According to On3, senior Texas football defensive tackle Tia Savea intends to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. Savea played one season at Texas after transferring from the Arizona Wildcats last offseason as a graduate.
Texas football’s defensive tackle depth getting thin after Tia Savea announces his intentions to enter the transfer portal
Tia Savea appeared in four games for the Longhorns this season. Due to an injury and the NCAA’s four-game rule, Savea may redshirt for the 2024 season. He participated in three non-conference games—against Colorado State, UTSA, and UL-Monroe—and also saw action in one SEC game, a dominant 49-17 win over Florida in early November.
In 2024, Savea recorded three total tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback pressure, and two defensive stops.
Now, Savea is looking for his fourth school through the transfer portal for the 2025 season. He began his college career with the UCLA Bruins in 2021 before transferring to Arizona for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, following Johnny Nansen, who moved from UCLA to Arizona as defensive coordinator.
During his two years with Arizona, Savea tallied 36 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 17 quarterback pressures, 18 defensive stops, one fumble recovery, and one batted pass.
Thanks to the redshirt rule, Savea has one year of eligibility left.
Texas has seen significant departures in its defensive tackle depth through the transfer portal recently, losing three experienced players, including redshirt sophomores Jaray Bledsoe and Aaron Bryant. Savea becomes the sixth Texas player to enter the portal this winter, joining sophomore wide receiver Johntay Cook II, redshirt freshman linebacker Derion Gullette, and edge rusher Tausili Akana.
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