Texas didn’t bring Rasheem Biles to Austin just to fill out the linebacker room. Early in camp, the Pitt transfer is already looking like the kind of defender who forces an offense to adjust its plans before the ball is even snapped.
Steve Sarkisian didn’t sugarcoat what he’s seeing.
“He’s a problem,” Sarkisian said.
That kind of label doesn’t get tossed around lightly, but Biles has earned the attention. At Pitt, he put together 183 career tackles and 10.5 sacks, then turned in his best season in 2025 with 100 tackles and two interceptions. Those numbers made him one of the most sought-after linebackers in the transfer portal, and Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp moved quickly to try to land him.
Biles had a little humor for how that process started.
“If he had the right number, I would have been at Texas sooner,” Biles said.
Now that he’s in the right place, Biles is already making life difficult for the Longhorns’ offense in practice. Sarkisian said the linebacker’s disruptive presence reminds him of star edge rusher Colin Simmons, whose early Texas career was so overpowering that his pass rush could sometimes throw practice out of rhythm. Simmons has since learned how to rein it in enough for the offense to finish reps, and Biles appears to be creating a similar kind of problem from the second level.
“He can do it on special teams,” Sarkisian said. “He does it a lot of different ways.”
That versatility is what makes Biles such an intriguing addition for Muschamp’s defense. Texas isn’t just getting a tackler who can clean things up between the hashes. It’s adding a linebacker who can chase plays from sideline to sideline, attack the quarterback and create disruption before an offense gets settled.
Sarkisian also likes what Biles brings to Texas every day, even if it means a rougher practice for the guys lining up across from him.
“I want Rasheem to make it hard on our guards and to make it hard on our backs every day,” Sarkisian said, explaining that the competition should make Texas stronger on both sides of the ball.
That’s the real appeal here. With Simmons working off the edge and Biles operating from the second level, Texas could have two defenders capable of blowing up protection in completely different ways.
For now, the Longhorns have more than just a new linebacker. They have another problem for opposing offenses to solve.
In Other News...
Texas Freshmen Are Already Making Key Position Battles Harder To Ignore
The first week of fall camp has already given Steve Sarkisian and his staff a few reasons to keep a closer eye on the freshmen, with Derrek Cooper, Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Tyler Atkinson all turning in promising early work. Coopers physical running style stood out enough to draw praise from Sarkisian, while Tyler Atkinson has made enough progress to get noticed in a linebacker room that already has established names in front of him.
Jermaine Bishop Jr. has also added to the pressure on the depth chart, with Ryan Niblett pointing to his agility and competitiveness as traits that translate quickly in camp. For Texas, the bigger takeaway is not just that the freshmen look ready to compete, but that the early battles for snaps are becoming harder to sort out by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Would Texas Ever Give Texas Tech The Game It Wants
Joey McGuire has made no secret of what he wants for Texas Techs future schedule, and it starts with more Power Conference opponents. The Red Raiders have spent time trying to line up marquee games, including an effort to get Texas on the slate, but those conversations have not produced the kind of matchup McGuire has been after. Other programs, from Texas A&M to USC, NC State and Mississippi State, reportedly passed on Techs requests as well, leaving the Red Raiders still searching for the sort of game that would raise the profile of their nonconference calendar.
From Texas side, the picture is a little less settled. Steve Sarkisian recently signaled some uncertainty about whether the Longhorns will keep their series with Notre Dame going, and any change there could ripple into future scheduling choices. For Texas Tech, that is the kind of opening worth watching, because the bigger the name left off the Longhorns calendar, the more room there may be for the Red Raiders to finally land the kind of matchup they have been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Already Be Eyeing Trevor Goosbys Successor
With Trevor Goosby expected to move on after this season, Texas is already doing the kind of planning that keeps an offensive line from getting caught flat-footed. The Longhorns have put themselves in position to keep the pipeline moving, and one name worth watching is Austin Attalah, a four-star tackle prospect in the 2028 class who is viewed as a possible future fit up front.
Attalah is still early in the recruiting process, but Texas has made the cut as one of his top options alongside Texas Tech and USC. Even with the Longhorns in the mix, he has not yet visited campus or set a commitment date, which means this is still more about early positioning than any imminent decision. Still, for a program looking ahead to life after Goosby, getting in early matters. [Read more 🡒]