The Texas Longhorns just took a surprising hit to their linebacker room - and it’s not the kind of loss they’re used to under Steve Sarkisian. Junior linebacker Liona Lefau, a two-year starter who had been penciled in for a major role next season, is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He was not seen at practice on Monday, according to multiple reports, and all signs point to his departure from the program.
This isn’t your typical depth-chart shuffle. Lefau was a key piece of Texas’ defense, a player who’d earned his stripes through steady development and consistent production. Losing a player of his caliber - especially this late in the year and ahead of the Citrus Bowl - creates a ripple effect that could be felt well into the offseason.
Lefau came to Texas as part of the 2023 recruiting class, hailing from Kahuku High School in Laie, Hawaii. He committed to the Longhorns after a June official visit, choosing them over Utah and Oregon.
That was no small recruiting win - Lefau held 26 offers from schools across the country, including names like Michigan, Oklahoma, USC, and Tennessee. He was a consensus four-star prospect, ranked No. 405 nationally and the No. 32 linebacker in the 247Sports Composite.
As a true freshman, Lefau made his mark on special teams, appearing in all 14 games and logging nearly 300 snaps across five units. He finished with eight tackles and showed flashes of the upside that had made him such a coveted recruit.
In his sophomore season, he stepped into a starting role and delivered. Lefau racked up 63 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. He was more than just a stat-sheet guy - teammates and coaches praised his instincts, physicality, and ability to contribute in coverage, where he added three pass breakups to his résumé.
This past season, Lefau remained a starter and stayed productive, finishing with 69 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and three more pass breakups. But his snap count began to dip as sophomore Ty’Anthony Smith started to carve out a larger role in the rotation. Smith’s emergence didn’t push Lefau out of the lineup, but it did shift the dynamic - and now, with Lefau exiting the program, it changes the outlook for 2026 and beyond.
What makes this even more significant is the timing. Texas is already preparing for life without junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
That left Lefau as the presumed veteran anchor of the linebacker corps heading into next season. Now, with both Hill and Lefau gone, the pressure is on co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen to find answers - and fast.
The January transfer portal window is looming, and Texas suddenly has a clear need at linebacker. Whether it’s a plug-and-play veteran or a rising underclassman, the Longhorns will need to reload quickly if they want to maintain the defensive standard they’ve built over the last few seasons.
Lefau’s departure isn’t just a personnel loss - it’s a leadership void, a shift in the locker room, and a challenge for a defense that was poised to return a strong nucleus. Now, Sarkisian and his staff are tasked with navigating a critical offseason pivot.