In just over five years, the NCAA transfer portal has had one of the largest impacts on collegiate sports, with hundreds of players across several sports and divisions choosing to seek out new opportunities at different universities.
Junior goalkeeper Mia Justus, one of Texas’s most notable players, began her athletic college career at Florida State. In her first year, Justus made the ACC All-Freshman Team with the Seminoles, even defeating the BYU Cougars 4-3 in the NCAA women’s College Cup final for a national championship.
After her sophomore season, Justus made the decision to join head coach Angela Kelly and the Longhorns.
“The coaching staff as well as the team culture is what attracted me the most,” Justus said. “The way that (Kelly), Ben (Munger) and Lee (Hughes) run a tight ship, I think is nice to be a part of.”
Since transferring to Texas, Justus has recorded career-high single-game stats of 23 shots faced, three goals allowed and nine saves. Coincidentally, this performance was against BYU, one of the new additions to the Big 12.
More often than not, the transition from schools — especially those within two different conferences — comes with adjustment periods.
Senior defender Abby Allen previously took the pitch with North Carolina, one of the greatest women’s soccer programs of all time. Allen’s experience with the Tarheels makes her a valuable veteran for Texas, having appeared in a College Cup and played the most minutes on her former team for two years in a row .
“The biggest thing coming from the ACC going into the Big 12 is just a different set of plays,” Allen said. “It helps that I’m from Texas, all throughout club I grew up playing the more physical athletic-style play.”
Allen has played in all but one game so far this season, contributing to wins over Long Beach State and SMU with a goal in each match for the Longhorns.
Junior midfielder Jilly Shimkin’s presence on the pitch is hard not to notice. Shimkin transferred from Penn State after her freshman year with the Nittany Lions. Since then, Shimkin has proven to be a true team player with the Longhorns.
The former 2021 five-star recruit saw major development after joining Texas. Compared to zero goals, three assists and 13 shots at Penn State, Shimkin’s breakout sophomore year saw seven goals, seven assists and 60 shots.
“Honestly, I’m so happy to be here,” Shimkin said. “I can take all the skills that I’ve learned throughout my years of high school and at my previous school and bring it into a great program like (Texas).”
Shimkin continues to show out in her junior year with four goals, seven assists and 54 shots already this season.
The contributions of Texas’s women’s soccer transfers have helped pave the way to an 11-4-2 record so far this season. Although the team’s main goal is to keep winning, it’s always important to make sure their new players feel welcomed to the family.
“I’m really enjoying my time here,” Justus said. “I’m enjoying my time with the girls. I have the same outlook on the game no matter where I am, but I definitely am enjoying playing here.”
