Big news is rippling through the college football world as the Texas Longhorns have landed one of the most coveted names in this year’s transfer portal: former Arizona State running back Raleek Brown. The announcement, made on January 8, 2026, marks a pivotal moment for both Brown and a Texas program in the midst of a dramatic backfield overhaul. After a whirlwind journey through USC and Arizona State, Brown will bring his explosive playmaking to Austin for his final year of college eligibility, aiming to inject new life into a Longhorns offense hungry for a feature back.
Brown’s rise to prominence has been anything but straightforward. Once a consensus four-star and top-100 recruit out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, he was ranked as the No. 3 running back nationally in the 2022 class. Texas actually offered him back then, but Brown opted for home-state USC, where his trajectory took a few unexpected turns. As a true freshman in 2022, he flashed his potential with 227 rushing yards on 42 carries (a 5.4-yard average) and three touchdowns, plus 16 catches for 175 yards and three more scores. However, a sophomore-year switch to wide receiver in 2023 stalled his momentum—he appeared in just two games, recording three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown before injuries and limited opportunities led him to seek a new start.
That fresh start came at Arizona State in 2024. Initially, things didn’t go much smoother. Brown was hampered by a nagging hamstring injury, limiting him to just nine carries for 42 yards and a mere 48 yards of total offense in his first year with the Sun Devils. But if 2024 was a setback, 2025 was a full-blown breakout. Brown emerged as the bellcow back Arizona State desperately needed after Cam Skattebo’s departure to the NFL. In 12 games, Brown racked up 1,141 rushing yards on 186 carries—an impressive 6.1 yards per attempt—while finding the end zone four times on the ground. He added another dimension as a receiver, hauling in 34 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, showing off his versatility and route-running skills.
Brown’s 2025 campaign wasn’t just productive; it was historic. On November 22, he set a new school record for rushing yards in a road game with a jaw-dropping 255-yard performance against Colorado, averaging 11.6 yards per carry and scoring twice (including a 33-yard reception for a touchdown). That game alone showcased why Brown was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and why he quickly became one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Brown’s decision to pivot from a potential NFL Draft declaration to entering the transfer portal caught many by surprise. But with Texas’s running back room in flux—Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter, Rickey Stewart Jr., and Jerrick Gibson all entered the portal this offseason—the opportunity was too good to pass up. Wisner, who led the Longhorns with 597 rushing yards in 2025, has since committed to Florida State, while Baxter and Gibson are also seeking new homes. That leaves the Texas backfield wide open for Brown to step in as a potential Week 1 starter.
Brown’s physical tools are hard to ignore. At 5-foot-9 and roughly 195-196 pounds, he’s compact yet powerful, with a documented sub-4.5 40-yard dash and a sub-11 second 100-meter dash from his high school track days. In 2025, he forced 53 missed tackles—an eye-popping 67 percent of the total missed tackles Texas running backs forced last season—and more than half of his rushing yards came after contact. Brown broke off runs of 75 and 88 yards, showing he’s not just a grinder but a true home-run threat every time he touches the ball. His 31 carries of 10-plus yards further underline his explosiveness.
Texas’s offense, led by quarterback Arch Manning, desperately needed this injection of speed and reliability. The Longhorns averaged just 4.2 yards per carry as a team in 2025, with Manning himself finishing as the second-leading rusher at 399 yards and 10 touchdowns. No other running back besides Wisner topped 400 yards, and the unit’s 137.8 rushing yards per game ranked just 90th nationally—a far cry from the program’s storied ground game tradition. The Citrus Bowl win over Michigan did offer a glimmer of hope, as Christian Clark rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown, but depth and star power were clear concerns.
Brown’s arrival comes amid sweeping changes for Texas’s running back room. Alongside Clark and sophomore James Simon, the Longhorns are set to welcome five-star recruit Derrek Cooper—ESPN’s No. 1 running back in the 2026 cycle—and three-star Jett Walker. New running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, who replaced Chad Scott after his December firing, will be tasked with molding this group into a cohesive and productive unit. The Longhorns have also added tight end Michael Masunas (from Michigan State), cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers), and defensive lineman Ian Geffrard (Arkansas) through the portal, signaling a clear intent to reload rather than rebuild as the transfer window remains open until January 16.
For Brown, the move to Texas is a chance to cap off his college career on the biggest stage. He brings with him not only experience but a chip on his shoulder—having weathered position changes, injuries, and the grind of four previous seasons split between two Power Five programs. His blend of vision, burst, and pass-catching ability should fit well in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense, which often leans on outside zone runs and creative ways to get playmakers out in space. The question now is whether Sarkisian and Juluke will look to add a bigger-bodied back to complement Brown or trust the likes of Clark and incoming freshman Cooper to fill that role.
As the 2026 season approaches, all eyes will be on Brown and the Longhorns’ retooled backfield. Can Brown replicate his Arizona State heroics in the Big 12 and help Texas reclaim its ground-game dominance? Or will the transition present new challenges as he faces a fresh set of defenses and expectations? One thing’s for sure: the Longhorns have made a statement with this transfer, and Brown’s journey—full of twists, setbacks, and triumphs—has set the stage for what could be a thrilling final act in burnt orange.
With the transfer portal window still open, more moves could be on the horizon for Texas. But for now, Raleek Brown’s commitment has energized the fanbase and given the Longhorns a proven playmaker to anchor their offense in 2026. The countdown to spring football in Austin just got a whole lot more interesting.
