David Eckert, Austin American-Statesman
 |  Hearst – Austin Transition

College baseball’s annual roster-building frenzy has arrived, and the Texas Longhorns have needs to fill. 

The transfer portal opened last week to all players, and Texas has already picked up one commitment in Wichita State infielder Josh Livingston. 

But coach Jim Schlossnagle and his staff members have more work ahead of them, and the extent of their to-do list might not be known quite yet. The MLB draft is scheduled to begin July 13 in Atlanta, with all college juniors and select sophomores — including Texas third baseman Casey Borba — eligible to be chosen. 

Texas’ 2025 recruiting class is entirely draft-eligible, too. Kayson Cunningham (No. 11), Gavin Fien (No. 26) and Brett Crossland (No. 94) are all considered top-100 draft prospects by MLB.com. 

With all that in mind, what are the Longhorns’ current transfer portal needs?

Here are three positions that could use some fortification:

Starting pitcher 

What do we know about the 2026 Texas starting rotation at the onset of the Longhorns’ offseason? Very little. Ruger Riojas and Luke Harrison, who closed the 2025 campaign as the Longhorns’ only weekend starters, are both draft-eligible. Harrison posted the superior numbers of the two, but MLB draft evaluators seem to consider Riojas the better prospect. Baseball America recently ranked him as the No. 315 prospect in the class. The outcomes produced by the draft will go a long way toward determining the extent of the Longhorns’ need. 

There are questions about Texas’ young pitchers, too. Dylan Volantis might’ve been the best pitcher in college baseball in 2025, spinning his way to a 1.94 ERA as a true freshman. Will the Longhorns move him out of the bullpen and into the starting rotation? Jason Flores looks like another candidate for a starting role. The freshman right-hander posted a 2.78 ERA. 

It’s clear that the Longhorns need veteran reinforcement too. Even if Texas manages to get both Riojas and Harrison back, they were left without enough strong options at the conclusion of the season. A quality veteran to lead the way for the Longhorns’ talented youngsters would go a long way. 

Catcher 

Schlossnagle said it more than once in 2025: There’s never been a good team without a good catcher. 

He used the phrase as a way to praise his own backstop, first-team All-SEC catcher Rylan Galvan. The junior from Sinton led the Longhorns in home runs with 15. He batted .296 on the year and posted a team-high 1.065 OPS. That outstanding production should make him a target for plenty of MLB organizations come draft day. Baseball America tabbed him as the No. 236 prospect in this year’s draft. MLB.com has Galvan at No. 169. If Galvan is chosen in that range, it’s likely that he would sign based on recent outcomes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, just 11 players chosen in the first 10 rounds of the draft have elected not to sign. 

If Galvan does go, it saddles Texas with a glaring need. Freshman Cole Chamberlain hit .135 in 37 at-bats during his debut season. Declining to bring in a veteran at the position would be a major risk on Schlossnagle’s part. 

Shortstop

The situation at shortstop is similar to the one the Texas coaching staff faces at catcher. 

Jalin Flores has been ever-present at the position for the Longhorns over the last two seasons, starting 118 games. His production declined significantly in 2025, with his batting average dropping from .340 in 2024 to .239. His OPS slid from 1.064 to .809, too. 

Still, Flores’ position on the pre-draft boards indicates he’s likely to be drafted. He’s ranked as the No. 253 prospect by Baseball America and the No. 178 prospect by MLB.com. He’s started every game at shortstop for the Longhorns over the last two seasons, meaning there’s no understudy on the roster with any experience who can step in. That makes the position a prime target for a portal addition, especially if Cunningham doesn’t make it to campus. 

Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at david.eckert@hearst.com.