Arkansas transfer DB Jalen Catalon commits to the Texas Longhorns
Jalen Catalon is returning to his home state to finish his college career.
[Get Inside Texas Plus until the start of the 2023 season for $29.99!]
The 5-foot-9, near 200-pound safety committed to the Texas Longhorns after making visits to Texas A&M, Purdue and Ole Miss prior to Texas.
Catalon has been one of college football’s most productive defensive players when healthy. He amassed 159 tackles, nine passes defended, five interceptions and three forced fumbles in just 18 games over four seasons in Fayetteville, Ark.
The former Mansfield Legacy star lost time each of the last two seasons to shoulder injuries that required surgery. The tough luck injuries the last two seasons followed a 2020 campaign in which Catalon tallied 99 tackles, four passes defended, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He was tabbed to the All-SEC first team by the AP and second team by the coaches, as well as to several freshman All-American teams. The standout 2020 season included being the first SEC freshman since Tennessee’s Eric Berry (2007) to post at least 86 tackles with three picks, and the first SEC freshman since 2012 to record 70+ tackles with three or more interceptions.
Catalon immediately makes the Longhorns secondary better and more experienced. The Longhorns are set to have safeties Jerrin Thompson, Kitan Crawford, Michael Taaffe, B.J. Allen and Larry Turner-Gooden compete this spring. On3 Consensus top 50 safety prospect Derek Williams will be in Austin after graduation in May, and is expected to push for time immediately.
The Longhorns already have one transfer defensive back out of the portal this cycle. Cornerback Gavin Holmes is the No. 34 ranked prospect in the On3 Transfer Portal Player rankings. Texas also added Stanford transfer punter Ryan Sanborn ahead of the early signing period. Both players have been announced by the school and, Holmes is set to enroll early.
