Texas Linebacker Rasheem Biles Marks Ohio State Clash as Personal Objective Following Recruitment Snub
Rasheem Biles joins Texas Longhorns after three seasons at Pitt, targeting the third meeting between the programs in three years.
Texas Longhorns senior linebacker Rasheem Biles has identified the September 12, 2026, contest against Ohio State as a primary personal objective, citing a recruitment snub during his high school years as the driving force behind his interest in the fixture. Biles, who grew up in Pickerington, Ohio, approximately 30 minutes south-east of Columbus, stated that the Buckeyes failed to engage with him while he was in high school and only made contact after he had already committed to Texas via the transfer portal.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Biles expressed a firm desire to avoid returning to Columbus, noting that he explicitly communicated to his family and agents that he did not wish to remain in the area. He remarked that the late outreach from Ohio State held little weight given their previous disinterest, stating there was no point in reconsidering his position now that he had moved on.
Biles transferred to Texas from the Pitt Panthers after completing three seasons with the Panthers between 2023 and 2025. During the 2025 season, he recorded 101 combined tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions returned for touchdowns, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery across 10 games. His statistical output over the 2024 and 2025 seasons averaged 91.5 combined tackles, 15.8 tackles for loss, five sacks, 1.5 interceptions, and 1.5 forced fumbles per season.
The upcoming Week 2 duel in Austin will mark the third meeting between Texas and Ohio State in three years, with the two programs having faced off in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinals and again to open the 2025 season. Ohio State holds a 3-2 advantage in the six-time all-time series, having defeated Texas 28-14 in the 2024 semifinals and 14-7 in the 2025 season opener.
Texas enters the 2026 season with Arch Manning as the full-time quarterback, following a 9-3 campaign where the Longhorns missed the College Football Playoff but defeated the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The team’s defense, which ranked sixth in opponent points and fifth in opponent rushing yards last season, will face a Buckeyes squad that was the No. 2 seed in the previous playoff before losing to the Miami Hurricanes in the quarterfinal round.
