Sophomore running back CJ Baxter Jr. and redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Owens both plan to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel and On3’s Hayes Fawcett, respectively.
Baxter’s and Owens’ announcements come less than a day after Texas failed to make the 2025 College Football Playoffs and was slated instead for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against No. 15 Michigan. After the bowl game announcement, head coach Steve Sarkisian noted that dealing with the future plans of some players — including the transfer portal and the 2026 NFL Draft — would be taken care of the next morning.
“Let’s make sure that we’re making really good, conscientious decisions with the right information, and not do anything out of emotion or frustration,” Sarkisian said. “That’ll be the process starting tomorrow.”
Baxter was limited to eight games this season while battling through a hamstring injury, running for just 196 yards on 54 carries. Sharing the backfield with junior Quintrevion Wisner, the run game turned out to be one of Texas’s primary struggles this season. As a current sophomore, Baxter has three more years of eligibility left.
Before he went down during the 2024 preseason camp with a season-ending ACL injury, Baxter ran for 659 yards and was the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2023, emerging as one of the most up-and-coming running backs in college football. During recruitment, Baxter was one of the top running back prospects in his 2023 class.
Owens, who served as a third-string quarterback through his two seasons at Texas, announced his plans to enter the transfer portal less than 30 minutes after Thamel reported Baxter’s announcement. A four-star recruit in the 2024 class, Owens appeared in two games behind now-Miami quarterback Quinn Ewers, redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning and senior quarterback Matthew Caldwell. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Owens should be a highly sought-after addition from the portal.
“After much prayer, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility remaining. This has been one of the toughest decisions in my life, but I believe it is the best decision for my family and I,” Owens wrote in his announcement on X. “To the Longhorn family, thank you for taking me in and providing me with a second family. I appreciate all the memories and fun times had here.”
The one-time transfer window opens Jan. 2, the day after CFP quarterfinals, and closes Jan. 16.
