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Texas Recruiting Notes 2023: Strippers, Monkeys, and 5-Stars

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Teryor

Teryor 4422

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41 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Wiltfong has an article about the recruiting weekend with a lot of upvotes if anyone has it. 

It's literally nothing

Spoiler

This weekend Steve Sarkisian and the Texas staff hosted several top prospects across the 2023 and 2024 recruiting cycles, where those coveted targets took in a spring practice and also got to enjoy the Texas Relays.

“I was dead center on the 4X1 and 4X2,” DeSoto (Texas) High Top247 receiver Johntay Cook II stated.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Cook is dead center on Sarkisian’s recruiting board alongside the likes of five-star quarterback Arch Manning who is also enjoying the weekend in Austin.

“Don’t be too surprised if we end up on the same team,” Cook said.

For Cook, he said “Austin is always good vibes,” as he considers a future playing for Sarkisian alongside the likes of Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Clemson, Ole Miss and Ohio State.

“(Sark is an) offensive genius and he’s a players’ coach, and message to me was same as always, I’m needed,” Cook said.

The Top247's No. 2 running back Cedric Baxter Jr. got a taste of potential life in the Burnt Orange.

"It was great," Baxter said. "Awesome people.  Spent time with Bijan (Robinson), he showed me around Austin."

Baxter believes Texas is a good fit.

"They run a gap scheme which I love and Coach (Tashard) Choice is a great running backs coach and person in general."

Several others felt strong about the visit.

"It was a good day," Frisco (Texas) Wakeland offensive tackle Connor Stroh said. "Class event that was really focused on offensive line and time with players and other recruits. They are definitely building something special here - vibe was relaxed but coaching is focused on important details. Weather was perfect! They remain high on the list for sure."

“It was great as always, the vibe was amazing,” Arlington (Texas) Mansfield Timberview offensive lineman Andre Cojoe said. “Got to meet some new people on the staff. It was great watching 1-on-1s and team/inside run. I liked the competition they had towards each other. It’s a good fit because it’s in my home state and the team seems very welcoming. They stand in a good spot, one of the top schools I’m interested in.”

"The overall day was really good and the atmosphere as well, and getting to see what a practice is like and watching the players go head to head in practice and give there all when they are on that field is just amazing and great to experience," Harker Heights (Texas) High offensive lineman Jaydon Chatman said.

Five-star running back Rueben Owens wasn’t able to make it but his father said the’ll be back in Austin next weekend. Five-star defensive lineman David Hicks did not make it in. The only thing he has locked in moving forward is Oregon's spring game.

Daingerfield (Texas) High 2024 cornerback Aeryn Hampton did make it back to Austin and the Longhorns commit continues to fall more in love with his future school.

“It was great man,” Hampton said. “Austin is just home. Big city, big atmosphere.”

24
COMMENTS
Prospects Hampton feels good about eventually joining him in the fold include Duncanville (Texas) High five-star linebacker Colin Simmons, his teammate in cornerback Ka’Davion Dotson and Tyler (Texas) High 2024 running back Derrick McFall.

Stay tuned to 247Sports as more reaction comes in.

 

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D3zii

D3zii 3642

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Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:

 

Just judging from his HUDL, he looks slow to me. 

He’s from West Orange, don’t let the tape fool you, he’s not running anything over a 4.5 

 

smh rookie 

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Hornius Emeritus

Hornius Emeritus 12419

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3 hours ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:

 

Just judging from his HUDL, he looks slow to me. 

 

2 hours ago, futureman said:

you know how some players have their highlights sped up? his are slowed down. 

 

2 hours ago, Bevo said:

Probably because he is playing in East Texas where there is more speed on the field

 

37 minutes ago, D3zii said:

He’s from West Orange, don’t let the tape fool you, he’s not running anything over a 4.5 

 

smh rookie 



His fastest 100m time is 12.02.  That was two years ago so he may have gotten faster but, so far, it hasn't showed up on this page:

https://www.athletic.net/TRackAndField/SchoolRecords.aspx?SchoolID=4451 

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RabidM

RabidM 2664

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6 hours ago, Jabberwocky said:

https://247sports.com/Player/Braylan-Shelby-46115176/

This guy is intriguing.  He's got a great frame and good athleticism.  He uses his eyes really well for a high schooler.  He doesn't have an elite first step, but it's pretty good.  He has a frame that looks like it should take to S&C really well. 

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Bevo

Bevo 13527

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, RabidM said:

This guy is intriguing.  He's got a great frame and good athleticism.  He uses his eyes really well for a high schooler.  He doesn't have an elite first step, but it's pretty good.  He has a frame that looks like it should take to S&C really well. 

