Which Texas and Michigan players are opting out of the Citrus Bowl — and what it means for the Longhorns' chances
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
As the Texas Longhorns prepare to face the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on December 31 in Orlando, both teams are dealing with the modern reality of college football: opt-outs, transfers, and future planning shaping who actually takes the field in this New Year’s Eve showdown.
For Texas, the departures hit key units. Michigan’s roster is also in flux as players weigh draft positioning, transfer decisions, and uncertainty around coaching changes. Here’s a breakdown of who’s out, why it matters, and how it reshapes this matchup.
Texas Longhorns Opt-Outs
Quintrevion Wisner, RB
Status: Opting out / entering transfer portal
Texas’ top running back over the last two seasons is not expected to play in the Citrus Bowl as he enters the NCAA transfer portal. Wisner finished the 2025 regular season with 597 rushing yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by key performances against Oklahoma and Texas A&M, and remains a respected leader in the Longhorn locker room.
His absence leaves a notable void in the Longhorn attack — not just in production but in experience — and puts pressure on Christian Clark, true freshman James Simon, and others to carry the load against Michigan’s front.
CJ Baxter, RB
Status: Transfer portal
Baxter, another running back who saw meaningful offensive snaps earlier in the season, is also listed by multiple trackers as opting out in favor of entering the portal. With both Baxter and Wisner gone, Texas’ backfield depth is tested against a physical Wolverines defense.
DeAndre Moore, WR
Status: Transfer portal
Moore’s decision to enter the transfer portal also knocks out a veteran receiver from Texas’ rotation. After back-to-back seasons of consistent catches and yards, Moore’s departure removes a reliable target for quarterback Arch Manning and gives opportunities to younger receivers.
Anthony Hill Jr., LB
Status:NFL Draft opt-out
Hill is one of the Longhorns’ premier defenders, regularly leading the team in tackles and impact plays. His decision to sit out and prepare for the draft removes a key voice and playmaker from Texas’ front seven.
Michael Taaffe, DB
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
Taaffe’s absence in the secondary further dilutes experience for a defense already navigating departures at linebacker and in the defensive backfield.
Malik Muhammad, DB
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
Muhammad, in the secondary rounds out the list of Longhorn defensive backs choosing to focus on their professional futures rather than the bowl game.
Jaylon Guilbeau, DB
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
Guilbeau’s departure adds to a secondary reshuffle that will test Texas’ depth against a Michigan passing attack looking to exploit mismatches.
Trey Moore, EDGE
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
Moore adds to the defensive attrition on the edge, further thinning a corps that will now rely on younger pass rushers to step up in a bowl environment.
Ethan Burke, EDGE
Status: Opt-out
Burke is also listed as opting out of the Citrus Bowl, compounding Texas’ losses upfront on defense.
Michigan Wolverines Opt-Outs
Derrick Moore, DE
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
Moore headlines Michigan’s announced opt-outs and is one of the team’s most productive defenders with double-digit sacks and consistent pressure numbers on the season. His absence weakens Michigan’s pass rush heading into Orlando.
Jaishawn Barham, LB / EDGE
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
Barham’s move to the edge and production this season made him a disruptive force for Michigan, and his absence will test depth against Texas’ balanced offense.
Giovanni El-Hadi, OL
Status: NFL Draft opt-out
El-Hadi’s opt-out removes a versatile offensive lineman who provided both experience and leadership for the Wolverines’ front.
Other Michigan Uncertainties
Interim head coach Biff Poggi hinted that many more Michigan players could opt out or pursue the transfer portal before the Citrus Bowl, even suggesting the possibility that up to two dozen might not return — though that figure is speculative and not yet official.
What it means for Texas
Offensive implications
Losing Wisner and Baxter leaves the Longhorns’ ground game significantly thinner. Texas will be forced to lean on younger backs like Christian Clark and James Simon, while Michigan’s defense — even without Moore — still presents a physical front that expects to win the line of scrimmage.
The receiver departures also shift more responsibility onto Arch Manning’s remaining targets and tight ends, particularly as the Wolverines look to pressure passing lanes with unconventional fronts under interim coaching.
Defensive shake-ups
Texas’ defensive identity has been built around playmakers like Hill and Taaffe. Their absence, along with Muhammad and Guilbeau in the secondary, forces younger defenders into higher-leverage roles in a game where margin for error is thin.
Depth will be tested, and coaching adjustments will determine whether Texas can maintain structure against Michigan’s attack.
Opportunity for younger players
That said, departures create opportunity.
Players like Emmett Mosley, Daylan McCutcheon, Christian Clark, and others could see increased roles in Orlando as Texas leans on its developmental depth. Bowl games have become extended auditions in the portal era, and this one is no different.
Psychological edge
Opt-outs change preparation, but they also forge identity.
Texas enters the Citrus Bowl with a roster that has rallied through adversity and reshaped its depth chart multiple times. Playing with fewer stars doesn’t mean lacking confidence — it means testing the next wave of contributors in a high-stakes setting.
For both programs, it’s no longer about missing names. It’s about who shows up.
Related: Texas loses third running back to transfer portal as roster churn accelerates
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos