As the 2026 college football season enters its halfway point, Longhorns star Rasheem Biles is moving closer to adding to his trophy case. On Thursday, Biles was named one of 16 quarterfinalists for the Lott Impact Trophy. Each season, the award goes to the defensive player who has had the biggest impact on his team, both on and off the field.
Through five games, Biles has recorded 41 total tackles and one sack. In his first two months as a Longhorn, the talented linebacker has also added one forced fumble and two interceptions to his resume. Regardless of the opponent, Biles has made an immediate impact after joining the Longhorns out of the transfer portal.
Impact player 🤘 pic.twitter.com/A8BcCOq7QQ
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 16, 2026
Although Biles has only called Austin home for a few months, his stellar play comes as no surprise. In his final season at the University of Pittsburgh, he set career highs in total tackles with 100 and interceptions with two. During the 2026 campaign, the talented senior has picked up where he left off despite playing in a new conference.
With Biles serving as a key piece, the Longhorns defense ranks fourth in the nation in sacks per game, ninth in team tackles, and 13th in total defense. Texas also ranks in the top 20 in first-down defense, passing-efficiency defense, and rushing defense. That is not bad for a team chasing a national title.
The last thing any quarterback wants to see after pulling on a read is Rasheem Biles and Colin Simmons waiting for him. pic.twitter.com/5cgIxxzdUx
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) October 14, 2026
After their first loss of the season, the Longhorns will have a motivated Biles in action on Saturday as they take on Florida. That should improve their chances as they look to move to 5-1 and earn their second SEC win of the year.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns star named Lott Impact Trophy quarterfinalists