Skip to main content
Texas

How much damage did the MLB draft do to Jim Schlossnagle's portal class?

by: Justin Nash07/21/25
Luke Dotson
Luke Dotson (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

The Texas Longhorns have a top-five portal class as of today, but where does Jim Schlossnagle’s program sit in regards to having these portal commits make it to campus? The MLB draft has now taken place and multiple impact transfers have decided to head to the minors instead of the the 40 Acres, but others will hold true and suit up in burnt orange. Let’s take a look at who is staying and leaving. The deadline for drafted players to sign with a major league organization is July 28 at 4 p.m. CT.

[Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!]

Rankings per 64Analytics (Bold = still not signed to a MLB organization)

14. Haiden Leffew – P – Wake Forest – So.
34. Carson Tinney – C – Notre Dame – So.
58. Luke Dotson – P – Mississippi St – So. – Signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks
83. Kaleb Freeman – UTIL – Georgia St. – Jr. – Signed with the Chicago White Sox
95. Josh Livingston – 2B – Wichita St – Sr.
97. Jack Moroknek – OF – Butler – Jr. – Will sign with the Washington Nationals
106. Aiden Robbins – OF – Seton Hall – So.
175. Cal Higgins – P – Western Kentucky – Sr.
264. Ashton Larson – OF – LSU – So.
416. Temo Becerra – SS – Stanford – Sr.

Of the six top 100 transfers that Texas landed, three have chosen to return to college and play for the Longhorns. After the MLB draft, the path to the field looks much better for Livingston. Tinney is going to start. Leffew is a premium arm that should make a significant impact for the Longhorns.

While the rankings say others aren’t top 100 transfers, it may be a case of an algorithm being too black and white regarding statistics without enough human input.

A great example of that is Aiden Robbins, who is ranked No. 106. Even considering that is the top 1% of portal entries, he was widely considered the best hitter in college baseball for 2025. Or consider Tinney, who is the only returning Buster Posey Award finalist from 2025 to be on a college baseball roster for the 2026 season. He is the third best catcher by the rankings.

This isn’t a crap session on the 64 Analytics rankings, but the rankings should not be viewed as gospel.

Since Texas lost Moroknek to the draft, the Horns went and attacked that position by grabbing Ashton Larson from LSU. He spent the last season in a diminished role as a pinch hitter for what would be a national championship team. Heading to Texas in search of more playing time, Larson was a freshman All-SEC selection in 2024.

Larson led the Tigers with a .337 batting average during conference play in 2024 as a freshman. This is the type of background that many would assume is a top 150 player in the portal.

[Want to be the most informed Texas Longhorns football fan? Order the 2025 edition of Thinking Texas Football today!]

Schlossnagle and Nolan Cain know exactly what they are doing in the transfer portal. Fans would be well-served by remaining patient and trusting that the Horns have a plan in place with Dotson, Freeman, and Moroknek starting their professional careers.

You may also like