Texas Recruiting Notes 2024: Bags Don't Beat Bankrolls

[closetojumping 65427]

12 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Chilis is absolutely disgusting.

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

[BurntOrange&White 41864]

2 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

It's more like Raising Cane's  with a few more chicken related options but they do have good milk shakes.

Edited June 19, 2023 by BurntOrange&White

[SydneyCarton 49504]

12 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

This is redundant. No one says hillbilly Walmart or hillbilly Conroe either. And I’m not sure there’s a more hillbilly anything than chilis after Cracker Barrel announced they were offering plant based sausages and supported pride. 
 

11 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

It's more like Raising Cane's  with a few more chicken related options but they do have good milk shakes.

of course you’re familiar. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by SydneyCarton

[Junior Bonner 6584]

12 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

More like a secular chik-fil-a 

[closetohumping 17817]

Hudson probably trolling us now?

[HenryJames 67368]

18 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

They have them in Round Rock and Pflugerville.

[closetojumping 65427]

11 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

They have them in Round Rock and Pflugerville.

Is this some sort of game? Why would I ever be near either of those places of my own free will. 

For the record, I guess I’d rather be dead in Round Rock than alive in Pflugerville. 

[Teryor 5005]

Stampede

Spoiler

The most consequential part of the recruiting calendar is upon us. The Texas Longhorns staff just hosted three five-stars and over a dozen four-star prospects on official visits and earned two public commitments from 247Sports composite four-stars Santana Wilson and Freddie Dubose. 

In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we take a look at the recruitments of a handful of official visitors from this past weekend and drop some intel on priority targets that took official visits to other schools across the country. 

OVERALL TAKEAWAYS FROM THE OV WEEKEND
On Friday I talked with a national source to get their feel on the group of visitors set to arrive and dropped a nugget in the OV weekend thread from the conversation that they felt "Texas, Miami, and USC were the three schools doing the best job with recruits and families cultivating OV weekend experiences." One prime example of that is the Saturday night experience where after a day of talking about football fits, personalized recruiting pitches, photoshoots, and campus tours Texas splits up recruits and families with the adults opting for a cruise on Town Lake or an early exit to the luxury hotel. While recruits and current players on the team had a large dinner, which this past weekend was highlighted by former five-star Cedric Baxter's rendition of Usher's "Burn" during Karaoke.

There will be plenty of recruits from this weekend that don't sign with Texas, but we haven't heard of a truly negative experience yet which is pretty shocking considering the difficulty level of hosting nearly twenty priority targets that all expect tailored experiences. Also, previous recent reporting on the mishaps with the David Hicks recruitment and logistical issues during the Texas vs. TCU visit weekend last fall should prove that there is no "Kool-Aid" or "Sunshine Pumping" going on. The Texas staff and recruiting team have genuinely earned this level of praise.

Nearly every recruit, parent, or source we spoke to about the visit weekend raved about current player involvement in selling the program. One parent of a player on campus relayed this to Horns247 after the visit.

"We felt like Texas had a good season last year and felt comfortable with Coach Sarkisian," they said. "But every single player we spoke to had nothing but positives to say about the team and coaches which gave us an extra level of comfort because not every school we've been to can say that."

Another factor that's been mentioned on the board plenty is the impact of having multiple parents with serious football ties and intelligence sign off on Texas for their children with Arch Manning, Terrance Brooks, and new commit Santana Wilson immediately coming to mind. Wilson's father Adrian was on the trip this weekend and is the VP of Player Personnel for the Carolina Panthers and was a 5x Pro Bowler as a safety in the NFL.

INTEL ON TEXAS VISITORS

Ryan Wingo (Photo: Andrew Aguilar, 247Sports)
Ryan Wingo, WR, St. Louis (MO) University

The five-star wide receiver was the highest-ranked player on campus this weekend with the Missouri native checking in at No. 7 in the country according to 247Sports. Of the three five-stars on campus, Texas made the biggest move with Wingo over the weekend. Steve Sarkisian has invested serious time into this recruitment and Chris Jackson's NFL pedigree has offered additional comfort alongside the recruiting pitch of Sarkisian's offense.

One of the biggest factors Texas has working for them with Wingo is the pathway to early playing time as a freshman with four of the top receivers on the 2023 team draft-eligible heading into the season. Texas will slug it out with Georgia and Tennessee throughout the road to signing day, but they're definitely squarely in the mix moving forward.

Brandon Baker, OT, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei

Five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker is the highest-ranked target on the offensive line for the Longhorns in the 2024 recruiting cycle and Kyle Flood & Co. did a tremendous job with Baker and his family this weekend. Baker and Flood met individually on the visit where they went over film of Baker along with cut-ups of Freshman All-American left tackle Kelvin Banks.

With Baker, I didn't get the sense from sources that Texas leads the recruitment but I do think they're in strong consideration and will be in the mix until signing day due to the family's comfort level with the program, coaching staff, and city of Austin.

