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Head coach Jim Schlossnagle and his staff continue to emphasize outfielders in the NCAA transfer portal, landing a Monday commitment from former UCLA Bruins outfielder Payton Brennan.
The 6’3, 215-pounder has one season of eligibility remaining.
A Rocklin (Calif.) product who also played in the infield in high school, Brennan signed with UCLA as the No. 4 outfielder and No. 20 0verall prospect in the state, according to Perfect Game, and the No. 157 player nationally.
Brennan redshirted during his first season in Westwood before becoming a mainstay in the outfield for the Bruins, starting 138 games over the last three seasons.
In 30 starts as a redshirt freshman, Brennan slashed .267/.333/.383 with 11 runs, 32 hits, seven doubles, two triples, one home run, 10 RBIs, 10 walks, and two HBPs, flashing his upside with a 7-for-7 performance against UC Santa Barbara in late March, hitting his first career home run and a walk-off single in the 12th inning.
In 2025, Brennan improved despite missing a month due to injury, a trend line that continued into this year, slashing slashing .303/.381/.487 as a redshirt sophomore with 59 hits, including 20 for extra bases — 10 doubles, six home runs, and four triples. Brennan also finished third on the team with 11 stolen bases and played well in center field, committing one error while recording two assists.
When UCLA added former Texas center fielder Will Gasparino through the portal, Brennan primarily played right field in 2026. Brennan continued to demonstrate improved power while maintaining his on-base percentage with a slash line of .290/.382/.460 with 63 hits, 51 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs, as well as 26 walks and six stolen bases.
Ranked as the third-best available player by 64Analytics, Brennan is capable of big-time exit velocities that also make him a potential MLB Draft selection this week, increasing the risk for Texas, which lost three transfer portal additions to last year’s draft, including Butler transfer outfielder Jack Moroknek.
So the hope for Schlossnagle is that Brennan isn’t using his commitment to the Longhorns as a placeholder to secure a little bit of extra leverage for this week’s draft because he represents an upgrade over departed outfielder/first baseman Ashton Larson, who was signed last year after Moroknek was selected.
But there’s no question that Brennan will be one of the most important players for Texas to monitor this weekend because of his extensive experience, including in the postseason, and his left-handed bat.
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