 244-pounder has four seasons of eligibility remaining.
A major coup in the 2025 recruiting class at one of the biggest positions of need, Barnes committed to Texas early in the cycle and took his only official visit to Austin. Barnes held more than 30 offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, and others. A consensus four-star prospect, Barnes was ranked as the No. 68 player nationally and the No. 4 linebacker, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
With a sub-11 100-meter time as a junior at Dallas Skyline, Barnes arrived at Texas with a rare blend of size and speed for the inside linebacker position. As a true freshman, Barnes was behind a handful of experienced players on the depth chart, including Anthony Hill Jr., Liona Lefau, Trey Moore, and Ty’Anthony Smith, playing 24 snaps over three games.
When Hill and Moore opted out of the Citrus Bowl to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and Lefau left the program to enter the portal, however, Barnes had an opportunity to receive more playing time against Michigan, seeing the field for 19 snaps and flashing with three solo tackles, including a sack that showcased his elite closing speed.
But in a reflection of why Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian canceled last year’s Orange-White game out of concern that the annual spring-ending scrimmage would turn into portal film, the plays that Barnes made in the Citrus Bowl increased his asking price this offseason to a number that Texas was not willing to match.
And although rising redshirt junior safety Derek Williams Jr. became the first player during the Sarkisian era to enter the portal before withdrawing and returning to the Forty Acres, the odds of Barnes deciding against departing seem low, increasing the need at inside linebacker for the 2026 season.