Jordan Ross, EDGE, Birmingham (AL) Vestavia Hills

I hoped to get more from sources about the five-star EDGE from the state of Alabama, but the once source I did get to speak about Ross likely nailed the outlook of this recruitment. "I think Texas just offered too late to keep up with Florida and Tennessee. Ross and the family really like Texas and enjoyed the visit, but I think there is just too big of a gap."

(Photo: Cody Nagel, 247Sports)
Danny Okoye, EDGE, Tulsa (OK) NOAH Homeschool

While the Longhorns might be a longshot for Ross, I do think they're the leader for another EDGE in Tulsa (OK) NOAH Homeschool's Danny Okoye. Jordan and I mentioned extensively in the leadup to this weekend that we felt Texas had a chance to take pole position for the hyper-athletic edge rusher and every indication from sources is they did just that.

If you haven't already, make sure to read Hank's interview with Okoye from yesterday where the composite four-star recaps his official visit to Texas and gives a likely commitment timeline.

Aeryn Hampton, ATH, Daingerfield (TX)

Texas got the last visit for Hampton before his July 7th commitment date where he'll make the call between his final two of Texas and Alabama. I didn't get the sense talking with sources that Texas took the lead this weekend, but Hampton is a notoriously tough recruit to get a clean read on so that matters less with him than it would with others. One interesting nugget we got on Hampton that Steve Wiltfong also reported is Texas using a flex take for the East Texas four-star, instead of purely slotting him as a wide receiver take. Hampton mentioned the possibility of playing both sides of the ball for Texas, but a source quickly told us that defense would be the most likely option as he was originally recruited during his first commitment to the Horns.

We'll continue to plug away at solving this recruitment as we get closer to his early July commitment date, but for now, the loose feeling is still a slight lean toward Alabama.

Christian Clark (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports)
Christian Clark, RB, Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe

Sources on the Texas side have remained confident all offseason that Tashard Choice will land both of his preferred backs of Clark and IMG Academy’s Jerrick Gibson. That feeling only increased after this weekend with Choice, Jonathon Brooks, Arch Manning and Cedric Baxter acting as a recruiting dream team throughout the visit. Oregon shouldn't be discounted with Clark, but we feel extremely confident about our reporting that Texas is the leader for the running back from the state of Arizona.

Myles Davis, S, Converse (TX) Judson

Another player with a Texas crystal ball entered this weekend is safety Myles Davis. Steve Wiltfong entered a CB for Davis after the four-star directly told him “UT definitely (number) one." USC and Texas A&M won't go away here but Texas adding a verbal pledge from Davis' close friend and fellow San Antonio blue-chip Freddie Dubose only adds to the likelihood that Davis ends up in Burnt Orange too. Also, make no mistake that Davis is a major priority for Texas at the safety spot and will be a take when he makes his decision in late August.

QUICK HITTERS
D'antre Robinson, DL, Orlando (FL) Jones

Another recruitment where Cedric Baxter was mentioned as a major help for the Longhorns. Texas is in the mix for Robinson and put a good foot forward this weekend, but one source remained confident that Florida leads for the massive defensive lineman.

Blake Ivy, OL, League City (TX) Clear Springs

Texas did a good job with Ivy and the Top247 offensive lineman remains a major priority for Kyle Flood, but it's safe to say that LSU and Texas A&M having a better shot of winning this one at the moment.

Eugene Brooks, IOL, Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon

Probably the player without a Texas crystal ball entered yet we feel the best about moving forward. I feel confident that Texas leads Oklahoma at the moment here and it'll be extremely interesting to see if Brooks decides to take more visits or set a commitment date for the near future.

Jordan Washington, TE, Houston (TX) Langham Creek

Texas did a tremendous job keeping Washington warm throughout the spring before pulling the trigger on an offer and taking a commanding lead in this recruitment. Washington announced a final three of Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama on Sunday and every source we speak to feels like the Longhorns are the clear leader after this weekend. Jordan and I entered picks to Texas shortly after Jeff Banks offered Washington and Steve Wiltfong entered a Texas pick as well after the feedback he received from the Texas OV.

Deshawn Warner, EDGE, Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge & Khmori House, LB, Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco

Both Warner and House fall into the "If Texas pushes for a commitment I like their chances" category. Warner reminds me a ton of Dallas South Oak Cliff EDGE Billy Walton from the 2023 cycle, but with a bit more length.

AROUND THE COUNTRY
Tyanthony Smith, LB, Jasper

Smith will take a midweek OV to Texas starting on the 21st and the Longhorns will get the chance to respond immediately to a home run visit experience from the Trojans. Jeff Choate has done a really good job managing the ebbs and flows of the Smith recruitment to this point and I think proximity to home will be a serious factor as we get closer to decision time, however sources on the West Coast believe USC now leads for the SETX backer.

Micah Hudson, WR, Lake Belton

Jordan spoke at length with Hudson on Sunday night and will have an update soon on the five-star recruit following his Texas Tech visit. One factor with Hudson I can't drive home enough is how much the 2023 season will matter in deciding where he ultimately signs.

(Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Terry Bussey, ATH, Timpson

A source close to Bussey told me on Sunday that his weekend trip to Oklahoma blew him away and that the Sooners should be considered a serious threat to gain his signature in December. Bussey has been adamant that he doesn't really have a preference on playing offense or defense at the next level, however I did get the sense after talking with the same source that Texas recently allowing Bussey the choice of offense or defense instead of just recruiting him as a defensive back was a savvy move. Texas put themselves in a tough and unnecessary spot by offering so much later than every other contender, but Steve Sarkisian has done a great job recently investing time in the nation's No. 15 prospect to make up for the lost time. 

We'll have another long-form article posted on Tuesday morning with full details on the visitor list set to arrive for the June 23-25 weekend.

 

[BurntOrange&White 41864]

29 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

This is redundant. No one says hillbilly Walmart or hillbilly Conroe either. And I’m not sure there’s a more hillbilly anything than chilis after Cracker Barrel announced they were offering plant based sausages and supported pride. 
 

of course you’re familiar. 

I've had it twice and the first time I tried it was because they had some special for a free birthday cake shake. I think that item has been discontinued since.

 

[pyrohornIII 4846]

42 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

Zaxby's makes a pretty decent Cobb salad for a fast food place.   

[Bob1000 13]

25 minutes ago, pyrohornIII said:

Zaxby's makes a pretty decent Cobb salad for a fast food place.   

Riveting

[HtownHorn 15236]

59 minutes ago, Junior Bonner said:

More like a secular chik-fil-a 

Maybe not much longer.

[NoName 17148]

Feldman on Elite 11 Takeaways (nothing specific about Texas QBs here)

 

Spoiler

Elite 11 takeaways: Bruce Feldman on Dylan Raiola, Julian Sayin, Air Noland and more

By Bruce Feldman

Jun 17, 2023

83

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REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — I’ve heard that a lot of recruiting folks are underwhelmed by this year’s crop of high school quarterbacks, but after spending a couple of day around them at this week’s Elite 11, I came away more impressed than I thought I would. Having said that: I’ve covered the Elite 11 for two decades. It’s a really well-run event. A buddy of mine who works more on the NFL side had asked me the other day, “What’s the main purpose of it?” My answer is that the Elite 11 is about trying to evaluate the quarterbacks while also trying to help develop them.

But there’s still a big play-making component to the position that is missing in this setting, because that’s one of the things you can’t replicate in shorts and T-shirts. But it’s still a good window into the 2024 quarterback class.

Here are 15 takeaways from the 25th edition of the Elite 11:

On Dylan Raiola: ‘I was wowed’

Dylan Raiola didn’t win the MVP honor, but I was wowed by him this week. Much as I was the first time I saw him in person, last spring at an Elite 11 regional. Ranked 247Sports’ No. 1 overall prospect (and QB), he more than lived up to the hype both times. Physically, he looks and carries himself like he’s in his mid-20s. At 6-feet-2 1/2, 226 pounds, the Georgia commit makes everything look easy, which really stands out after watching almost all of the other quarterbacks look like they’re amping everything they can into their throws.

Raiola exudes a lot of confidence. He doesn’t rush anything but still plays quick and strong. He can throw from different arm angles and can make any and every kind of throw, from the power throws to those he needs to layer in. He’s just a pure passer. The hit rate on five-star quarterbacks is around 30 percent over the past decade by my calculations, but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t have an excellent college career.

Julian Sayin, who stood out the most

I was equally impressed (and probably more so) by Julian Sayin, who won MVP honors. I say more so because I came in expecting it from Raiola. I wasn’t as sure of Sayin before this. On Wednesday night at the BreakAway Data station (measuring velocity and release time), he was just slinging the ball around. He had total command, like he was having fun and knew he was going to ace the test. It was a little three-quarters, but it came out of his hand so quickly and so on target. The more I watched the Alabama commit, the more I liked him.

Usually at events like this, you notice a QB after a few eye-catching throws, and then you keep watching and there are a few clunkers. Or a bunch of them. Not Sayin. I think he got better, the more he did. He reminded me a lot of Clemson QB Cade Klubnik when he was at the Finals two years ago, really clean and polished. Sayin’s not huge physically at 6-feet-1 1/2, 193 pounds, but I think the Crimson Tide got a really good one. The Elite 11 coaches I spoke to said his arm was a stronger than it looked on film. Another coach said he’s heard people compare him to former Tide star Mac Jones, but he thinks Sayin is more athletic than Jones and has more juice in his arm than Bryce Young had when he was at the Elite 11. He came into the camp as 247Sports’ No. 4 QB. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leap-frogs Jadyn Davis and Elijah Brown to No. 2.

