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Texas Recruiting Notes 2025: Duck Around and Find Out


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Saying silent commitments are meaningless is like saying a girl texting you, "You up?" is the same as her texting you, "can you help me move this weekend?" While it does not guarantee deals will be sealed, it certainly points to intent.
To be fair, I helped quite a few girls moving apartments back in the day and got nothing more than beer, maybe some food out of it.

Of course it could have been the fact they usually ask at least 5-6 guys and aren't really up for a train after a long day.
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We need a punter and a kicker. Who gives a fuck where they come from?  Auburn has looked really shaky. The ball is coming off his foot poorly.  Our punter wasn't particularly good before the injury.  Could a very small NIL deal net you all american type specialists since most teams won't want to allocate any funds there? 

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1 hour ago, RabidM said:

We need a punter and a kicker. Who gives a fuck where they come from?  Auburn has looked really shaky. The ball is coming off his foot poorly.  Our punter wasn't particularly good before the injury.  Could a very small NIL deal net you all american type specialists since most teams won't want to allocate any funds there? 

I feel like the analytics guys would always have a transfer punter/kicker identified and ready to bag in the new NIL era.  

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7 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Auburn has looked really shaky? Haven’t noticed

He missed that one FG against Michigan. That's been it, Looks like he also missed one against OU. He hasn't gotten a lot of opportunities this year because our RZ execution has been much better until we started playing the meat of our SEC schedule.

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27 minutes ago, Sgt. Slaughter said:

We were 17-20 with Dickson on the roster, sorry if I'm not impressed. 

Dickson in the 2017 Texas Bowl is the best punting performance I’ve ever seen in my life.  Missouri beat us in every phase of the game except one and he was superhuman.  
 

It was really the capstone to two years of dominant punting and a good example of why Scipio Tex calls special teams excellence a cheat code.  

2 hours ago, HtownHorn said:

or trust your evaluations and develop your guys so you aren't wasting money in the portal on a kicker and a puner.

You think every teams isn’t trying to do that?  The point is no one is very good at it, even Banks who was a punter himself.  
 

Better to let the cream rise and pay market in the portal.  They aren’t getting paid freshman DT money and there’s far more immediate return on investment.  

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Gerry Hamilton

 

Monday Recruiting Thoughts

Wanted to start off the off week with some general recruiting thoughts.

1. We are entering recruiting territory rarely seen in the state of Texas. Both Texas and Texas A&M are ranked in the top 10 of the polls with both having recruiting momentum, and the NIL to battle nationally. This is a first in the my years covering recruiting in Texas, and nationally. The two programs are going about recruiting different in one aspect. Texas A&M is much more aggressive trying to get 2026 prospects committed early to build momentum and capitalize on Mike Elko's very impressive start to his time in College Station. Texas A&M's victory over LSU netted three 2026 4-star commitments Sunday (two from the state of Georgia and one from California).

If one doesn't expect both Texas and Texas A&M to be successful on the field and in recruiting in the NIL era, I'm not sure what to say. Both programs have quality head coaches at the same time, as well. 

2. All about the close for Sarkisian and staff. There are 38 days until December 4, when the vast majority of prospects will announce final decisions with 75-80% likely to enroll in college in January. That means the first week of December will present finality for the 2025 cycle, by and large. Texas simply must add two more defensive lineman to the class. Outside of DL, Texas would like to add a cornerback, linebacker, and are chasing elite talents at Athlete (Michael Terry III), EDGE (Javion Hilson) and OT (Michael Fasusi). There also remains a higher than 50-50 chance 2026 4-star++ safety Zelus Hicks (Carrollton, Ga./High) ends up in the 2025 class.

3. On Javion Hilson (Cocoa, Fla./High). Some have asked about what would Hilson's reaction to being on an OV at Texas A&M last weekend watching the Aggies beat LSU. After spending a lot of time at Cocoa High Thursday with Hilson, and people close to him, he's not making an emotional decision. That goes for Texas or Texas A&M. He's a laser football focused prospect. If he sees himself being successful at Texas more than anywhere else, he will be a Longhorn. If he envisions himself developing into a Nic Scourton under Mike Elko's staff, then you could have a different answer. But he will not make a singular game emotional decision. 

4. What does Texas and Texas A&M both being very good at the same time do to Oklahoma? The Sooners have their on field issues this season, but will now be facing a much different state of Texas in recruiting. Texas and Texas A&M are very likely going to play a meaningful game November 30. The stands in College Station will be littered with top 2026 and 2027 prospects. Factor in LSU being a quality team too, and recruiting in the state of Texas maybe the toughest for Oklahoma in a long time. That places a lot of pressure on the Sooners nationally, and more than normal. 

