Not much about Rasheem Biles goes unnoticed, except for one small detail in his first name.
The new Texas linebacker has built a reputation as a nonstop presence, the kind of player and person who brings energy everywhere he goes. But the “s” in Rasheem is silent, and his mother, Rasheeda, made that clear to Horns247.
"It's pronounced Ra-heem," Biles' mother Rasheeda told Horns247. "He's always been the funny one.
Great personality. Very silly, but very, very competitive.
Since he was four years old, if he was playing a game with a ball - either basketball or football - he had a passion to get that ball."
That competitiveness has followed Biles for years, first as a safety at Pickerington Central in Columbus, Ohio, and then through three seasons at Pittsburgh, where he kept making plays that changed games. As a freshman in 2023, he tied a school season record with three blocked punts.
His production only kept climbing after that. In 2024, Biles finished with 82 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He also led Pitt with nine pass breakups and added an interception.
Last season, as a junior, he took things up another notch. Biles led FBS with three defensive touchdowns and paced Pitt in tackles with 101, tackles for loss with 17 and sacks with 4.5. He found the end zone on interception returns of 75 yards against Louisville and 10 yards against Notre Dame, and he also scored on a 23-yard fumble return against East Carolina in the Go Bowling Military Bowl.
That kind of production explains why Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was so eager to get him on the phone after the transfer portal opened at midnight on Jan. 2. Muschamp couldn’t connect with Biles in the first 24 hours, and the concern only grew from there.
Interest in Biles wasn’t limited to Texas. Word was that LSU was in the mix too, and the family situation helped shape the picture. Rasheeda was planning to move from Columbus, Ohio, to Houston so her 10-year-old daughter, Jabraya, could train at the World Champions Centre - Simone Biles' gymnastics academy - in Spring.
In Other News...
Texas Recruiting Surge May Be One Huge Domino From Another Leap
Texas has spent the last month turning its 2027 class into one of the country's most intriguing recruiting stories, and the momentum is already easy to see. With 21 commitments, the Longhorns sit No. 6 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC, backed by a class that already features five-star cornerback John Meredith III and five-star receiver Easton Royal.
The next step is where things could get even more interesting. Texas is still pursuing a handful of elite targets, including offensive lineman Ismael Camara, and a couple of those additions would give the Longhorns the kind of late boost that can change how the class is viewed both nationally and inside the conference. For a program already recruiting at a high level, the difference between a strong class and a truly elite one may come down to one more major domino. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Baseball Just Took Another Brutal Loss To The SEC
The offseason has already been rough for Oregon baseball, and the latest hit comes from the coaching staff. Jack Marder, who spent seven seasons helping shape the Ducks as hitting coach, recruiting coordinator and catchers coach, is moving on after playing a major role in the programs rise and in its recruiting work.
For Texas, it is another reminder of how aggressively the SEC continues to pull in talent on and off the field. The Ducks had already watched freshmen Angel Laya and Naulivou Junior Lauaki Jr. transfer to LSU and Georgia, and Marders exit adds another layer to a stretch that has left Oregon trying to hold together both its roster and its staff after a tough postseason matchup with the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Is Getting The Kind Of Hype Fans Know Too Well
The preseason buzz is already turning Texas into one of the sports defining storylines again, with college football analyst Josh Pate projecting the Longhorns to open at No. 1 in the AP Poll. It is the kind of attention Texas fans know well, and this version comes with the usual mix of optimism and expectation after a roster makeover built through staff adjustments, the transfer portal and another strong recruiting push.
Pates take also carries a familiar reminder for Austin: being the team everyone is talking about in August does not guarantee anything once the games start. Texas entered last season with top billing before the season drifted away from those title hopes, and the road ahead will not be any easier this time with a demanding schedule waiting. Still, the Longhorns have clearly done everything they can to look the part of a true contender, which is exactly why the early ranking chatter is already so loud. [Read more 🡒]