Any clips of him playing edge?

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Teryor

Teryor 4422

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Roach

Spoiler

It was a huge weekend in Austin with several big visitors on campus while the Dell Match Play Event and Texas Relays were taking place. For the Longhorns, their first scrimmage of the spring was a loaded recruiting event for the first time under Steve Sarkisian and the first time in a few years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Longhorns took advantage with an important group of visitors centered around the number one player in the nation in five-star quarterback Arch Manning. We spoke to sources throughout the weekend regarding Manning and several other visitors on campus to get a feel for how things went and how the overall visit went off with parents and recruits.

In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we empty the notebook following a busy weekend.

HOW DID ARCH MANNING’S THIRD VISIT GO?
We talked Friday night about where things were with Manning following the first two days of his trip. The five-star quarterback arrived in town on Thursday, and he spent Thursday evening with the coaching staff along with Isidore Newman tight end and Texas target Will Randle. Johntay Cook joined them as well as they ate and watched college basketball betting push-ups on the result of the games.

I think that type of moment was exactly what Manning needed. In the past, visits have been centered around showing off everything there is to offer, but a low pressure and informal hang out session on the balcony outside of Steve Sarkisian’s office overlooking DKR allowed those recruits to just be kids and have fun.


(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

On Friday, Manning took in the Dell Match Play event with Sam Ehlinger, Josh Thompson and a few other people. We’ve been told in the past that Manning really loves Austin as the big city is full of things to do much like his home of New Orleans. Manning has also made a lot of friends in the area including Jaden Greathouse, Connor Robertson and Michael Taaffe. There are also a few former Newman students now enrolled at the University.

Put simply, Texas has been able to make Austin feel like a second home for him. On the relationship front, Texas has also been able to do a marvelous job there. Manning has a relationship with every head coach recruiting him, but we’re told he and Steve Sarkisian are extremely close. AJ Milwee has also been an all-star in this recruitment and is one of the few position coaches constantly mentioned to us by people near Manning.

On Saturday, Manning was able to take in the Texas scrimmage and go through position meetings to see how the coaches and players prepare. He also spent time with several Texas offensive line recruits and offensive line signees as Kelvin Banks, Cameron Williams and Connor Robertson all showed up.

As I reported Friday, the tone of my sources is beginning to grow more confident. One source I talked with not on the Texas side believes the Longhorns hold the edge right now. We’ll see if that changes following the visit, but Texas has never really faded from the picture.

As for the contenders in the recruitment, while Manning’s scope seemed to open up with Florida and LSU getting new staffs, I still believe it comes down to a core group of Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss. In talking with another source that has knowledge of the recruitment, they believe that Texas, Alabama and Georgia are out in front with Texas and Georgia setting the pace.


Five-star QB Arch Manning. (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

One thing that’s interesting to me is the movement by other schools with secondary quarterback options. Ole Miss is pushing hard for Jaden Rashada while Georgia and Alabama are investigating other passers as well. Texas is still all in on Manning at this point. Perhaps it means something or perhaps it’s just the Texas staff willing to take a risk to go after the nation’s top player, but I haven’t heard anything regarding the staff wavering.

Alabama will get another chance to host Manning for an unofficial visit and I’d expect a round of official visits to come. The timeline is still somewhat unclear, but I’ve heard it could be anywhere from May to August. Sources I speak with are still doubtful Manning would carry this recruitment into the fall.

Going into the weekend, I said Texas needed to keep up the pace they had in this recruitment coming out of the weekend, and I think they did that successfully. As we head into what is the possible home stretch of this recruitment, the Longhorns have positioned themselves to finish on top.

JOHNTAY COOK’S BRIEF TRIP WAS STILL PRODUCTIVE
I mentioned this yesterday morning in our Battle 7v7 notes, but the same type of low-pressure visit Manning experienced Thursday night was probably perfect for Johntay Cook. Cook has been a regular on the visit circuit and has been through all the hoops big-name recruits go through. Cook told me he enjoyed spending a chill evening with the staff and just talking about a million different subjects. Cook is in the process of thinking about his official visits, and the Longhorns are a lock to get one. He might save it for the fall as Texas is angling to get the last trip for him and he feels the weekend of the Alabama game would be a great opportunity to take it. Texas A&M still represents a big threat, but I’ve got Texas with an edge right now for the four-star receiver.

STAFF PUT HEAVY FOCUS ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE

(Photo: twitter)
Aside from Manning, I was told there was a big emphasis on bringing the offensive line recruits together. We talked about this following Junior Day, but the offensive line presentation has been a huge hit with recruits since Kyle Flood arrived in Austin. Not only is Flood pouring quite a bit into each player individually, but they are also making an effort to get these guys together as a group often.