5. Members of the Texas staff are expected to be on the road recruiting later in the week - in some capacity. With the accelerated recruiting calendar with December 4 being decision day for most (two weeks earlier vs. past years), the off week school visits are more important and impactful. It's going to be a mad dash for coaching staffs the next five weeks. 

In closing, Texas has a top 5 level class. They are two recruiting wins (Hilson and Terry III) from a top 4 class. And they are still 2-3 flips away from a potential top two class, with three being most likely. Get used to seeing both Texas and Texas A&M fighting for top 5 classes for the reasons listed above. 

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The Stampede: Scattershooting Texas football recruiting intel during a bye-week
 

Quote

No signs of flipping in Folsom

Texas DL commit Josiah Sharma. (Photo: Brandon Huffman, 247Sports)
 

— Texas defensive line commit Josiah Sharma did make it down to Austin for the Texas-Georgia game after all. The Folsom (Calif.) product is one of the Longhorns' key commitments in the class of 2025.

Sharma has been relatively quiet since flipping his pledge from Oregon to Texas in late July. He recently was able to begin playing for Folsom after having to sit out five games due to California transfer rules.

The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder told 247Sports' Brandon Huffman this past week that his recruitment, at this point, is "all about Texas." Sharma continues to feel great about his decision to join the Longhorns, saying it feels most like home. Oregon and Washington continue to press for the four-star DL, but Sharma says he has no intentions on visiting any other programs this fall and wants to get to Austin as soon as he can when he graduates in December, potentially for bowl practices. — HANK SOUTH

With Florida in the rearview mirror, who's taking this one home for Joseph Mbatchou?
— Another defensive lineman the Longhorns are working to add, Joseph Mbatchou backed off his pledge to Florida the day after returning home to Georgia from his Texas official visit. The Loganville (Ga.) Grayson product has a busy slate ahead of him with an official visit to Michigan this past weekend and trips on the horizon to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and USC before a December decision.

Earlier this fall, Horns247 reported that we felt Auburn and Texas were setting the pace in Mbatchou's recruitment, even before he decommitted from Florida. Checking in with sources this weekend, that continues to be the feel in where this one stands.

The Longhorns 6-foot-4.5, 275-pounder on campus twice this fall, and he told Horns247 he can't wait to get back.

"It'll be a big one," he said of how Texas will factor in to his final decision. "The fact that they had me down here twice, had my family down here. I love everything about Texas."

Georgia could potentially try and get involved despite not being among his final group of favorites. — HANK SOUTH

Lone Star Showdown brewing for elite edge rusher?

Texas edge target Javion Hilson after his official visit to Austin last summer. (Photo: Hank South, 247Sports)
 

— Another key visitor for the Texas-Georgia game was elite edge rusher Javion Hilson. The Cocoa (Fla.) product was in College Station over the weekend to take in the Aggies' big win over LSU. Coming out of the trip to Austin, sources continued to feel bullish about UT's chances in getting this one done down the stretch. A one-time Alabama and Florida State commit, it's the Longhorns that have been trending since Hilson backed off his pledge to the Seminoles.

With A&M reaping the benefits of a big recruiting weekend, this one could ultimately come down to Texas and Texas A&M for the Sunshine State product. And with the Longhorns traveling to College Station at the end of November, just days before Hilson makes his final decision, perhaps the Lone Star Showdown plays a key role in swaying Hilson one way or the other. For now, I still like where UT stands. — HANK SOUTH

Texas trending for Longhorns legacy -- even without the ties
— I tripped out to Aledo on Friday evening to see what ended up being one of the better Texas High School Football games of the season. With both Richland and Aledo heading into Friday's game at 6-1, a potential district championship was on the line for both programs and they certainly didn't disappoint with the game ending in a 49-42 overtime Aledo win. The Bearcats had a lot on the line with a consecutive district win streak of 124 (now 125) games that goes all the way back to October of 2007, and time after time Aledo 2026 Top247 WR Kaydon Finley came up big when his team needed him most as he was a steady target on 3rd and long situations. Finley finished with nine receptions for 177 receiving yards and a touchdown on the night for what was statistically his best performance of his high school career thus far.


