Arch Manning recently announced that he will return to the Texas Longhorns to lead their college football team for the 2026 season.
Manning is coming off his first year as the full-time starting quarterback at Texas, working under head coach Steve Sarkisian.
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While the Longhorns entered the season as the nation’s preseason No. 1 team, they failed to make the College Football Playoff. Texas ended the season 9-3, winning their final two games before bowl season.
As it heads into a matchup against the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Texas is losing one of its top players to the transfer portal, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.
“Texas wide receiver DeAndre Moore is entering the NCAA transfer portal. He has 77 catches for 988 yards and 11 touchdowns in his Texas career,” Thamel posted on X.
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The transfer portal opens Jan. 2 and remains open until Jan. 16. Moore took to his own X account to make the announcement official.
DeAndre Moore Jr. has served as one of the Texas Longhorns’ top receivers. Moore spent the past two seasons at Texas, having a large role in the offense.
In his first season at Texas (2024), Moore posted seven touchdowns and 456 yards on 39 receptions. Moore then posted four touchdowns and 532 yards on 38 receptions in his second season with the program.
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16).Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Arch Manning will now be missing one of his top targets, looking to have an improved season in 2026 after the hype carried him into his first season as the starter.
Manning posted 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 2,942 yards with a 61.4 completion percentage.
Moore is not expected to play with the No. 13 Longhorns face the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines (9-3) in the Citrus Bowl at 3 p.m. ET Dec. 31 on ABC and the ESPN app.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.