Ian Reed told me he enjoyed his time on campus and had fun seeing practice and spending time with the coaching staff. He’s looking to narrow his list down after spring ball and take visits in the summer before narrowing it again. Right now he’s set to announce on early signing day.

I was told Texas impressed Mansfield Timberview OL Andre Cojoe and his mother who were also there. Texas is treating Cojoe like a huge priority which has them high on his mind. Cojoe is still a young prospect who will be a 16-year-old freshman with a tackle frame and legitimate length.

I asked a few sources how the visit went with Harris Sewell and was told they considered it a very successful and productive trip. Sewell has been open about his recruitment having no leaders, and we had a hard time reading him in the past. That said, the sources we spoke with feel Texas is very much in the race and getting Arch Manning would only help their cause.

Jaydon Chatman spoke highly of the trip when Hudson reached out to him and talked about how he was glad to see what it was like in the day in the life of a Texas athlete.

The Longhorns continued to impress massive Frisco Wakeland OL Connor Stroh and his family keeping themselves at the top of his list along with a few other programs.

After practice, the staff was able to let the recruits gather with current players and the offensive line group had a good time mixing with the guys signed and those already on the roster. I was told by a parent it gave the kids a lot of time to talk and get a feel for life at Texas and there was an offensive line-focused presentation from the strength and conditioning staff.

Fixing the offensive line was a huge task for Kyle Flood when he arrived and I’d say he’s off to a great start.

TEXAS RELAYS STOPPED SOME FROM VISITING

Jayvon Thomas (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

NCAA compliance rules prevent a competitor at an event like Texas Relays from visiting the football offices on the same day they compete. While some guys tried to stay, it prevented several others from making the trip. That includes Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra cornerback Rodrick Pleasant who ran on Friday and Saturday along with South Oak Cliff prospects Malik Muhammad and Jayvon Thomas.

 

In a lot of cases, these track athletes travel down with several other competitors and coaches. Because of that, guys can’t stay after since their team usually travels back home following the event. The Longhorns will need to work to get those guys back to campus for a football-centered visit.

 

Aside from that, Rueben Owens and his father couldn’t make it into town because of a family engagement. Rueben Owens Sr. told me that they are planning to re-schedule and possibly come for the spring game.

LONGHORNS IMPRESSED A FEW KEY TARGETS
Texas has a major need at linebacker, and one of their top targets was in attendance this week in North Crowley linebacker S’Maje Burrell. Speaking to Burrell and those around him, it sounds like the trip went very well. Burrell told me he’s for sure coming back to Austin for an official visit in June and is working on setting that up. Next up for him is a trip to Ohio State and then a round of official visits. I’d expect him to decide before his season but I’m not sure that’s set in stone anywhere. Oklahoma was making a big push for him, but I think this weekend was important to establish position for Texas.


(Photo: S'Maje Burrell, 247Sports)
 

Texas continues to keep pace with Austin Westlake wide receiver Jaden Greathouse who loved watching practice and spending time with the other recruits. While Texas had been hot and cold for Greathouse in the past, Brennan Marion is making him a priority. Of course Greathouse is right at home in Austin living just minutes from the Texas campus, and the Longhorns have a great shot to keep him at home.

NEW SPECIALIST OFFER
The Longhorns extended an offer to 2023 Southlake (Texas) Carroll punter Tyler White. Miami is the only other school to have offered but that should change as several big programs have been circling around him. White is also a baseball prospect who hopes to play both sports at the college level. The staff expressed a lot of interest in him on the trip and support his desire to play baseball as well. Right now he’s in the middle of his season on the diamond, but it sounds like he’s looking to make a decision this summer.

OVERALL VISIT ATMOSPHERE

(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

From the feedback we’ve received from recruits and parents, this staff is much more comfortable hosting visits now than they seemed to be early last summer. Attending practice adds a great layer to it because recruits are able to see how coaches talk to players and if anything changes from the recruiting process.

One parent I spoke to said, “The UT staff killed it as usual. It was great seeing a practice up close and being able to hear them actually coaching up their guys. We expected nothing less, but their personalities don’t change from how they talk to recruits or current players.”

With another big visit weekend upcoming, we will continue to search for feedback on this front.

COMMITMENTS COMING?
1
COMMENTS
I’m not sure we will see anything immediate coming out of this weekend, but I believe the weekend was transformational for a few guys who could be making decisions in the next month or moving their timetable. There are two prospects in particular from this list that I expect to be part of the class and feel this weekend was what solidified those decisions. As always, we will let those kids have their moments, but Texas could be in a position to pick up steam heading into the summer.

 

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Bob Lives!

