On the first official day of the transfer portal being open for college softball, there's already a clear No. 1 available prospect for the offseason in Florida State shortstop Isa Torres. But that still doesn't mean Torres should be the top portal target for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Torres on Monday announced her plans via X to transfer with one year of eligibility remaining after a spectacular junior season that ended with her being named D1 Softball Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year. She broke the Florida State single-season records for batting average (.530), runs scored (78), slugging percentage (.978) and on-base percentage (.591).
— Isa Torres (@isabellat_03) June 8, 2026
Those accolades make Torres seem like an obvious top target for every team, especially for a program as dominant and with the funds like OU, but Patty Gasso has better use of her time and money while having to use this offseason to build a roster that gets the Sooners back to the Women's College World Series in 2027 after a disappointing finish this year.
Why Sooners should not go all in on Florida State transfer Isa Torres
It will be a loaded race for Torres that will eventually prompt a bidding war to get the best player available on a roster. The fact Florida State was either unable or unwilling to pay Torres what she's worth was likely a major force that sent her to the portal in the first place.
As a Texas native, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech all immediately seem to be the top options for Torres. Not only would they bring Torres back home, but all of those programs also have stacks of cash to offer with the ability to outbid the Sooners, even if OU went all in for Torres.
The Sooners, though, can get more value elsewhere, and need to. First, despite coming up short of appearing in the WCWS, OU still has a roster of loaded young talent that Gasso needs to keep in Norman, starting with freshmen Kendall Wells and Kai Minor. Wells and Minor, along with the likes of Gabbie Garcia, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Ella Parker also returning, would once again give the Sooners a potent lineup with or without Torres added to the mix.
Garcia, a sophomore, also already gives OU a staple at shortstop, which Torres' primary position. The Sooners will have to replace second baseman Ailana Agbayani, who graduated, but additional infield talent like McEnroe-Marinas, Lexi McDaniel, Allyssa Parker, Sydney Barker and Ori Mailo gives Gasso a long list of options to shuffle around to replace Agbayani and assemble a championship-caliber infield. OU's 2026 recruiting class also includes five-star middle infielder Ki’ele Ho-Ching.
With all that talent returning elsewhere and the Sooners' struggles in 2026, it's clear their top priority to get from the portal this offseason is an ace for the pitching staff. And it might even be their only real problem to solve to get back to the WCWS. That is where all the Sooners' leftover funds should go. Money shouldn't stop them from landing whatever pitcher they want if the Sooners truly want to compete for a national title next season.
Read more: Patty Gasso admits WCWS disappointment was the wake-up call Oklahoma needed
As of now, there's no pitcher in the portal really worth the Sooners writing a blank check to, but it's only Day 1. Eventually, there should be, and not only is Gasso desperate for a shutdown ace again, but that most crucial need is also at the most important position in college softball.
An ace from the transfer portal makes the Sooners a true title contender again immediately. Torres, though, does not solve any real problem. OU needs value, and that wouldn't come with Torres as Gasso has a bigger priority.
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