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Steve Sarkisian took his first step into the transfer portal as a head coach in Texas.
According to Inside Texas, LSU graduate Ray Thornton will return to his home state to play for the Longhorns. Listed as an outside linebacker on the Tigers official website, he has experience at the middle linebacker as well as under defensive coordinator Bo Pelini.
Thornton will begin his sixth season playing college football. After playing red in his first season in 2016, the former four-star rookie has played 32 games and has four starts. He totaled 45 tackles, three sacks, one pass deflection and one forced fumble.
Texas was one of the few schools to offer Thornton when recruited. He even made a few trips to Austin during the summer of 2015. After five seasons at Baton Rouge, Thornton entered the transfer portal on January 12.
Now he will come and play for a team that currently does not have a defensive coordinator. Sarkisian did his due diligence and took his time to find the right person for the job. Thornton’s role will be known once a coordinator is hired and he announces the type of core program he will put in place.
If the 4-3 base is retained, seeing Thornton playing the JACK position might be a possibility. With Joseph Ossai leaving for the NFL, Texas need a seasoned veteran to take over. Although he spent the last season at the middle linebacker, Thronton has experience rushing the passer.
Thornton was a highly visited recruit at Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas. He is ranked 15th in defensive end on the weak side of the country, the 205th player in the country and the 32nd prospect in the state of Texas.
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