Texas lands Alabama LB transfer Ben Davis

In a decision months in the works, the Texas Longhorns officially landed a commitment from former Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ben Davis on Monday.

The 6’4, 250-pounder entered the NCAA transfer portal in February following his redshirt senior season with the Crimson Tide and was mentioned in connection with the Longhorns for nearly two months before making his announcement.

Davis was the No. 10 prospect nationally and the No. 1 inside linebacker, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, when he was recruited by current Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis out of Gordo in Alabama as a member of the 2016 recruiting class.

The son of Alabama’s all-time leader in tackles, Davis struggled to get on the field in Tuscaloosa, redshirting as a true freshman and then appearing in one game during the 2017 season and two games as a sophomore. As a redshirt junior in 2019, Davis moved from inside linebacker to outside linebacker and played in 11 games with four tackles, including a sack against Mississippi State. In 2020, Davis played in 10 games on defense and special teams, recording three tackles.

With the Longhorns lacking depth at defensive end and outside linebacker, the hope is that Davis can finally fulfill his potential playing for the coach who originally recruited him. At the least, Davis is another player with national championship pedigree, like LSU graduate transfer Ray Thornton, to help Sarkisian establish his culture on the Forty Acres.