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

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ATXbronco

ATXbronco 4381

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I've been to that UCF stadium back in the 90's when it was smaller than the Westlake high school "stadium".

Obviously at a different location, on campus though.

 

UCF is my second or third NCAA team.  
Really hoping that somehow, Texas can play them at home before leaving the Big 12.

I think we'll leave before it can happen but I'm still hopeful.  

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KeysPhoneWallet

KeysPhoneWallet 807

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I'm honestly not worried about Baxter. I just don't get the feeling with him. Dudes a quiet kid in terms of media it seems. What's he gonna do, "Yeah FSU wanted me to come down. It was cool but Texas is better. Fuck FSU. I love Texas."

Or, he changes his mind and goes to fsu. And our thing keeps going. Can’t get too caught up in anyone player, except maybe qb.
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Teryor

Teryor 4965

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Roach

Spoiler

The Longhorns come out of the bye week looking to finish strong on the field and the recruiting trail.

Wins on the field would certainly beget wins on the recruiting trail as the Longhorns aim to sign another elite nationally-ranked class to follow up what they did last year. It's been a quiet month or two outside of a few big storylines for Texas recruiting, and most of the attention revolves around keeping current commits in the class and finishing off remaining position groups.

As we hit a short break of the season before the final month of action, it's time to reset a bit and look at some of the big-picture themes of this recruiting cycle.

In this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we look at 10 different topics surrounding Texas recruiting to get a feel for how things are going and where this class is headed.

THE OUTCOME OF THIS CLASS COULD SWING HEAVILY ON HOW TEXAS FINISHES THE SEASON
Despite finishing 5-7 last season, the Longhorns were still able to make a furious push to land a Top 5 class including some huge wins in the trenches. It goes without saying, but I don’t think they will get the benefit of the doubt this year if something similar happens. Maybe 7-5 is enough, but I think Texas needs to get to 8 or 9 wins to feel safe being in a position to land some remaining targets and hold on to some of their own. Simply put, Texas has shown too well at times to come up with another disappointing season. A lackluster finish will likely start some whispers about the future of this program and staff which always stagnates recruiting.

RECEIVER POSITION HAS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY

(Photo: Michael McCammon, 247Sports)
 

The Longhorns currently hold commitments from Johntay Cook and Ryan Niblett in this class. They are still in pursuit of Louisville commit Deandre Moore who will officially visit Austin on November 12. Steve Sarkisian was in California to see Moore on Friday night, and there’s some confidence they can eventually close the deal with Moore. He remains committed to Louisville where Scott Satterfield looks to be in the process of saving his job, and Georgia is in the picture as well. The Bulldogs have some personal ties to Moore in the form of recruiting staffer David Hill who formerly coached at Desert Pines in Las Vegas when Moore was there. The Longhorns will also host Notre Dame commit Jaden Greathouse for an unofficial trip during the TCU game. I’m not sure what the read is there at the moment, but we should know more after the visit. I think that could depend on how hard Texas decides to push to keep the Westlake star at home. I also think it’s likely that Texas packs it in and looks for options in the portal if they don’t add anymore high school receivers who currently hold offers. Among the positions that are regularly available via transfer, the receiver position is usually one of the deeper groups. With that in mind, I think Texas will be happy to go to the portal and add some extra talent. They will also get Isiah Neyor back next season. I spooke to a source recently to see where things are with Neyor and was told he’s in a good headspace and working to rehab his knee while regularly catching balls from the jugs machine. The range of options gives the Longhorns a lot of different ways to fill the class.

BO DAVIS CONTINUES TO FIND OPTIONS UP FRONT
The Longhorns continue to look for options up front. Recently, Texas extended an offer to West Virginia commit Justin Benton. Hudson had some notes on that offer after speaking to Benton and it sounds like the Longhorns have a chance to flip him from a West Virginia program that is currently reeling. Benton will likely make a visit for the TCU game from what it sounds like, and several Texas commits are working on him. Benton’s film will remind many of current Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy as he looks like a one-gap penetrator who can disrupt the backfield. Texas also remains in pursuit of Markis Deal who they’ve been working on for a while. JUCO prospect Derick Hunter will also be in town for the TCU game and Texas will have to make a strong impression to pass up Tennessee who hosted him over the weekend. One thing we saw last year is that Davis will continually uncover options and recruit them relentlessly. The Longhorns will also be aggressive in the portal here if they have to fill a need at the position.

