Texas scored another win in the transfer portal on Sunday, and it once again came at the expense of another SEC team.
Former Auburn forward Elyjah Freeman has committed to Texas coach Sean Miller. The 6-foot-8 wing announced the decision on his personal Instagram page. Freeman will have 2 seasons of eligibility remaining to use with the Longhorns.
The addition is a major coup for Texas and a bit of a sting for Auburn.
Freeman started 21 games for the Tigers last season — his first with the program — and appeared in 38. He averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 26.9 minutes a night. He also led the team in total steals, with 29.
Flashes of brilliance could be seen throughout the year. He scored 21 points in a November win over Wofford. He had 14 points and 5 assists in a game a week after that. He scored 19 points off the bench in a mid-December victory. He scored a career-high 27 points weeks later in a win over Queens.
“I would love for him to be here next year because he’s going to be a really good player,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said in March after Freeman scored 15 points and played all 40 minutes in a win over Nevada.
After Auburn won the NIT, Freeman said he was “locked in” with the Tigers.
Five days later, he hit the portal.
Freeman spent his freshman season at Lincoln Memorial University playing D2 ball. In 28 starts, he averaged 18.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while earning a South Atlantic Conference first-team nod.
He is 1 of 4 transfers to publicly pledge to the Longhorns during this portal cycle, joining guard Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), forward David Punch (TCU), and guard Amari Evans (Tennessee).
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
