After three seasons with the Pittsburgh Panthers, Rasheem Biles became one of the most coveted linebackers in the NCAA transfer portal, ranking sixth at the position by 247Sports.
Numerous teams expressed interest as Colorado and Michigan landed visits from the 6’1, 222-pounder, who also planned a trip to Miami after Texas that got canceled when he committed to the Longhorns on January 10.
One school that couldn’t get the Columbus-area product on campus? Ohio State, which made contact with Biles once he was in the portal.
“When I made my list and stuff I told my mom, I ain’t really trying to be in Columbus,” Biles said on Thursday. “I ain’t trying to be a Buckeye. They ain’t want me out of high school, and I was right there, so ain’t no point in trying to get me now, you feel me?”
A standout at Pickerington Central, about 30 miles from downtown Columbus, Biles played running back, wide receiver, and served as a Wildcat quarterback in addition to playing safety. Considered an athlete by the recruiting services in the 2023 recruiting class, Biles didn’t have a clear projection to his future position of linebacker and late evaluations were complicated by an injury that limited him to five games as a senior.
Slotted just inside the top 1,000 players nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings, Biles only had three Power Four offers among his 13 total offers — from Pitt, Purdue, and West Virginia — so it’s not especially surprising that a blue-blood program like Ohio State wasn’t in the mix despite his proximity. Had Biles grown up in the Austin area, he wouldn’t have received an offer from Texas, either.
But Briles didn’t feel spurned by a program almost 1,300 miles away, and the Longhorns were able to offer Biles something that the Panthers couldn’t — the opportunity to compete for a national title.
“My biggest thing was it’s my last year in college football. Obviously, I’m trying to win. I’m trying to win as much as I can. I’m tired of just having to sit home in December and January and watch big games on TV — I want to be a part of those big games. I want to win the national championship, that’s my biggest goal, and coming here, I feel like I could do that for sure,” Biles said.
On the visit to the Forty Acres, the Texas staff asked Briles about his dreams and goals.
“Everything aligned with my goals, my dreams, their goals and their dreams for this year,” Briles said. “It was just a perfect match, to be honest.”
A side benefit? The chance to face off against the Buckeyes on a big stage when Ohio State comes to Austin in September.
“I’m excited for that game, definitely,” Biles said. “That’s circled on my calendar, for sure.”