A hot prospect stays intriguing

Trever Jackson, one of the two uncommitted QBs here this week, blew up. Starting on opening night, he won the Rail Shot Challenge, where he shined in the spotlight with all of the other QBs, including the coaches and counselors with Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. among them. The 6-feet-3, 187-pounder from Florida clocked by far the fastest velocity among the Elite 11 invitees that were timed at the regionals and displayed a lot of raw talent with a lot of juice in his arm. He was tops at the BreakAway Data station.

 

He showed repeatedly that can rifle the ball all across the field. Jackson is also really athletic and twitchy. He was inconsistent on Friday but in all, he had an outstanding week. Going into the event he had Pitt very interested, and Miami has come into the picture this week. Another counselor, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, was telling folks that he’s “our type of guy,” so don’t be surprised if the Terps come after Jackson hard.

Quick-hit thoughts on the rest

• Ohio State commit Air Noland, ranked No. 7 among the QBs and No. 47 among the entire 2024 class, looked really good too. The lefty always seemed comfortable and on point, displaying a deft touch. He has a very quick release and looked crisp throwing the ball on the run. One of the Elite 11 coaches described him as “electric.” I think he’ll be a great fit for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes with those gifted receivers in Columbus.
• Will Hammond, a three-star committed to Texas Tech, looked way better than his ranking. He was one of the most athletic QBs at the event and was almost always on time with his throws. The 6-feet-2, 187-pounder was a favorite of many of the coaches. They loved how he throws the ball but also how decisive he was in how he communicated to them in the competitions. This guy’s a steal for the Red Raiders. I doubt he’s going to be a three-star for much longer.
• FSU commit Luke Kromenhoek had a strong first night on Wednesday but was inconsistent as the event wore on. The 6-feet-3, 192-pound converted wide receiver should be a fun prospect to watch as he develops in Mike Norvell’s system. He had one of the strongest arms at the Elite 11.
• Jadyn Davis, ranked No. 2 among the QBs coming into the event, had an interesting couple of days. There were some very good moments for the Michigan commit, particularly in Friday’s 7-on-7 setting, but it appeared that he’s developed something of a wind-up mechanically. A few of the coaches told me it’ll be important for him to tighten his delivery so he won’t be late on his throws.
• Florida commit D.J. Lagway, at 6-feet-3, 231 pounds, is a very impressive athlete. The ball jumps out of his hand. His mechanics are a little different with his rigid front leg, and coaches say he will have to work to get his feet on the ground when he’s unloading the ball. But he has really intriguing talent.
• Everyone at the Elite 11 couldn’t believe that LSU commit Colin Hurley, standing about 6-feet-1, 220 pounds and built a lot like Raiola, had only turned 16 a few months ago. He’s younger than some QBs who will be sophomores this fall. He didn’t at all look out of place here compared to the other top quarterbacks.
• Nebraska commit Daniel Kaelin was another player lots of the coaches really liked in terms of his makeup and how he handled himself. Character-wise, he shined this week. He also showed to be one of the most accurate passers at the competition.
• TCU commit Hauss Hejny turned a lot of heads this week. At 5-feet-11, 185 pounds, he was one of the smaller QBs, but he’s also the fastest one too. He was clocked in the 4.4s in the 40 at regional camps. His arm was better than many anticipated. Some coaches compared him to a shorter Max Duggan. Others compared him to Trace McSorley. Either way, Hejny looks like an ideal one to thrive in that system, going from Duggan to Chandler Morris to him.
• Georgia’s other commit at the Elite 11, Ryan Puglisi, displayed one of the stronger arms in Redondo. He really unleashes the ball, and he was more athletic than a lot of the coaches here expected. The Connecticut product acquitted himself well in LA.
• Ethan Grunkemeyer, a three-star committed to Penn State, threw it well, especially early at the competition. The 6-feet-2, 186-pounder from Ohio a pretty twitchy athlete and clocked one of the quickest shuttles among QBs here. He was more inconsistent in Friday’s 7-on-7 work, but still looked like someone who is going to see his star ranking improve quite a bit.

Two other non-QBs who I kept noticing:

1. Luke Reynolds, a really slick route running tight end, who is committed to Penn State. The 6-feet-4, 220-pounder from Connecticut is actually a converted quarterback.
2. The other guy was a tiny, super-quick wideout from Long Beach Poly: Jadyn Robinson, a member of the Class of 2025. He’s only 5-feet-8 and maybe 130 pounds, but he was a really fun player to watch dart away from defenders and track down balls all week.

1.  

[Bevo 13896]

1 hour ago, Teryor said:

Stampede

  Hide contents

The most consequential part of the recruiting calendar is upon us. The Texas Longhorns staff just hosted three five-stars and over a dozen four-star prospects on official visits and earned two public commitments from 247Sports composite four-stars Santana Wilson and Freddie Dubose. 

