Even though Texas freshman quarterbacks Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson are exploring transfer options, they traveled with the team to the Sugar Bowl.
Rising and Thompson took advantage of new rules that allow players to signal their willingness to transfer by putting their names in an NCAA data base, essentially reopening their recruitment. Although both were ranked as top 300 national prospects, neither has played this season.
"We don't want to lose either one of them," coach Tom Herman said at Texas' arrival press conference. "Nowadays in college football that's their right, and that's something that the football oversight committee and the transfer oversight committee thought was a necessary next step.