Significant roster turnover has left the Texas Longhorns in a wasteland of uncertainty.

Graduation and the transfer portal are the worst enemies of programmes that have set an incredibly high standard in the NCAA over recent years — the Texas Longhorns are the latest victim of change.

Texas head coach Vic Schaefer is a two-time National Coach of the Year and five-time Conference Coach of the Year, but even for a leader of his qualities, the upcoming campaign feels like a thankless task.

The 2025-26 season was set to be a benchmark for the coming years — a Final Four appearance alongside a second-place finish in a thriving SEC Conference.

However, huge personnel changes leave Texas in a period of transition, and it’s hard to believe they will manage to string together a similar level of performance in the upcoming campaign.

Harmon’s departure will undoubtedly hurt Texas

There are some departures a programme can prepare for, but they don’t make the loss of talent any easier to stomach — Rori Harmon falls into this category.

A leader, a floor general, and the heartbeat of a talented Longhorns roster, Harmon might not have lit up the scoreboard, but the work she put in for this team is simply irreplaceable.

While her time in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics has been underwhelming due to limited opportunities, she never failed to impress in the famous Texas jersey.

Defensively, Harmon averaged 2.8 steals and 6.3 assists per game throughout the 2025-26 season, which were major catalysts for Madison Booker’s offensive dominance.

What statistics don’t show is the way Harmon linked the Longhorns’ roster together on both sides of the ball. Without her presence on the floor, Texas was not the same cohesive unit.

Schaefer might find a player with similar statistics to replace his senior guard, but he will struggle to find the same selfless leadership that Harmon displayed on a nightly basis.

Rori is not the only exit from Texas

Fortunately for the Longhorns, they can still unleash their not-so-secret weapon, Madison Booker, but in other areas of the floor, they must find capable replacements.

Throughout the transfer portal, the SEC giants have not only lost important pieces of their squad, but have lost them to championship rivals.

Jordan Lee (South Carolina), Justice Carlton (Houston), Aaliyah Crump (Duke), and Aaliyah Moore (Tennessee Lady Vols) have all moved to programmes that Texas will lock horns with over the coming season — no pun intended.

Not every player named was classed as an integral player in the lineup last year, but when a team loses a high volume of players, they must replace them with options who can embrace a culture that has been established over several years.

The Texas Longhorns have gone from being a Final Four contender to a deep programme that is treading water.

Nobody should count out Vic Schaefer and Madison Booker to salvage the upcoming season, but it is going to be an alimighty take to reach the lofty standard they have set themselves in recent times.