In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we take a look at the recruitments of a handful of official visitors from this past weekend and drop some intel on priority targets that took official visits to other schools across the country. 

OVERALL TAKEAWAYS FROM THE OV WEEKEND
On Friday I talked with a national source to get their feel on the group of visitors set to arrive and dropped a nugget in the OV weekend thread from the conversation that they felt "Texas, Miami, and USC were the three schools doing the best job with recruits and families cultivating OV weekend experiences." One prime example of that is the Saturday night experience where after a day of talking about football fits, personalized recruiting pitches, photoshoots, and campus tours Texas splits up recruits and families with the adults opting for a cruise on Town Lake or an early exit to the luxury hotel. While recruits and current players on the team had a large dinner, which this past weekend was highlighted by former five-star Cedric Baxter's rendition of Usher's "Burn" during Karaoke.

There will be plenty of recruits from this weekend that don't sign with Texas, but we haven't heard of a truly negative experience yet which is pretty shocking considering the difficulty level of hosting nearly twenty priority targets that all expect tailored experiences. Also, previous recent reporting on the mishaps with the David Hicks recruitment and logistical issues during the Texas vs. TCU visit weekend last fall should prove that there is no "Kool-Aid" or "Sunshine Pumping" going on. The Texas staff and recruiting team have genuinely earned this level of praise.

Nearly every recruit, parent, or source we spoke to about the visit weekend raved about current player involvement in selling the program. One parent of a player on campus relayed this to Horns247 after the visit.

"We felt like Texas had a good season last year and felt comfortable with Coach Sarkisian," they said. "But every single player we spoke to had nothing but positives to say about the team and coaches which gave us an extra level of comfort because not every school we've been to can say that."

Another factor that's been mentioned on the board plenty is the impact of having multiple parents with serious football ties and intelligence sign off on Texas for their children with Arch Manning, Terrance Brooks, and new commit Santana Wilson immediately coming to mind. Wilson's father Adrian was on the trip this weekend and is the VP of Player Personnel for the Carolina Panthers and was a 5x Pro Bowler as a safety in the NFL.

INTEL ON TEXAS VISITORS

Ryan Wingo (Photo: Andrew Aguilar, 247Sports)
Ryan Wingo, WR, St. Louis (MO) University

The five-star wide receiver was the highest-ranked player on campus this weekend with the Missouri native checking in at No. 7 in the country according to 247Sports. Of the three five-stars on campus, Texas made the biggest move with Wingo over the weekend. Steve Sarkisian has invested serious time into this recruitment and Chris Jackson's NFL pedigree has offered additional comfort alongside the recruiting pitch of Sarkisian's offense.

One of the biggest factors Texas has working for them with Wingo is the pathway to early playing time as a freshman with four of the top receivers on the 2023 team draft-eligible heading into the season. Texas will slug it out with Georgia and Tennessee throughout the road to signing day, but they're definitely squarely in the mix moving forward.

Brandon Baker, OT, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei

Five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker is the highest-ranked target on the offensive line for the Longhorns in the 2024 recruiting cycle and Kyle Flood & Co. did a tremendous job with Baker and his family this weekend. Baker and Flood met individually on the visit where they went over film of Baker along with cut-ups of Freshman All-American left tackle Kelvin Banks.

With Baker, I didn't get the sense from sources that Texas leads the recruitment but I do think they're in strong consideration and will be in the mix until signing day due to the family's comfort level with the program, coaching staff, and city of Austin.

Jordan Ross, EDGE, Birmingham (AL) Vestavia Hills

I hoped to get more from sources about the five-star EDGE from the state of Alabama, but the once source I did get to speak about Ross likely nailed the outlook of this recruitment. "I think Texas just offered too late to keep up with Florida and Tennessee. Ross and the family really like Texas and enjoyed the visit, but I think there is just too big of a gap."

(Photo: Cody Nagel, 247Sports)
Danny Okoye, EDGE, Tulsa (OK) NOAH Homeschool

While the Longhorns might be a longshot for Ross, I do think they're the leader for another EDGE in Tulsa (OK) NOAH Homeschool's Danny Okoye. Jordan and I mentioned extensively in the leadup to this weekend that we felt Texas had a chance to take pole position for the hyper-athletic edge rusher and every indication from sources is they did just that.

If you haven't already, make sure to read Hank's interview with Okoye from yesterday where the composite four-star recaps his official visit to Texas and gives a likely commitment timeline.

Aeryn Hampton, ATH, Daingerfield (TX)

Texas got the last visit for Hampton before his July 7th commitment date where he'll make the call between his final two of Texas and Alabama. I didn't get the sense talking with sources that Texas took the lead this weekend, but Hampton is a notoriously tough recruit to get a clean read on so that matters less with him than it would with others. One interesting nugget we got on Hampton that Steve Wiltfong also reported is Texas using a flex take for the East Texas four-star, instead of purely slotting him as a wide receiver take. Hampton mentioned the possibility of playing both sides of the ball for Texas, but a source quickly told us that defense would be the most likely option as he was originally recruited during his first commitment to the Horns.