Texas 2026 WR target Kaydon Finley. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
 

As far as his recruitment goes, Finley has tripped to Notre Dame, Texas, and Texas A&M at different points throughout this season and was in Austin as recent as Oct. 19 for the Texas-Georgia game. Finley was also at the Cotton Bowl earlier in the month for Texas' 34-3 destruction of Oklahoma. After returning to College Station for his second Aggies home game of the season when they took down LSU on Saturday, Finley's remaining scheduled trips include the Ole Miss-Georgia game in Oxford on Nov. 9 and the Oklahoma-Alabama game in Norman on Nov. 23. There's a chance the trip to Norman might get postponed due to that weekend being the second round of the Texas High School Football playoffs, but we won't know when the Bearcats' second round game is until Aledo wins in round one on Nov. 15.

Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M will probably eventually end up as the main competition to the Longhorns in this race, but Finley is far from being on an official timeline for when he wants to make his college decision. Back on July 1 I put in a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Longhorns eventually landing Finley with a confidence of six, and in the time since entering the prediction I've yet to waver in my belief of where I expect Finley to end up. With Finley's father Jermichael Finley being one of the top tight ends to ever come through the Texas program, the Longhorns obviously have some connections in this one that are helping their chances. However, Steve Sarkisian and Chris Jackson have done a good enough job in this one to the point where I'd still lean towards the Longhorns' chances if the legacy connection didn't exist. — JORDAN SCRUGGS

MT3 update

Five-star ATH Michael Terry III at the Texas-Georgia game. (Photo: Hank South, 247Sports)
 

— I caught up with a source close to San Antonio Alamo Heights five-star athlete Michael Terry III on Sunday evening to check in on where things stood with the lone uncommitted in-state Top247 prospect in 2025.

Although Texas suffered a loss to Georgia, Terry and his family really enjoyed the return trip to the Forty Acres on Oct. 19 with the source highlighting the family's enjoyment of the atmosphere on campus and within Darrell K. Royal—Texas Memorial Stadium. With no current plans on the schedule to return, I'm not sure if Terry will visit Texas once more before Dec. 4th's early signing day. But at this point, I'm not sure how much it'd really matter as I think Texas is way out in front of Oregon and Nebraska at this current juncture. I've had confidence in Texas getting this done over Oregon and Nebraska going back to the summer, but once Terry didn't return to Eugene for the Oregon-Ohio State game on Oct. 12, I believe Texas truly ran away from the pack if they hadn't already.

Earlier this fall, Terry told the media December was the month he was working towards making his college decision in. Horns247 reported it earlier in the fall as well, but a source close to the recruitment believes Terry will be committed before the month of December starts. If that ends up being the case like I believe it will, Texas recruiting is setting up to be on a roll in less than a month with other prospects like Javion Hilson and Joseph Mbatchou planning to announce their commitments in December. — JORDAN SCRUGGS

Portal pandemonium on deck for December
— This is around the time of the season that college football players start seriously considering going into the transfer portal if they haven't considered it already. Obviously not all players are considering going in the portal as each player has a different individual situation, but there are already several players across college football I'm expecting to enter the transfer portal, including a few that I think will have high interest in the Longhorns.

I'm not going to post names for obvious reasons, but having those conversations in the last few weeks has got me thinking that this portal cycle is going to be a true mess. I think it's fair to say most, if not all portal cycles thus far have been messes, but with FBS football scholarship limits increasing to 105 from 85 and potentially as soon as the 2025 season, we will probably see more players in the portal then we've ever seen before.

On top of the new scholarship limit's potential timing, the winter portal window has been reduced from Dec. 4, 2023-Jan. 2, 2024 to now Dec. 9, 2024-Dec. 28, 2024. Early signing day has also been moved up earlier than it's ever been to Dec. 4, and for the first time ever, Early Signing Day will take place before the transfer portal opens. This'll make it much easier for coaches to get away with lying to their commits about not going in the portal for more players as before they had to balance signing day taking place when the portal window was open, but coaches are still going to have a crazier month of December than they've ever had before, especially if they coach for a team that makes the 12 team College Football Playoff on top of having to manage recruiting in the high school and portal ranks.

Add in home visits with prospects still being a thing and remembering that visits in the portal are extremely important, and this is all adding up to create what will be a ridiculous month of December. — JORDAN SCRUGGS

 

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13 hours ago, LCHorn said:

Dickson in the 2017 Texas Bowl is the best punting performance I’ve ever seen in my life.  Missouri beat us in every phase of the game except one and he was superhuman.  
 

It was really the capstone to two years of dominant punting and a good example of why Scipio Tex calls special teams excellence a cheat code.  

You think every teams isn’t trying to do that?  The point is no one is very good at it, even Banks who was a punter himself.  
 

