In a couple of weeks, Texas football, led by head coach Steve Sarkisian, will return to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the Orange-White spring football game on April 20. With two weeks of spring practice remaining before the game, the Longhorns have reached the midway point of their spring training, having completed around seven or eight practices out of their allotted 15.
As spring practice progresses, roster management becomes a critical issue, especially in the current landscape of college football with NIL deals and the transfer portal. Texas is currently over the 85-player scholarship limit, sitting at 89 scholarship players.
This number doesn’t account for potential transfer portal additions, as the Longhorns may still seek to fill depth gaps, particularly along the defensive line.
Given this overage, it’s inevitable that Texas will face some roster attrition to comply with scholarship limits after spring camp. This situation likely means that a few players, including those the team may prefer to retain, will enter the transfer portal in search of more playing time at other programs.
One player who might be affected is offensive lineman Max Merril. The Longhorns have built a strong and deep offensive line, with 18 scholarship players competing for limited spots. Merril, a redshirt junior and one of the few remaining players from the Tom Herman era, finds himself struggling for practice reps, often working with walk-ons rather than the main team.
Given his current position on the depth chart and the stiff competition from younger players, Merril might consider transferring to another program where he could have more opportunities for playing time.
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