We'll continue to plug away at solving this recruitment as we get closer to his early July commitment date, but for now, the loose feeling is still a slight lean toward Alabama.

Christian Clark (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports)
Christian Clark, RB, Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe

Sources on the Texas side have remained confident all offseason that Tashard Choice will land both of his preferred backs of Clark and IMG Academy’s Jerrick Gibson. That feeling only increased after this weekend with Choice, Jonathon Brooks, Arch Manning and Cedric Baxter acting as a recruiting dream team throughout the visit. Oregon shouldn't be discounted with Clark, but we feel extremely confident about our reporting that Texas is the leader for the running back from the state of Arizona.

Myles Davis, S, Converse (TX) Judson

Another player with a Texas crystal ball entered this weekend is safety Myles Davis. Steve Wiltfong entered a CB for Davis after the four-star directly told him “UT definitely (number) one." USC and Texas A&M won't go away here but Texas adding a verbal pledge from Davis' close friend and fellow San Antonio blue-chip Freddie Dubose only adds to the likelihood that Davis ends up in Burnt Orange too. Also, make no mistake that Davis is a major priority for Texas at the safety spot and will be a take when he makes his decision in late August.

QUICK HITTERS
D'antre Robinson, DL, Orlando (FL) Jones

Another recruitment where Cedric Baxter was mentioned as a major help for the Longhorns. Texas is in the mix for Robinson and put a good foot forward this weekend, but one source remained confident that Florida leads for the massive defensive lineman.

Blake Ivy, OL, League City (TX) Clear Springs

Texas did a good job with Ivy and the Top247 offensive lineman remains a major priority for Kyle Flood, but it's safe to say that LSU and Texas A&M having a better shot of winning this one at the moment.

Eugene Brooks, IOL, Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon

Probably the player without a Texas crystal ball entered yet we feel the best about moving forward. I feel confident that Texas leads Oklahoma at the moment here and it'll be extremely interesting to see if Brooks decides to take more visits or set a commitment date for the near future.

Jordan Washington, TE, Houston (TX) Langham Creek

Texas did a tremendous job keeping Washington warm throughout the spring before pulling the trigger on an offer and taking a commanding lead in this recruitment. Washington announced a final three of Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama on Sunday and every source we speak to feels like the Longhorns are the clear leader after this weekend. Jordan and I entered picks to Texas shortly after Jeff Banks offered Washington and Steve Wiltfong entered a Texas pick as well after the feedback he received from the Texas OV.

Deshawn Warner, EDGE, Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge & Khmori House, LB, Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco

Both Warner and House fall into the "If Texas pushes for a commitment I like their chances" category. Warner reminds me a ton of Dallas South Oak Cliff EDGE Billy Walton from the 2023 cycle, but with a bit more length.

AROUND THE COUNTRY
Tyanthony Smith, LB, Jasper

Smith will take a midweek OV to Texas starting on the 21st and the Longhorns will get the chance to respond immediately to a home run visit experience from the Trojans. Jeff Choate has done a really good job managing the ebbs and flows of the Smith recruitment to this point and I think proximity to home will be a serious factor as we get closer to decision time, however sources on the West Coast believe USC now leads for the SETX backer.

Micah Hudson, WR, Lake Belton

Jordan spoke at length with Hudson on Sunday night and will have an update soon on the five-star recruit following his Texas Tech visit. One factor with Hudson I can't drive home enough is how much the 2023 season will matter in deciding where he ultimately signs.

(Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Terry Bussey, ATH, Timpson

A source close to Bussey told me on Sunday that his weekend trip to Oklahoma blew him away and that the Sooners should be considered a serious threat to gain his signature in December. Bussey has been adamant that he doesn't really have a preference on playing offense or defense at the next level, however I did get the sense after talking with the same source that Texas recently allowing Bussey the choice of offense or defense instead of just recruiting him as a defensive back was a savvy move. Texas put themselves in a tough and unnecessary spot by offering so much later than every other contender, but Steve Sarkisian has done a great job recently investing time in the nation's No. 15 prospect to make up for the lost time. 

We'll have another long-form article posted on Tuesday morning with full details on the visitor list set to arrive for the June 23-25 weekend.

 

I guess it is the way with how Texas recruits, but I don't like how we lead for all the lower ranked guys and seem to be behind others for the true DL blue chippers. I don't think this will change unless we win a NC or we start paying obscene amounts of money for guys like Ross. Hopefully, we close late on some of these guys.

[HenryJames 67368]

12 hours ago, Bevo said:

But losing Hudson and Bussey but landing Livingstone, Baker, and Hampton would be very Mehringer-like.