THE MOST UNDERRATED RECRUIT IN THIS CLASS…

(Photo: Texas Football)
 

I really think we don’t talk enough about Liona Lefau. From talking to sources about the Kahuku (HI) linebacker, there’s a lot of buzz about his ability. There’s also been some positive growth from Lefau physically. When he first committed, Lefau was seen as an undersized type of linebacker, but I recently spoke with someone who said that Lefau was around 6-foot-1, 215 pounds at the moment. He should only flourish more in a college strength program. Lefau is an incredibly instinctive prospect and he’s had a strong senior season for the Hawaiian power program. A source mentioned to me that Lefau was a true force when Kahuku played Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy, which is one of the top high school football programs in the country. Lefau saw Jeff Choate over the weekend who made his way out to the islands on the bye week to check in with the Lefau family. Liona said that his conversations with Choate are always special and they talked about what he can expect when he enrolls in the spring. Texas is still having to fight off some other programs for him. Oregon has been in the picture since the very beginning, and Tennessee is also making a heavy push with a pitch centered around one of the top NIL collectives in the country. Though his ranking might not reflect it, Lefau is one of the most high-value targets on the board for the Longhorns, and they’ve put a lot of time and effort into his recruitment.

THE POSITION I’M WORRIED ABOUT MOST RIGHT NOW
I think Texas has a good foundation in the secondary with Jamel Johnson, Derek Williams and Malik Muhammad. If they can add another impact corner, they’d be in good shape, but I don’t feel great about the outlook at that position right now. The major target is Javien Toviano, and as we’ve detailed in recent weeks, it’s tough to feel good about any clarity there at the moment. Aside from the lack of momentum with any current targets, all three of those prospects are being pursued by other programs. Alabama in particular is looking to go all in on both Muhammad and Williams. While I haven’t heard a ton with Williams at the moment, that will be one to watch all the way until signing day. The more pressing flip watch is Muhammad who recently visited Texas A&M and has a trip to Tuscaloosa in the future. Sources at South Oak Cliff have been wary of Alabama since the time Muhammad made his commitment to Texas in the summer. A source I spoke with over the weekend still feels that Alabama is an incredibly dangerous contender for Muhammad. Terry Joseph has been able to establish some strong footing at Westgate High School, so I don’t think the concern is as high with Williams. Perhaps there are some contingencies in mind, but it’s hard to see a realistic outlook for this position with any confidence.

CAN TEXAS HOLD ON TO CEDRIC BAXTER?

(Photo: Travis Register, 247Sports)
 

One of the players Texas will have to guard most against is Cedric Baxter. The Orlando (FL) Edgewater back visited Florida State over the weekend and our colleagues at Noles247 had an update following the trip. Talking to folks around the program, there’s a lot of faith in the relationship Tashard Choice has with Baxter standing the adversity of an in-state program like Florida State throwing the sink at Baxter. That said, even Baxter admitted after the trip that it gave him some things to think about. I can’t overstate how important Baxter is to this class. He has the talent to be a day-one contributor and future star in this offense. There’s been nothing in the aftermath of this trip to worry me and I think Texas still probably holds the advantage. That said, his official visit over the weekend was a step in a more serious direction and that’s something to closely monitor throughout the next few months. As of now I still feel Texas will hold on, but Florida State is causing a little intrigue.

ANY SIGNING DAY SURPRISES IN PLAY FOR LONGHORNS?
Everyone loves some singing day intrigue, and while it’s too early to say if there will be any, I think there is one candidate we can look for. We’ve been tracking the recruitment of Colton Vasek since he visited Austin for the Alabama game and returned for the Iowa State game. We’ve heard enough indications to believe that Vasek is certainly considering some options. Of all the sources we’ve spoken with in the last few weeks, the one constant is the belief that if Vasek does flip, he will likely wait until signing day to make the move. You could probably also include Deandre Moore as a candidate who would take his decision to that day. More will develop down the line, but these are the candidates I have circled early on.

WHEN COULD NEXT COMMITMENT COME?

