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Texas WR Jake Smith enters transfer portal after injury-plagued Longhorns career

ByEthan Lee|
STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 31: Cornerback Thomas Harper #13 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys stops wide receiver Jake Smith #7 of the Texas Longhorns with a six-yard gain to set up a touchdown from the 12-yard line in the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Texas won 41-34 in overtime. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 31: Cornerback Thomas Harper #13 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys stops wide receiver Jake Smith #7 of the Texas Longhorns with a six-yard gain to set up a touchdown from the 12-yard line in the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Texas won 41-34 in overtime. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

It looks like the Texas Longhorns could be losing Jake Smith as the wide receiver has reportedly entered into the transfer portal.

As Steve Sarkisian works to get the Texas Longhorns football program going in the right direction once again, there’s a good chance he’ll have to do it without a talented receiver. Jake Smith has entered the transfer portal.

Smith hasn’t been in Austin for very long. The Arizona native joined the Longhorns as a member of the 2019 class while Tom Herman was still at Texas. He was a 4-star recruit for the Longhorns, according to 247Sports.

In the two seasons since then, Smith has recorded 48 receptions for 568 yards and nine touchdowns.

Smith only played a total of 15 games over the past two seasons, dealing with injuries at various times.

Jake Smith is entering the transfer portal after breaking his foot at the beginning of Texas’ spring practice

The junior wide receiver actually broke his foot on the first day of spring practice back in March, but the Longhorns were expecting him to be back for the fall. He was previously cleared to return for summer workouts in late May.

However, it looks like Sarkisian and the Longhorns will have to find a way to build their offense without Smith.

The first-year head coach is being tasked with rebuilding the Texas football program back to its prime. With how quickly the University of Texas can move on from head coaches, every setback makes that job even more difficult.

UT moved on from its previous head coach, Tom Herman, after the Longhorns went 32-18 in four seasons. Texas won four consecutive bowl games under Herman’s guidance, including a Sugar Bowl over the Georgia Bulldogs, but an inability to get past Oklahoma and breakthrough to that next level helped end Herman’s time in Austin.

Sarkisian is looking to restore this once-proud program. He’s got a lot of work to do. Things might be even more difficult in his first season without Smith to help with UT’s offense.

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