Rasheem Biles, a linebacker from Pickerington, Ohio, is emerging as a top defensive talent in college football after a successful stint at Pitt. Now with the Texas Longhorns, he is expected to make a significant impact in the SEC.
Key points
Rasheem Biles is from Pickerington, Ohio.
He played multiple positions in high school.
Biles is now a linebacker for the Texas Longhorns.
He was a three-star recruit at Pittsburgh.
Biles is one of the most decorated linebackers in ACC history.
Mentioned in this story
Pickerington, Ohio
Rasheem BilesTexas LonghornsPitt PanthersACC
Ohio might not usually send linebackers to the SEC. But Pickerington, Ohio, just might have produced one of the next best stars in College Football. Rasheem Biles grew up in a suburb east of Columbus, not exactly a pipeline for Power Four defensive stars. He played at Pickerington Central High School as a two-way weapon, lining up at wide receiver, running back, and defensive back. He racked up four pick-sixes in his prep career and didnāt settle into a full-time defensive role until his junior year of high school.
When Pittsburgh came calling, he signed as a three-star athlete with no positional certainty. He arrived to suit up for the Pitt Panthers as a project. Heās leaving as one of the most decorated linebackers in recent ACC history. Now heās a Longhorn. And if spring practice in Austin is any indication, the rest of the SEC is going to have a serious problem on its hands.
Biles didnāt burst onto the scene at Pitt. He built toward it, layer by layer. As a freshman in 2023, he made his mark almost entirely on special teams, tying the Pitt single-season record with three blocked punts, a national-best figure that season. It was a signal that his instincts and explosiveness were elite even before the defensive system fully unlocked him.
In 2024, the linebacker room opened up, and Biles stepped in. He started nine games and posted 82 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, nine pass breakups, and one pick-six. That earned him second-team All-ACC recognition from the Associated Press. It also earned him ACC Linebacker of the Week after a performance against Syracuse that included 12 tackles, a sack, and a 35-yard pick-six on the opening drive.
Then came 2025. Playing in only 10 games, Biles put up a line that stopped people cold when they read it: 101 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and six pass breakups. Pro Football Focus graded him 83.7 overall and ranked him No. 90 on their list of the top 101 college players of the season. He led the ACC in tackles for loss. He was named second-team All-ACC. The national linebacker conversation was starting to find his name.
Q&A
Who is Rasheem Biles and what position does he play?
Rasheem Biles is a linebacker who previously played for the Pitt Panthers and is now with the Texas Longhorns.
What achievements has Rasheem Biles accomplished in college football?
Biles is recognized as one of the most decorated linebackers in recent ACC history.
How did Rasheem Biles perform in high school football?
In high school, Biles was a versatile player, excelling as a wide receiver, running back, and defensive back, with four pick-sixes during his career.
What impact is Rasheem Biles expected to have in the SEC?
Biles is anticipated to be a significant challenge for opposing teams in the SEC, especially following his impressive spring practice with the Longhorns.
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A Special Play
One play from that season captured everything. Against Louisville in late September, Biles picked off a pass over the middle, pulled off a 360-degree spin to regain his footing, and sprinted 75 yards for a house call. His own safeties coach at Pitt, Cory Sanders, was left searching for words. āI donāt know if Iāve ever seen a linebacker catch an interception, 360, land, sprint 75 yards later and make three people miss,ā Sanders said.
Bilesā explanation for the play was pure instinct. āThat just kind of happened by being a ballplayer, for real,ā he said. āIāve been playing offense since I was probably 4 years old. I was an offensive guy, probably until my junior year of high school. So whenever I get the ball, I know I need to score.ā
Texas Was Never Going to Let This One Slip
When Biles entered the portal at the end of 2025, the feeding frenzy was immediate. Multiple national championship-caliber programs came calling. Will Muschamp, in his first act as Texasās new defensive coordinator, made Biles his top defensive priority. The pursuit was so relentless that Muschamp had actually been texting Biles for a while before getting a response, because he had the wrong number.
When it finally got sorted out, Biles committed to Texas in January. āI would have been here earlier if Iād gotten his texts,ā Biles said.
Steve Sarkisian wasted no time making clear what he expected from his new linebacker. During spring practice, he described Biles as more of a complete player than anticipated. āI had an idea we were going to get a flashy player,ā Sarkisian said. āHe had three pick-sixes in his career at linebacker. Heās a very good pass rusher, heās physical, heās smart.ā
That last part, the smart part, is what separates Biles from being merely a playmaker and makes him something closer to a defensive chess piece. PFF analysts noted his play recognition and processing speed as what sets him apart from the majority of linebackers at the Power Four level. Muschamp has already been publicly clear about his intentions. āOur job is to put him in situations where the defense canāt ID him all of the time,ā Muschamp said. āIāve been very impressed with how heās embraced that.ā
Spring Game Confirms Bilesā Potential
At Texasās Orange-White spring game, with most of the offensive starters held out of live action, Biles dominated. Operating as an edge rusher and delayed interior blitzer, he blew past backup offensive linemen repeatedly, racking up multiple theoretical sacks.
Reports from the afternoon described him as the standout performer on either side of the ball. He has since been slotted as the starter at WILL linebacker on the post-spring depth chart.
His reception in Austin has been warm on and off the field. He landed an NIL deal with Panini America, joining Arch Manning in the trading card brandās college football portfolio. He has been vocal and enthusiastic about the program, though he did note one significant adjustment to life in Austin. āThe parking tickets,ā Biles said when asked about the biggest difference between Pitt and Texas. āIāve gotten like 15 tickets already. At Pitt, the most I got was like 3.ā
The Comparison That Should Raise Eyebrows
One Texas-focused outlet drew a statistical comparison between Bilesās 2025 season and Jordan Hicksās final year at Texas, who went on to a 10-year NFL career after being drafted in the third round in 2015. The PFF grades were nearly identical. The pressure numbers were nearly identical. The stops and passer rating allowed were nearly identical. Hicks played under Will Muschamp for one season in Austin and left as an All-American.
Muschamp is back. The linebacker is here. The comparison writes itself.
Biles enters 2026 as the most accomplished transfer Texas landed in the portal window, stepping into one of the most storied linebacker traditions at a program thatās produced Tommy Nobis, Johnny Treadwell, Derrick Johnson, Britt Hager and more recently Jordan Hicks.
Biles left Ohio as a three-star unknown. He arrives in Austin as one of the most dangerous linebackers in the country. The rest of the SEC is about to find out.