(Photo: Rusty Mansell , 247Sports)
 

After a spring and summer full of action, it’s been a slow fall. A large part of that is the amount of commits already in and a narrowed scope of targets, and we should see some more decisions soon. I’d put a caveat of pulling off a win with this one, but if the Longhorns defeat TCU with so many big visitors on campus on November 12, I think it’s possible someone pulls the trigger that weekend or shortly after. Jelani McDonald and Justin Benton are two guys I’d have my eye on given the group of guys who will be there. If there’s no action in November, I’d expect some fireworks leading up to the early signing period like we saw last year.

DON’T SLEEP ON DERION GULLETTE’S ABILITY DESPITE HIM MISSING THE SEASON WITH INJURY
Gullette was lost for his senior year before the fall and hasn’t been talked about a lot because he hasn’t been playing. Gullette was a huge pickup for Texas because of his tremendous athletic ability and versatility to play both inside and on the edge. At last check, Gullette was looking toward enrolling early and competing right away for playing time. He’s the type of athlete who usually finds success early at the college level, and if he enrolls in the spring and is healthy, he’s a player I expect to make some noise when we hear practice reports.

WHERE DOES THIS CLASS FINISH?

(Photo: Bryan Terry, USA TODAY Sports)
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COMMENTS
 

The Longhorns currently sit at No. 5 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. With the potential to add some more high-level prospects, the ceiling and floor have a wide gap depending on how this program finishes over the next month. If Texas wins out or goes 3-1, I could see them going as high as 3. If they finish 2-2 or worse, I think they could possibly lose some players and finish closer to 10. There are quite a few stakes hanging in the balance for them. If forced to make a final call, I’ll go with a Top 5 class opting to have some faith in Sarkisian and his staff to finish strong on the field and recruiting trail.

 

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Bevo

Bevo 13825

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32 minutes ago, Teryor said:

Roach

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COMMENTS

The Longhorns currently sit at No. 5 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. With the potential to add some more high-level prospects, the ceiling and floor have a wide gap depending on how this program finishes over the next month. If Texas wins out or goes 3-1, I could see them going as high as 3. If they finish 2-2 or worse, I think they could possibly lose some players and finish closer to 10. There are quite a few stakes hanging in the balance for them. If forced to make a final call, I’ll go with a Top 5 class opting to have some faith in Sarkisian and his staff to finish strong on the field and recruiting trail.

 

Yeah, if we suck we will lose some players. But, the bigger issue is bags. Alabama has a good story and if it matches bag money, we will lose those guys. We have to do more than match. Right now, we are playing Bama's game.

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Creasy Bear

Creasy Bear 665

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Just now, Bevo said:

Yeah, if we suck we will lose some players. But, the bigger issue is bags. Alabama has a good story and if it matches bag money, we will lose those guys. We have to do more than match. Right now, we are playing Bama's game.

Cue bag game vs. NIL discussion for the next 5 pages. 

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Hornlover

Hornlover 8915

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4 hours ago, cochamps said:

He would help us from day one.  If we lose him, it is a gut punch imo.

I'm not certain if he's better than Brooks or Blue. He might be, but it's not knowable.

I'd love him on our team, and think he's going to be a good one, but we're going to be fine next year at RB with or without Baxter.

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Atticus

Atticus 4176

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4 minutes ago, Hornlover said:

I'm not certain if he's better than Brooks or Blue. He might be, but it's not knowable.

I'd love him on our team, and think he's going to be a good one, but we're going to be fine next year at RB with or without Baxter.

Definitely better than both in the long run, he’ll likely be 1a or 1b by the end of spring if he comes here.
Baxter gives us a Najee Harris level back this offense thrives on. He hits the hole like Rojo and has the home run hitting speed to make it count more often. He’s also supposed to be a focused mofo and we need more of those guys in our locker room. 
He’d be a major hit to our class.

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Funk Doctor Spock

Funk Doctor Spock 13121

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Baxter has a long standing relationship with Choice and trust him, so I don't see him bailing on the guy who has been honest with him since day 1. They're very close, and Baxter is a good back. He's definitely not usurping Brooks as the starter. Brooks will he playing on Sundays. No clue about Blue since I believe he's rs'ing. Baxter is a special back and I doubt he'll rs. 

 

It's funny how these $9.95ers tell us that kids don't care about wins and losses, but then tells us if Texas doesn't win 8 games we may lose some recruits. They're fucking morons that I can't believe people pay to listen to them, other than Gerry Hamilton. 

 

Texas is in the process of setting up a visit with Anthony Hill is what I read, so that's excellent news. Let's hope we get one going for David Hicks. 

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