Texas softball finally reached the mountaintop of college softball in 2025, winning the program’s first-ever national championship. Now, the Longhorns shift from chasing the peak to protecting their seat at the top. With that goal in mind, Texas has not remained complacent.
The Longhorns are losing six seniors from their 2025 roster. However, with the number of losses, head coach Mike White and staff have hit the ground running to find new pieces to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 season.
The Longhorns have gone into the transfer portal and found some key players, adding Arizona transfer Kaiah Altmeyer, Oklahoma State transfer Taylor Anderson and former Texas Tech pitcher Brenlee Gonzales.
Here’s a look at what each of the transfers could bring to the Longhorns team once they arrive on the Forty Acres.
Kaiah Altmeyer, senior utility
Altmeyer was a key player for the Arizona Wildcats last season as she earned an All-Big 12 Second Team selection and became an NFCA All-West Third Team honoree. She had a .365 batting average, five home runs and 55 RBIs, helping Arizona finish as runners-up in the Big 12 championship.
Altmeyer primarily played in the outfield for the Wildcats. In her three seasons, the senior played 74 games in right field, 18 in left and 13 in center. Altmeyer’s position flexibility could be key for Coach White next year as the Longhorns lose two of their biggest position players in Mia Scott and Joley Mitchell. Her experience in the outfield allows Coach White to reshuffle his defense and gives the Longhorns a veteran player to plug into the starting lineup.
Taylor Anderson, redshirt sophomore utility
As a freshman in 2024, Anderson contributed to an Oklahoma State team that went 49-12 and reached the Women’s College World Series. While she started sporadically throughout the season, appearing in 43 games but starting in just five, Anderson totaled four hits, one home run, two RBIs and four stolen bases on six attempts, adding more speed to the already speedy Texas lineup.
As a utility player, Anderson also brings position flexibility to the Longhorns. With three years of eligibility remaining, Coach White can count on Anderson in his plans for the future, and she has plenty of time to adjust and find a role within the Longhorns program.
Brenlee Gonzales, sophomore pitcher
The sophomore pitcher saw minimal action as a freshman, appearing in just 12 games with a single start. However, Gonzales showed promise in her 12.1 innings of action, posting a 2.84 ERA with 12 strikeouts.
Gonzales makes her way onto last season’s best pitching staff in the country, which combined for an ERA of 2.55 and 414 strikeouts. The addition of Gonzales brings an arm for the Longhorns, which is slated to bring back three out of the five players from last season’s rotation, as the Longhorns lose Mac Morgan and Sophia Simpson. The lefty also brings a change of pace to the rotation as the only left-handed pitcher on the roster, giving Texas a different look from the circle.
