Texas Longhorns are conducting an official visit over the weekend for Arizona Wildcats transfer defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea. This move by head coach Steve Sarkisian is aimed at bolstering the position, particularly in the wake of T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy’s departures.
Standing at 6’4 and weighing 305 pounds, he joined the NCAA transfer portal on Friday, a move influenced by the recent departure of Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. Texas’ new co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Johnny Nansen has a strong connection with Savea, having served as his defensive coordinator for the last two seasons and being Savea’s primary recruiter when he initially signed with UCLA out of high school.
Hailing from Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines, Savea was a widely recognized four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he was ranked as the No. 226 player nationally and the No. 31 defensive lineman. Notably, he transitioned to playing along the offensive line during his high school career. Savea committed to UCLA, choosing them over offers from schools such as Arizona, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, TCU, Tennessee, and USC, among others.
During his single season at UCLA, Savea recorded seven tackles across 10 games before deciding to join Nansen in Tucson. In the 2022 season with the Wildcats, he participated in seven games, contributing 14 total tackles (8 solo, 6 assists), including 1.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery, and a blocked kick, playing a crucial role in Arizona’s upset of UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In his junior year, Savea played in 12 games, accumulating 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hurries.
Texas is in need of support alongside fifth-year senior Alfred Collins to facilitate the growth of emerging defensive tackles like redshirt freshman Sydir Mitchell and redshirt sophomore Aaron Bryant. Although another potential transfer portal option, former Houston standout Ja’Maree Caldwell, chose Oregon, the strong relationship between Nansen and Savea is expected to simplify the recruitment process for the Longhorns, even in the absence of a replacement named for departed defensive line coach Bo Davis.
