Whoever said it's the most wonderful time of the year didn't account for the Transfer Portal opening on Dec. 9. Here are the 15 players Texas teams are most bummed about saying goodbye to.

1. Sam Houston DB Caleb Weaver

Weaver's journey from former FCS walk-on to First Team All-Conference USA mirrored Sam Houston's rise from an 0–8 start to its FBS tenure into a 9–3 season. He led the conference with 62 solo tackles and four interceptions, the heartbeat of a Bearkat secondary that finished first in the league in passing yards allowed per game.

2. Texas State RB Ismail Mahdi

Since flying under the radar as a COVID-era recruit from Plano East, Mahdi has steadily climbed the college football ladder into what's most likely a final season in a Power Four uniform. Mahdi transferred to Texas State from Houston Christian as part of head coach GJ Kinne's inaugural Portal class and earned back-to-back First Team All-Sun Belt nominations, rushing for a combined 2,322 yards and 14 TD.

3. Rice LT Ethan Onianwa

A good judge of how badly a loss should hurt is the schools immediately courting a departing transfer, and Onianwa will be linked exclusively to Power Four schools. The 6'6, 345-pound tackle started two years on the right side for the Owls, but had a standout season on the left in 2024. He allowed one sack in 294 pass-blocking reps. 

4. North Texas QB Chandler Morris

Morris's departure is part of a larger trend for North Texas: the second-consecutive year the starting quarterback and leading wide receiver have transferred. Morris led the American Athletic Conference with 3,774 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, finishing second in program history for single-season total yards (4,016) behind Mason Fine.

5. Sam Houston DE Chris Murray

Sam Houston's defense largely carried it into conference championship contention through the back half of the season while the offense struggled, and Murray's game-wrecking ability powered that unit. He finished second in C-USA with 11.5 tackles for loss and led Sam Houston with 5.5 sacks.

6. Houston DT Anthony Holmes Jr.

Holmes wasn't an all-conference player, but he ranks high on this list because of how valuable interior defensive linemen are. Remember in the spring when honorable mention All-Big 12 pick Damonic Williams transferred from TCU to Oklahoma? Holmes tied for the team lead with nine tackles for loss on a Houston defense far better than the 4–8 record indicates (second in the conference in total defense).

7. North Texas C Tyler Mercer

Mercer, a late addition to North Texas's 2024 recruiting class, was a gem for head coach Eric Morris's offense. His emergence at center allowed captain Jett Duncan to play his more natural tackle position. He earned Dave Campbell's Texas Football's All-Texas Offensive Freshman of the Year.

8. North Texas WR DT Sheffield

Sheffield's loss is impactful because he was a scoring threat on both offense and special teams. He paced North Texas with 66 receptions for 822 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also ranked first in punt return yardage. The reason he's not higher on this list is because Eric Morris has proven he can plug and play wide receivers to career years; Ja'Mori Maclin went from 380 receiving yards to 1,004 with Morris.

9. Texas State OT Alex Harkey

Harkey, originally part of Colorado's mass exodus after Deion Sanders's hiring, found a home at right guard for Texas State. The 6'6, 325-pounder was a Second Team All-Texas right tackle. He's reeling in offers from Texas Tech, Oregon and Illinois. 

10. Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson

Hudson's departure isn't impactful for what he did as a freshman, but rather what he was projected to do as a sophomore. The former five-star was the highest-rated recruit in Texas Tech history.

"Being a high school coach, I coached four receivers that played college football," Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire told the ESPN desk at Big 12 Media Days. "And watching him (Hudson) in high school, I thought he was better than all four of them."

But Hudson never caught on at Texas Tech, catching eight passes for 123 yards in an injury-plagued season. 

11. Houston CB Jeremiah Wilson

Wilson combined with safety AJ Haulcy to form one of the Big 12's best defensive back tandems. He recorded four interceptions and four pass breakups in his lone season with the Cougars. 

12. UTEP DT Kyran Duhon

Duhon was one of the best freshmen in Conference USA, finishing second on UTEP's defense with seven sacks and adding 43 combined tackles. Though only listed at 6'2, 250, he plays big with a high motor.

13. Texas State CB Joshua Eaton

Eaton, a former transfer from Oklahoma, started at corner for Texas State for two years. His transfer, combined with Chris Mills's graduation, means the Bobcats must replace both cornerbacks. 

14. Texas A&M OL Kam Dewberry

Dewberry addded his name to the list of Texas A&M's historic 2022 recruiting class that didn't finish their careers with the program. He earned Freshman All-American status after starting five games, but started just three more in the ensuing two seasons. 

15. UTSA EDGE Ronald Triplette

Triplette was the highest-graded UTSA defender (87.4) per PFF in a rotational role. He finished second on the team with four sacks.