Texas offers UNLV transfer LB Jacoby Windmon

The Texas Longhorns extended an offer on Thursday to former UNLV Rebels rising senior linebacker Jacoby Windmon, who entered the NCAA transfer portal four days ago.

A 6’2, 230-pounder from New Orleans, Windmon was ranked in the 2,000s nationally in the 2019 class with offers from schools like South Alabama, Nicholls State, and Southeastern Louisiana, although hometown Tulane also offered him.

During Windmon’s first two seasons in Las Vegas, he played on the edge, recording 12 tackles with one start as a freshman and then leading the Rebels in sacks with five in 2020 and adding 39 tackles in only six games.

During spring practice this year, he moved from the edge to inside linebacker and turned in a massively productive season, leading the team with 119 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks with two forced fumbles.

When he was outside, his best attributes as a pass rusher were his violent hands and ability to use his leverage — he was listed at 6’1 out of high school and 6’2 at UNLV, but might be closer to 6’0 — to get under the pads of opposing offensive linemen and displace them. As an inside linebacker, those heavy hands helped him beat blocks at the second level, one of the biggest issues with the 2021 linebacker corps for Texas.

Windmon’s versatility to produce at different positions makes him a strong fit in the multiple schemes that defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski seemingly lacked the trust or continuity with his players to use in games this year.

And that combination of versatility and production has made Windmon one of the hottest commodities in the transfer portal — on Thursday alone, he picked up offers from Louisville, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, and Houston. Since Windmon entered the portal, Minnesota, Iowa State, Indiana, and Kansas State have also extended offers.

So expect his second recruitment to continue to take off, but Texas may be a strong contender because there’s the potential for playing time and proximity to his home in Louisiana, but especially because Texas analyst Cordae Hankton served as the defensive coordinator for Windmon at Ehret High School in 2018.

With the fit and that special connection, the Longhorns may actually be the early favorite to land Windmon — this just makes too much sense for both sides.