 

21 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I guess it is the way with how Texas recruits, but I don't like how we lead for all the lower ranked guys and seem to be behind others for the true DL blue chippers. I don't think this will change unless we win a NC or we start paying obscene amounts of money for guys like Ross. Hopefully, we close late on some of these guys.

[Elmer_Fudd 22994]

Sam Spiegelman put in a USC pick for Smith, 55% confidence.

[Mother mopar 3385]

GH on the podcast. 
College coach said Dubose is a freak athlete.
Aeryn Hampton has Jordan Hudson like ball skills. 
 

What podcast?

[Pato del Muerto 53504]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

For the true experience, you will also need to hit up a bojangles and compare the two. 

[Noozak 416]

19 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

For the true experience, you will also need to hit up a bojangles and compare the two. 

How do you compare bojangles and zaxby's? Zaxby's is a shitter raising canes, and bojangles is a superior version of KFC

[Bevo 13896]

Just now, HenryJames said:

 

I'm definitely being a wuss this morning. I just see us doing decently for guys that are lower ranked like January, the Florida DL, the Louisiana DL, the Arizona edge, the Oklahoma home schooler. Of course, we need those guys, but I would like us to lead for some of the 5 star guys, too.

[HtownHorn 15236]

Smith is no longer certain to visit Texas, and he cancelled his OU visit. Going on family vacation this weekend. Gerry is putting in a RPM for USC.

[texifornia 59017]

6 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Smith is no longer certain to visit Texas, and he cancelled his OU visit. Going on family vacation this weekend. Gerry is putting in a RPM for USC.

Khmori House come on down 

[SydneyCarton 49504]

21 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I'm definitely being a wuss this morning. I just see us doing decently for guys that are lower ranked like January, the Florida DL, the Louisiana DL, the Arizona edge, the Oklahoma home schooler. Of course, we need those guys, but I would like us to lead for some of the 5 star guys, too.

Plug your gash and take a lap on the football board. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22994]

Gonna' lose a LB to Alex fucking Grinch are we?

[SydneyCarton 49504]

1 minute ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Gonna' lose a LB to Alex fucking Grinch are we?

Wait till the season. 

[RomaVicta 30591]

Regarding Bevo's mood this morning, I'm assuming we can trust the coaches' evaluations this early. Is that the general opinion of the cognoscenti? With that assumption, we can reasonably believe these player ratings will rise as more film is reviews and camps are attended.

If you're grabbing at 3 stars in November, then maybe you got a problem.

[Post Oak 20568]

58 minutes ago, Mother mopar said:

5 hours ago, Post Oak said:

GH on the podcast. 
College coach said Dubose is a freak athlete.
Aeryn Hampton has Jordan Hudson like ball skills. 
 

What podcast?

On3 Texas football 

[Vertigo 20496]

15 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Saina Jr yr hudl.  Nothing but a big stack of 🥞 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13407029/638e5e0eff025803d03c7ef0

The one where he pancaked the kid, then picked the kid up and flattened him again legit made me lol. 

[rvm96 1643]

12 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I’m not sure why the Orangebloods post made Message Board Geniuses. TexAgs literally posts dumber shit every hour. You could say the same about SEC Rant and Tiger Droppings as well.

It had Aggy levels of pettiness.

[Ricky's one-hitter 9622]

3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

For the record, I guess I’d rather be dead in Round Rock than alive in Pflugerville. 

This was a really shitty take in 2005. Sad, if true. 

[Lonestar88 5174]

1 hour ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Sam Spiegelman put in a USC pick for Smith, 55% confidence.

 

1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

Smith is no longer certain to visit Texas, and he cancelled his OU visit. Going on family vacation this weekend. Gerry is putting in a RPM for USC.

I figured it out, but can we put a first name with names like “Smith”, good Lord.

[texifornia 59017]

 

[tokamak 6687]

57 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

The one where he pancaked the kid, then picked the kid up and flattened him again legit made me lol. 

There's several clips in there where you can pinpoint the exact moment that the defender's soul leaves his body.

[Bevo 13896]

I thought this guy's highlights looked pretty good - ranked 30 in the state of Florida - Booker Pickett Jr.

 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14941436/63682cd2664c85065877f57b

 

[HtownHorn 15236]

33 minutes ago, Lonestar88 said:

 

I figured it out, but can we put a first name with names like “Smith”, good Lord.

Sounds like a you problem.

[Tx_2_Sc85 348]

4 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I’m about to be driving through all kinds of small towns in the southeast for a few weeks. I’ve told my wife that one lunch on one day, whichever day, is a certainty. We’re stopping at a fucking Zaxby’s. I’ve been seeing their commercials for years and never been near one to my recollection. I assume it is a hillbilly Chili’s, and I feel the once in a lifetime need to confirm that. 

Zaxbys wings n things combo (traditional wings) tongue torch sauce. Or the kickin chicken sandwich make sure to get extra Zax sauce. 

