Deandre Moore Jr. Expected to Move On from Texas After Up-and-Down Junior Season
It looks like Deandre Moore Jr.’s time in Austin is nearing its end. According to reports, the junior wide receiver isn’t expected to return to the Texas Longhorns in 2026, opening the door for either a move to the NFL Draft or a fresh start through the NCAA transfer portal.
Moore’s journey to Texas was anything but linear. A late addition to the Longhorns’ 2023 class, he originally committed to Oklahoma, then flipped to Louisville before ultimately signing with Texas during the early signing period.
The California native out of powerhouse St. John Bosco was a consensus four-star prospect, ranked No. 105 nationally and the No. 20 wide receiver in the 2023 cycle.
His offer list was a who’s who of college football - Alabama, Georgia, USC, LSU, Florida State, and others all came calling.
In his freshman year, Moore saw limited action - nine games, mostly on special teams. He returned a kickoff for 15 yards and logged just two targets across six games on offense without a reception. It was a quiet start, but the coaching staff saw something in him.
That promise came to life in 2024. Moore took a noticeable step forward as a sophomore, carving out a bigger role in both the return game and the offense.
He caught 39 passes for 456 yards and seven touchdowns, showing off reliable hands and a knack for finding space in the red zone. His breakout moment came in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, where he hauled in a career-high nine catches for 114 yards and a score.
It looked like the Longhorns had found a playmaker.
Heading into 2025, expectations were high. Moore had spent the previous season learning from veteran Jordan Whittington and had earned a reputation as a hard worker and emerging leader in the locker room. But on the field, the results didn’t quite match the hype.
Statistically, Moore’s junior campaign wasn’t a total drop-off - 38 catches, 532 yards, and four touchdowns - but the impact plays weren’t there as consistently. He struggled to create separation downfield, wasn’t as effective as a blocker, and made several costly mental errors.
One of the more glaring came late in the Kentucky game, when he ran out of bounds while Texas was trying to drain the clock. Another came against Arkansas, when he fielded a live punt near his own goal line - a risky decision that nearly backfired.
Those kinds of mistakes, especially in high-leverage moments, raised concerns about Moore’s situational awareness and overall development. Despite his physical tools and flashes of brilliance, the consistency never quite arrived in 2025.
Now, with his future at Texas uncertain and momentum pointing toward a departure, Moore could become one of the most significant exits of the Steve Sarkisian era. Still, this isn’t necessarily a story of failure.
Sometimes, the fit just isn’t right. Moore’s potential is still there - whether it finds its full expression at the next level or in a new college system remains to be seen.
For Texas, it’s a reminder of how tricky player development can be, even with blue-chip talent. For Moore, it’s a chance to reset and recalibrate - and maybe, just maybe, remind everyone why he was such a coveted recruit in the first place.