Bob Lives! 900

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Posted
If you’re a golf fan, Dell Match Play is awesome.


Even if you’re not a golf fan, it’s awesome. Great scene, perfect weather, beautiful course, even more beautiful women. One of the best events of the year.

It’s doesn’t hurt that a Horn took home the championship. Hopefully Arch was in the clubhouse when Scheffler walked in and whole place started signing The Eyes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Big Woodrows

Big Woodrows 4195

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17 hours ago, OB3 said:

Anybody?

 

Spoiler

Hopefully this Sunday afternoon post finds you at the tail end of a quality weekend.

Speaking of which, it sounds like the highly anticipated Arch Manning and Will Randle visits went well. The mission of the trip was to partake in football life from the perspective of a Texas football player. The unconventional Thursday-Saturday visit served that purpose well. Manning and Randle got to Austin on Thursday so they could wake up as Texas players. They followed the same script as current players, right on down to rising early to eat breakfast together then attend weight lifting sessions. While you wonder if Arch even lifts, bro, we’ll continue.

The duo did attend Dell Match Play on Friday, but again, that was in line with life as a Texas player. That was considered team bonding. It continues to stand out with a number of our sources how seamlessly he fits in with an increasingly larger group of UT players, including former ones such as Sam Ehlinger and Josh Thompson.

While the visit went well, Texas was already in good position in this recruitment. The visit can be described as more than holding serve but not a game changer. I’m not sure anything is capable of game-changing given the methodic nature Arch and his circle are handling the recruitment. That written, the common belief with those we talk to is you’d rather be Texas than not as things currently stand.

Some easily digestible points to put a bow on this weekend:

1. Arch’s timeline is undetermined, but a Summer announcement is probably most likely. The same can probably be said for Randle. We mentioned this weekend Texas is in a position of strength with the tight end. That recruitment is probably a bit easier of a read at the moment than Arch’s.

2. Arch seems to be building a consensus with fellow top recruits with UT as the common denominator. That’s no guarantee he’ll select UT, but it’s certainly a positive data point.

3. It’s unknown when exactly Manning and Randle will visit again but they will visit again and sometime in April remains possible. It’s possible it could be a stealthy visit. Arch really does try to blend in and just be a normal dude.

4. In IT’s view, Texas remains the team to beat, but this one isn’t over yet. Speaking for myself, I do feel slightly better about my prediction than this time last week and I was already in a good place.

The Alabama visit looms next weekend but IT feels like Georgia is sturdier competition.

 

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Bevo

Bevo 13527

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, texifornia said:

Given that he's a double aggy legacy, this must have been painful on some level for mom to post

 

I have a friend whose parents were Miss Oklahoma and an Oklahoma starting baseball player and he and his brother still both went to UT. Shit happens.

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Thiefery

Thiefery 4969

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Posted
7 minutes ago, texifornia said:

And how are the Buecheles these days?

his older brother is cool, doesn't give me too much flak for being a UT fan.. he and the family HATED TOM, like with a passion.  Says he still roots for us outside the RRS.. and he wished Sark was there when Shane was.

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Bevo

Bevo 13527

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Posted
8 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

his older brother is cool, doesn't give me too much flak for being a UT fan.. he and the family HATED TOM, like with a passion.  Says he still roots for us outside the RRS.. and he wished Sark was there when Shane was.

I wonder how much is Tom Herman being a jackass and how much is Texas signing marginal talent. I guess you can assume with Mack signing marginal talent late in his Texas career without having parents dislike him for not playing their kid, most of the blame falls squarely on Tom H.

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Thiefery

Thiefery 4969

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10 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I wonder how much is Tom Herman being a jackass and how much is Texas signing marginal talent. I guess you can assume with Mack signing marginal talent late in his Texas career without having parents dislike him for not playing their kid, most of the blame falls squarely on Tom H.

the one thing they really hated and he made it a point when we were talking outside was... the way Tom first greeted Shane.. he was like who are you again.. then when they would pass each other through hallways, Shane would say hey coach, and Tom would just keep walking by, not acknowledging him.

They just didn't understand why he would do that, it wasn't building a culture or anything..it was just a immature douche move.

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bar 396

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Posted
4 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

the one thing they really hated and he made it a point when we were talking outside was... the way Tom first greeted Shane.. he was like who are you again.. then when they would pass each other through hallways, Shane would say hey coach, and Tom would just keep walking by, not acknowledging him.

They just didn't understand why he would do that, it wasn't building a culture or anything..it was just a immature douche move.

Learned it from Urban. After reading about his failed NFL experiment, I think we dodged a bullet there. I don't know if that type of coaching works in the age of the transfer portal.

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