Better to let the cream rise and pay market in the portal.  They aren’t getting paid freshman DT money and there’s far more immediate return on investment.  

Remember when that walking moron Herman refused to call him by his name, and just called him "the Punter", even though Dickson saved his ass on multiple occasions? Yeah, Herman is an autist dumbfuck

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4 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Gerry Hamilton

 

Monday Recruiting Thoughts

Wanted to start off the off week with some general recruiting thoughts.

1. We are entering recruiting territory rarely seen in the state of Texas. Both Texas and Texas A&M are ranked in the top 10 of the polls with both having recruiting momentum, and the NIL to battle nationally. This is a first in the my years covering recruiting in Texas, and nationally. The two programs are going about recruiting different in one aspect. Texas A&M is much more aggressive trying to get 2026 prospects committed early to build momentum and capitalize on Mike Elko's very impressive start to his time in College Station. Texas A&M's victory over LSU netted three 2026 4-star commitments Sunday (two from the state of Georgia and one from California).

If one doesn't expect both Texas and Texas A&M to be successful on the field and in recruiting in the NIL era, I'm not sure what to say. Both programs have quality head coaches at the same time, as well. 

2. All about the close for Sarkisian and staff. There are 38 days until December 4, when the vast majority of prospects will announce final decisions with 75-80% likely to enroll in college in January. That means the first week of December will present finality for the 2025 cycle, by and large. Texas simply must add two more defensive lineman to the class. Outside of DL, Texas would like to add a cornerback, linebacker, and are chasing elite talents at Athlete (Michael Terry III), EDGE (Javion Hilson) and OT (Michael Fasusi). There also remains a higher than 50-50 chance 2026 4-star++ safety Zelus Hicks (Carrollton, Ga./High) ends up in the 2025 class.

3. On Javion Hilson (Cocoa, Fla./High). Some have asked about what would Hilson's reaction to being on an OV at Texas A&M last weekend watching the Aggies beat LSU. After spending a lot of time at Cocoa High Thursday with Hilson, and people close to him, he's not making an emotional decision. That goes for Texas or Texas A&M. He's a laser football focused prospect. If he sees himself being successful at Texas more than anywhere else, he will be a Longhorn. If he envisions himself developing into a Nic Scourton under Mike Elko's staff, then you could have a different answer. But he will not make a singular game emotional decision. 

4. What does Texas and Texas A&M both being very good at the same time do to Oklahoma? The Sooners have their on field issues this season, but will now be facing a much different state of Texas in recruiting. Texas and Texas A&M are very likely going to play a meaningful game November 30. The stands in College Station will be littered with top 2026 and 2027 prospects. Factor in LSU being a quality team too, and recruiting in the state of Texas maybe the toughest for Oklahoma in a long time. That places a lot of pressure on the Sooners nationally, and more than normal. 

5. Members of the Texas staff are expected to be on the road recruiting later in the week - in some capacity. With the accelerated recruiting calendar with December 4 being decision day for most (two weeks earlier vs. past years), the off week school visits are more important and impactful. It's going to be a mad dash for coaching staffs the next five weeks. 

In closing, Texas has a top 5 level class. They are two recruiting wins (Hilson and Terry III) from a top 4 class. And they are still 2-3 flips away from a potential top two class, with three being most likely. Get used to seeing both Texas and Texas A&M fighting for top 5 classes for the reasons listed above. 

The only thing I have an issue with is calling LSU a "quality team". They have looked awful this year, and were way over-ranked, imo. 

But thank you as always for giving us that update, bud. I always appreciate it. 

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LSU still has defense issues. Perfect storm for aggy. And they still had to bench their superstar qb to win. Good win but far from great. Reed has issues passing if they go that way. Problem is their schedule. Can any team they play put pressure on their offense enough to beat them. South Carolina might be last team they face that can hold their offense and that’s just because of sc defensive line. They just don’t play enough good teams except us. I’m about it also, let’s fuck em up twice if we have to. Daddy’s home bitch and he’s hungry. 

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44 minutes ago, Hookem10 said:

LSU still has defense issues. Perfect storm for aggy. And they still had to bench their superstar qb to win. Good win but far from great. Reed has issues passing if they go that way. Problem is their schedule. Can any team they play put pressure on their offense enough to beat them. South Carolina might be last team they face that can hold their offense and that’s just because of sc defensive line. They just don’t play enough good teams except us. I’m about it also, let’s fuck em up twice if we have to. Daddy’s home bitch and he’s hungry. 

Daddy98? He's also drunk. 

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