1 hour ago, Noozak said:

How do you compare bojangles and zaxby's? Zaxby's is a shitter raising canes, and bojangles is a superior version of KFC

Cajun filet biscuit add pimento cheese…this is the way. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Tx_2_Sc85

[texifornia 59017]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:59 PM, texifornia said:

https://247sports.com/Player/Kingston-Lopa-46130698/

 

[texifornia 59017]

On 1/28/2022 at 4:54 PM, HenryJames said:

https://www.on3.com/db/marcelles-williams-82364/recruiting/

 

[texifornia 59017]

https://www.on3.com/db/montay-weedon-150994/

[closetojumping 65427]

1 hour ago, RomaVicta said:

Regarding Bevo's mood this morning, I'm assuming we can trust the coaches' evaluations this early. Is that the general opinion of the cognoscenti? With that assumption, we can reasonably believe these player ratings will rise as more film is reviews and camps are attended.

If you're grabbing at 3 stars in November, then maybe you got a problem.

I don't think I can buy into the concept that Texas is on such a different level in evaluating talent that all of the lower ranked guys they're in on are diamonds in the rough that will eventually move up the rankings. I don't think I can buy into the notion that they're all OKGs either.

I think there is a dearth of exciting DL talent in the state of Texas. DLs are premium value players in the southeast and the really good ones get recruited by everybody. They can pick from a litany of regional schools that have put numerous guys into the NFL over the last 5 years. Texas hasn't.

Texas doesn't have the same coaching staff cachet on the defensive side for recruits in the southeast as it does on offense. These things come together to require Davis and company to work harder than anyone with whom they're competing on the DL recruiting end, and they're going to have to take some chances on high upside guys that have a greater list of concerns than the uber premium talent. 

I don't think they're chasing their tails or picking up scraps, but they are the one-legged man in the ass-kicking contest when it comes to top tier DL recruiting for the time being. 

[linux 1787]

Also it is reassuring that all the DL talent is going to A&M to go to waste. They are not going to OU where they can do damage.

[Pato del Muerto 53504]

What is the date that we officially change conferences next year?  I wonder if current sec players that portal after this season or even the spring will be e legible to play in 24 if they are enrolled here before that date. 

[Radical Larry 28822]

July 1 2024, I believe.

[Pato del Muerto 53504]

So we, and ou I guess, could maybe get sec players even after spring practice and get them enrolled for a summer session 1 class and they’d be eligible in the fall?

Or maybe the rule is written that if you transfer you can’t play in the sec the following season, nullifying this one time advantage. 

[texifornia 59017]

On 1/24/2023 at 4:47 PM, Elmer_Fudd said:

https://247sports.com/player/michai-boireau-46115014/

 

[TheContractor 70]

7 minutes ago, texifornia said:

 

Hopefully this and the other 2 DTs Florida got to commit this weekend help with Dontre Robinson 

[closetohumping 17817]

TFB June teenth update mixed with OB.  In other words this duet/medley is somewhere in between Cher/Sonny and Aaron Neville/Linda Ronstadt, with a couple of milkshakes mixed in.  As my pappy said "mixing pond water with sewage does not produce Evian."  Back to recruiting, we're almost as hot as Hansel right now.  

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

[texifornia 59017]

15 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

TFB June teenth update mixed with OB.  In other words this duet/medley is somewhere in between Cher/Sonny and Aaron Neville/Linda Ronstadt, with a couple of milkshakes mixed in.  As my pappy said "mixing pond water with sewage does not produce Evian."  Back to recruiting, we're almost as hot as Hansel right now.  

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Washington note is a nice dig at aggy.

Weedon didn't come, so that's a silly note.

[Vertigo 20496]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

I don't think I can buy into the concept that Texas is on such a different level in evaluating talent that all of the lower ranked guys they're in on are diamonds in the rough that will eventually move up the rankings. I don't think I can buy into the notion that they're all OKGs either.

I think there is a dearth of exciting DL talent in the state of Texas. DLs are premium value players in the southeast and the really good ones get recruited by everybody. They can pick from a litany of regional schools that have put numerous guys into the NFL over the last 5 years. Texas hasn't.

Texas doesn't have the same coaching staff cachet on the defensive side for recruits in the southeast as it does on offense. These things come together to require Davis and company to work harder than anyone with whom they're competing on the DL recruiting end, and they're going to have to take some chances on high upside guys that have a greater list of concerns than the uber premium talent. 

I don't think they're chasing their tails or picking up scraps, but they are the one-legged man in the ass-kicking contest when it comes to top tier DL recruiting for the time being. 

Having a couple of years in a row with multiple draft picks on the DL should be just in time for that better in state 2025 class. If Murphy has a great year and leaves early to go with Sweat and potentially Collins, that would certainly have my attention after they had two dudes drafted last draft. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22994]

247 on Hudson