AUSTIN (KXAN) — The aftermath of Nick Saban retiring as the Alabama Crimson Tide’s head coach continues to benefit the Texas Longhorns.
Crimson Tide tight end Amari Niblack is the third former Alabama player to join the Longhorns via the transfer portal, joining receiver Isaiah Bond and linebacker Kendrick Blackshire. Niblack caught 20 passes for 327 yards with four touchdowns this season in Tuscaloosa and could fill an important void in Steve Sarkisian’s offense with the departure of Ja’Tavion Sanders to the NFL.
MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters
Niblack announced his decision via his Instagram account Thursday night. Niblack caught a 39-yard touchdown pass against the Longhorns in Texas’ 34-24 win over Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Texas has been building quite a haul in the transfer portal in the offseason. Niblack is the seventh player they’ve secured and fourth on the offensive side. Oregon State wide receiver Silas Bolden joined Houston’s Matthew Golden and Bond earlier in the month to help fill holes left in the receiving corps.
According to a list compiled by 247Sports, the players who have committed to Texas after entering the transfer portal are:
Kendrick Blackshire, LB, Alabama
Silas Bolden, WR, Oregon State
Isaiah Bond, WR, Alabama
Matthew Golden, WR, Houston
Trey Moore, EDGE, UTSA
Andrew Mukuba, S, Clemson
Amari Niblack, TE, Alabama
Texas has risen to No. 7 in the 247Sports transfer portal team rankings and is the only team in the service’s top 22 teams with less than 10 transfer recruits.
[#item_full_content]