Michigan players and signees Texas could target

Wednesday’s shocking termination of Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore for cause after a school investigation uncovered an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer, sparking a string of events that led to Moore’s arrest for an alleged assault.

Moore’s firing won’t just impact the Citrus Bowl matchup between No. 18 Michigan and No. 13 Texas later this month, it will also likely send ripple effects through the current roster and the No. 11-ranked 2026 signing class for the Wolverines. And because the Longhorns are going to be active in the portal this offseason and could also target members of that recruiting class, it’s worth looking at a few names Texas could become involved with if they bail from Ann Arbor.

Current Michigan players

Running back Justice Haynes

Texas just lost the No. 1 running back in the 2023 recruiting class, CJ Baxter, to the portal this week and have a pressing need for a game-changing back. Justice Haynes fits that description after averaging over seven yards per carry and scoring 10 rushing touchdowns for Michigan this season before he was sidelined by an injury. The Alabama transfer is familiar with the Texas staff after they recruited him out of Buford, a Georgia powerhouse, before honing in on Baxter.

The injury reduces the likelihood that Haynes will make the jump to the NFL, so he could make sense as a one-year rental if he decides to enter the portal and consider the Longhorns.

Offensive tackle Blake Frazier

The odds of the Austin-area product sticking with Michigan seem high since he’s a legacy, but if Texas redshirt sophomore left tackle Trevor Goosby declares for the 2026 NFL Draft and Frazier enters the portal, he was targeted by the Longhorns before pledging to the Wolverines and could step in at a tackle position after breaking into the starting lineup late this season as a true sophomore.

Offensive tackle Ty Haywood

The more plausible target is Haywood, a Denton Ryan product who has played 14 snaps over two games for Michigan this year as a true freshman. Like Frazier, the Horns offered Haywood, but never made a serious dent in a recruitment that featured a January flip from the Crimson Tide to the Wolverines. Targeting a rapidly developing tackle like Haywood would makes sense for Texas if Goosby stays on the Forty Acres for another season before heading off to the NFL.

Defensive tackle Trey Pierce

Interior defensive line is a priority for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian in the portal and Pierce was another player recruited by the Longhorns as a member of the 2023 recruiting class. The Illinois product has developed into a high-level run defender for the Wolverines this season with 19 defensive stops, although Texas may prioritize a defensive tackle with more of a nose tackle body like Cole Brevard.

Linebacker Nathaniel Owosu-Boateng

There was some buzz surrounding the Longhorns and the IMG Academy product late in the 2024 recruiting cycle, enough to suggest that Owosu-Boateng had some definite interest in the Texas program. This season, Owosu-Boateng only played 61 snaps over four games, so his developmental trajectory hasn’t been especially positive for a former top-150 prospect, but that could also make him a good fit as a depth piece for the Longhorns.

Michigan signees

Offensive tackle Malakai Lee

Late in the 2026 cycle, hopes of landing a blue-chip offensive tackle revolved around flipping Lee from Michigan. One of four summer official visits taken by the Hawaii product was to Texas and the Longhorns pushed hard for the 6’6, 318-pounder, but those efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. If Lee decides to reopen his recruitment, Texas would almost certainly continue trying to land the nation’s No. 14 offensive tackle in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Cornerback Jamarion Vincent

Departures to the portal, which are likely to include a player or two at the cornerback position for Texas, could increase the need for another defensive back in the recruiting class. Out of Waco Connally, Vincent earned an offer from the Longhorns at a summer camp in 2024 and Texas was at one point considered a serious enough contender for his services to land a 247Sports Crystal Ball projection before the 6’2, 165-pounder committed to Baylor and then flipped to Michigan late in the cycle.