Maurice Westmoreland Transfer Portal: 5 landing spots for UTEP DE ft. Texas 

Maurice Westmoreland initially joined the Kilgore Rangers, a junior college program, as an unranked prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. He appeared in 18 games across two seasons with the program, recording 62 total tackles, 37 of which were solo tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and six passes defended.

Westmoreland joined the UTEP Miners via the transfer portal ahead of the 2022 season. He appeared in 36 games, recording 100 total tackles, 56 of which were solo tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four passes defended.

247Sports' Matt Zenitz took to X/Twitter on Thursday to share that Westmoreland has entered the transfer portal:

"UTEP two-time first-team All-Conference USA EDGE Maurice Westmoreland has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @cbssports / @247Sports . Posted totals of 83 tackles and 15.5 sacks the last two years."

Check out Matt Zenitz's tweet below:

Here's a closer look at five potential landing spots for Westmoreland via the transfer portal.

5 potential Maurice Westmoreland landing spots

#1. Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns had a strong pass rush in 2024, ranking tied for sixth in the nation with 41 sacks. They could look to bolster the unit by adding Maurice Westmoreland, who has 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

#2. Colorado Buffaloes

While many expected the 2024 season to be Deion Sanders' last with the Colorado Buffaloes, that does not appear to be the case. Although his sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, and Travis Hunter, will not be back in 2025, it appears that Coach Prime will return to the program. Look for the Buffaloes to remain aggressive via the transfer portal. They could target Maurice Westmoreland to join a defense that took a big step in the right direction in 2024.

#3. North Carolina Tar Heels

The North Carolina Tar Heels have made the splashiest move in the coaching cycle, thus far, as Bill Belichick is now in charge of the program. He will likely use the transfer portal to build the team's roster. Maurice Westmoreland could look to play for one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

#4. Mississipi State Bulldogs

The Mississippi State Bulldogs had a terrible 2024 season as they finished just 2-10, and 0-8 in SEC play. Their defense played a huge role in their struggles as they allowed 34.1 points per game, the 17th-most in the nation. They struggled to generate a pass rush, finishing with just ten sacks on the season - the second-fewest in the nation. Maurice Westmoreland, who had 8.0 sacks over the final eight games, would instantly help the unit.

#5. Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones are another program that failed to generate a pass rush as their 16 sacks were tied for the tenth-fewest in the nation. Despite this, they finished the regular season with a 10-2 mark before losing in the Big 12 Championship Game. They could target Maurice Westmoreland to help with their biggest flaw.