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As the Texas Longhorns football program practice for the first time since before last year’s Alamo Bowl, the news broke that redshirt freshman defensive lineman Myron Warren entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to Chris Hummer of 247Sports and later confirmed by other outlets.
A 6’2, 290-pounder from Many, Louisiana, Warren was an early TCU commit who received a Texas offer during his breakout senior season and joined the 2019 Longhorns class after taking an official visit to Austin.
After compiling 85 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks as a senior, Warren finished as a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 17 strong-side defensive end nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings and came to Austin as a raw athlete with high upside.
Warren redshirted during his freshman season and was set to enter preseason camp in a crowded group of players challenging for a spots in the rotations at strong-side defensive end and three-technique defensive tackle in new defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s four-down scheme.
The last preseason depth chart projected that nine players are competing at those two positions, and that’s without including the possibility that redshirt sophomore Keondre Coburn and sophomore T’Vondre Sweat could pair together in some combination at nose tackle and the three technique.
Texas also signed two big-time defensive line prospects in 2020 in Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton, both around Warren’s weight and projected to compete at the same two positions. Those newcomers drew some public praise from head coach Tom Herman during Friday’s media availability for looking the part of future impact players.
Even with the depth there, though, if Warren does depart the program, he’ll become the second recent Louisiana defensive line signee with plenty of upside to depart Austin quickly after Mike Williams transferred to LSU after one semester at Texas.