AUSTIN — The Texas Longhorns knew that when the transfer portal opened and several defensive linemen entered, they would need to do some serious recruiting. And on Sunday, Texas gained a defensive line commitment, its second, with former North Carolina Tar Heel Travis Shaw.
First reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, Shaw joins Cole Brevard from Purdue as the second true defensive lineman to commit to the Longhorns. Arkansas EDGE Brad Spence has also committed to the Longhorns.
Shaw was a five-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class out of Greensboro, NC.
In three years with the North Carolina Tar Heels, he has played in 37 games, and accounted for 55 total tackles, 27 of them being solo. He has recorded five and a half tackles for loss for ten yards and defended four passes. He has also recovered two fumbles.
This season he played in 13 games for North Carolina and had 18 total tackles, 11 solo. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Shaw will likely be a big part of the Texas defensive line next season, as it has the tall task of replacing Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins, Jermayne Lole and Bill Norton. Over the past two seasons, the Texas defensive front has been stellar, and now the Longhorns will likely use Shaw as their next big human to transform into a star.
He fits the mold of “big human,” as he is 6 foot 6 and 340 pounds. Norton is the heaviest of the departing Texas defensive front, weighing in at 335 pounds and standing at 6’6. Brevard is another “big human,” and is listed at 6’3, 335.
