Texas football: Transfer LB Rasheem Biles seems set as a starter in 2026

Rasheem Biles, Texas football’s new thumper at linebacker, was once on the verge of stardom as a running back. **TEXAS TRANSFERS: WHO'LL START?** Texas signed 20 players in the portal and more than half seem to have a good chance at starting next season: • Rasheem Biles, LB: The Pitt transfer seems set at one of the linebacker spots based on past achievements as well as an impressive spring. He seems like a preseason All-SEC candidate. • Laurence Seymour, G: He hasn’t officially joined the program yet, but has been cleared by the NCAA for a sixth season. His starting experience at Miami and Western Kentucky makes him a favorite to win the left guard spot. • Melvin Siani, OT: The Wake Forest transfer started all 13 games at right tackle last season and will likely do the same at Texas after a strong spring. • Cam Coleman, WR: One of the highest-paid transfers this season has met all of Texas' expectations this spring and looks poised for a monster season. • Raleek Brown, RB: He had an All-Big 12 season at Arizona State and is expected to share the backfield load with fellow transfer Hollywood Smothers. • Hollywood Smothers, RB: The former North Carolina State star joins Brown in the revamped backfield. • Bo Mascoe, CB: The former Rutgers starter has drawn praise from teammates and coaches and seems locked in as one of the starting cornerbacks entering the summer. • Michael Masunas, TE: Masunas started this last season for Michigan State and helps fill a void left by the early draft entree of Jack Endries. He has one remaining year of eligibility. • Gianni Spetic, K: After three years as a starter at Ohio and , he replaces the graduated Mason Shipley and has one remaining year of eligibility. • Mac Chiumento, P: Chiumento arrives for one season at Texas after starring last year at Florida State; he's the only punter on the spring roster. • Trey Dubuc, LS: Dubuc played at the past two seasons and replaces four-year starter Lance St. Louis. Dubuc has two remaining years of eligibility. Don’t believe it? Just ask the incoming senior, an All-ACC player at in 2025 who will spend his final season as a Longhorn. Biles played on both sides of the ball at prep powerhouse Pickerington Central High School in the Columbus, Ohio, suburbs. But former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr., a coach at Central, saw a spark in him. Move full time to that side of the ball, Styles told Biles, and you could eventually start drawing NFL pay. “He was like, ‘I feel like you’re a way better defensive player,’” Biles told reporters after one of Texas'  earlier this week. “He started putting me at strong safety and free safety. He just moved me around the field. He was like, ‘Bro, I like you on defense. I feel like you have a future.’ I really just listened to him. Ever since then, I’ve just been on the defensive side of the ball.” , one of Lorenzo Styles’ sons, will soon become an NFL linebacker since he’s a projected first-round pick in next week’s NFL draft. Biles, his former high school teammate, will likely join him next year. Rasheem Biles gestures to the crowd while playing for the in the GameAbove Sports Bowl against the Toledo Rockets at Ford Field on Dec. 26, 2024, in Detroit, . Biles is one of several transfers that will likely start for Texas this upcoming season. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)