Texas Landed the Best Transfer Portal Haul in College Basketball: How Sean Miller Did It
Texas basketball just won the transfer portal. Sean Miller landed one of the top point guards in the country, a top defender, and three more legitimate rotation pieces. The Longhorns have their most talented roster in years.
The centerpiece is Isaiah Johnson, a 6-1 guard from Colorado who averaged 16.9 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.9 rebounds last season. He was the 11th-ranked player in the portal and the No. 2 point guard. He signed his athletic scholarship agreement in late April.
He is not the only elite addition. Miller pulled off a masterclass.
The Full Portal Haul
Texas landed David Punch, one of the top defenders in the portal, from TCU. They added Elyjah Freeman, a legit wing from Auburn. They picked up Mikey Lewis, a shot-making guard from Saint Mary’s. They grabbed Amari Evans, a physical defensive stalwart from Tennessee.
That is five impact players. Every one of them fills a specific need. Point guard. Defense. Shooting. Wing size. Interior toughness. Miller and his staff identified holes in last year’s roster and filled them with veteran talent.
Compare that to what other Big 12 programs did. Baylor was quiet. Kansas got its pieces but nothing overwhelming. Iowa State did some good work but not on Texas’ level. The Longhorns are the offseason winner in the conference.
Why This Worked for Sean Miller
Miller has been recruiting hard since taking the Texas job. He has NIL money. He has Big 12 stature. He has a track record at Arizona of developing NBA talent. What he needed was a portal cycle where his pitch resonated.
It resonated. Johnson picked Texas over Kentucky, Kansas, and multiple other blue bloods. He said Miller’s staff sold him on a specific role and a chance to be the primary ball-handler on a top-25 team.
That kind of pitch matters in the transfer portal era. Players want to know exactly how they will be used. Miller and his staff nailed it.
What Texas Looks Like Now
The projected starting five for 2026-27: Johnson at point guard, Lewis or a returning player at shooting guard, Freeman at small forward, Evans at power forward, and a returning big man at center. That is a top-15 preseason ranking lineup, minimum.
The Longhorns will have depth. They will have experience. They will have a legitimate NCAA Tournament ceiling. Miller has to prove he can win in March, which has been his consistent knock throughout his career. This roster gives him the best chance yet.
Big 12 play will be brutal. Kansas is Kansas. Houston is Houston. Baylor rebuilt. Iowa State reloaded. But Texas belongs in the conversation for the conference title.
The Bigger Picture
Transfer portal winners often become preseason darlings. Sometimes they win championships. Sometimes chemistry falls apart. The portal is a high-variance environment where teams that look great on paper flame out because roles are unclear or personalities clash.
Miller has to manage all of it. He is a proven coach with a proven system. If he can get Johnson to run the offense, Freeman and Evans to defend, and the shooters to space, this Texas team is a Final Four contender.
The 2026 portal cycle is over. Sean Miller won it. Now the real work begins.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
