Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Texas has a group of freshmen that will make immediate impacts.
This past recruiting cycle for Texas is one that can help shape the program for years to come. Continue reading “Steve Sarkisian praises the freshmen class and how talented they are”
Hawaii to Austin could eventually be a flourishing pipeline.
Despite Texas having the luxury of being in one of the four states in the country where you could build your roster with just in-state players, the Longhorns are a national brand.
This allows them to show up to any school in any state and catch the attention of recruits. However, there is one state in particular that many of the programs across the country do not really attempt to recruit, nor do they have right connections. That’s the lovely state of Hawaii.
On3‘s Jake Langi, who was a Player Personnel Analyst for Texas’ football program from 2019-2022, touched on the buzz still circling The Aloha State due to the efforts made by Jeff Choate during his time recruiting four-star linebacker Liona Lefau. The Kahuku product ranked as the No. 2 recruit in Hawaii and according to Langi may have been the first ever recruit from Hawaii to sign with Texas.
Langi explained that his contacts in Hawaii are still talking about Choate, and are now sporting Texas gear all over the island.
I have friends, family, and football contacts scattered all over Hawaii and they’re still buzzing over Choate signing Lefau, who might be the first ever recruit from Hawaii to sign with the Texas Longhorn football program. They’re telling me how crazy it is to see so many locals wearing Longhorn apparel nowadays because of Lefau. I’m sure Keonilei Akana’s winning serve in the volleyball national championship and her brother, Tausili, also joining the Longhorns definitely have a hand in that as well.
According to Langi, Choate has gained the respect of those in Hawaii which can only help Texas moving forward. Especially when you consider that the Longhorns sent out an offer to four-star offensive lineman Preston Taumua from Aiea High School.
While Langi doesn’t think the Longhorns will end up as the final destination for Taumua, he did express that for future classes to come the Longhorns could be the top contender for any recruit they target. This confidence stems from the fact that Choate put in the time, and has created what Langi tabbed “The Jeff Choate Effect”.
I saw firsthand that the Jeff Choate Effect is real. Although Texas will most likely not make a move in Hawaii this year, he’s laid the foundation for future classes. After signing Lefau and Akana, Choate is automatically in the running for the top player in Hawaii every year.
In a few years time, the Texas to Hawaii pipeline could be one of the more prominent connections in college football. If it is, Texas fans know exactly who to thank.
Spring practice is a chance for Texas to put it all together before the 2023 season.
Texas football is getting into the full swing of spring practice. The Longhorns hit the field for the first time this week to kick off a crucial development time for the program.
Pressure is building on Steve Sarkisian to compete for a Big 12 title in 2023 before Texas moves to the SEC the following year. Texas took a take forward a season ago and has the roster to make another jump in the right direction.
Texas returns lots of production on both sides of the football, including starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, star wide receiver Xavier Worthy and All-Big 12 linebacker Jaylan Ford.
Spring practice is a chance for Texas to put it all together before the 2023 season. Here are three important question marks the Longhorns need to figure out in spring ball.
It’s been a historic few days and it doesn’t look like Texas’ recruiting momentum will be slowing down any time soon.
Many were expecting Texas to have a big recruiting weekend, but no one could have predicted it to this extent. Continue reading “Each 2023 recruit Texas has landed a commitment from in the last week”
Texas’ 2023 recruiting train has officially taken off.
Texas’ 2023 recruiting train has officially taken off.
After a fairly slow start to the summer, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have just landed their third commitment of the week, this time on the defensive side of the ball.
Four-star linebacker Liona Lefau is jumping on board Texas’ 2023 recruiting class. The Hawaii product chose the Longhorns over Pac-12 powers Oregon, USC and Utah.
247Sports ranks Lefau as the No. 1 player from Hawaii and the No. 16 linebacker in the nation. The commitment moves Texas’ class ranking firmly inside the top 20 in the country.
Lefau is a major pull for Pete Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate as the linebacker spot is a position of need for Texas. He is an uber-athletic linebacker with strong sideline-to-sideline speed.
Texas’ recent recruiting surge has had social media buzzing all week. The Longhorns are catching the attention of everyone in the college football world. Here is how Twitter reacted to Lefua picking Texas on Saturday afternoon.
BOOM! Lefau chose Texas over Oregon, Utah, BYU, USC and others.
Texas picked up a huge commitment from Liona Lefau on Saturday evening. In Lefau, Texas brings in one of the top linebackers in the country.
The highly regarded player from Kahuku, Hawaii looks the part. Lefau displayed excellent acceleration and speed as a pass rusher paired with hard hitting ability.
While many aren’t used to six-foot 210-pound linebackers, players like Lefau are ideal for the athletic demands of modern college football.
After difficulty recruiting linebackers from high school and through the portal, this is a huge victory for Texas linebacker coach Jeff Choate. Lefau could be a great fit as an outside linebacker in Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense. He surely possesses some of the traits Pete Kwiatkowski looked for as defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies.
Lefau chose Texas over Oregon, Utah, BYU, and USC among other offers. He is the No. 16 linebacker in the country and the top player in Hawaii according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
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Lefau will join Cedric Baxter Jr. and Spencer Shannon in Austin this weekend.
It will be a busy month on the Forty Acres. Continue reading “Four-star LB Liona Lefau schedules official visit to Texas”
Add 4-star LB Liona Lefau — the top-ranked player in Hawaii — to the star-studded list of visitors in June.
The Oregon Ducks have done well recruiting the state of Hawaii’s best player. He has scheduled one of his five official visits to Eugene for a mega recruiting weekend at the end of June.
Four-star linebacker Liona Lefau, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 player in Hawaii, announced he plans to take an official visit to Oregon on June 24. Lefau will be among some of the best players in the nation. Among those visiting that weekend are five-star Richard Young, five-star Jayden Wayne, five-star Kadyn Proctor, five-star David Hicks and five-star Samuel M’Pemba.
Lefau is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 15 LB in the 2023 class and the No. 190 player overall. The Ducks are among the favorites to land him, but we will wait to see how this recruiting weekend goes for Oregon.
MSU has gone to Hawaii to extend an offer to 4-star LB Liona Lefau
Michigan State has extended an offer to Liona Lefau, a native of Kahuku, Hawaii. The Spartans expanded as far west as they could go in the United States to send this offer, and it is for a very coveted player.
Sheesh! Truly blessed and honored to receive an offer from Michigan State University!!🟢⚪️ @CoachTHollowell #B1G #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/w9JGsjAd2T
— liona lefau 🤟 (@LefauLiona) March 30, 2022
Lefau is a four star prospect that currently ranks as the No. 227 overall player and the No. 20 linebacker in the nation according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
The Spartans will have a lot of west coast competition to earn the talents of Lefau.
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Texas is in the mix for the best player out of Hawaii.
Even with all the offseason additions Texas made ahead of the 2022 season, they were unable to address the linebacker position.
It is very likely that this position will be a huge point of emphasis for Steve Sarkisian and his staff when it comes to recruiting the 2023 class. After the 2022 season, the Longhorns are set to lose some key players at the linebacker spot as players like DeMarvion Overshown are set to move on from Texas after the season.
They received some positive news via Twitter in terms of their standing with one of the nation’s best linebacker recruits, as four-star Liona Lefau released his top eight schools and it included the Longhorns.
Top 8. 🤔 https://t.co/xwu5XKHAmP pic.twitter.com/sDq9sKN3yU
— liona lefau 🤟 (@LefauLiona) March 18, 2022
The Kahuku. Hawaii native is also deciding between schools such as USC, Oklahoma, and Oregon. He ranks as the No. 181 player in the country, No. 15 linebacker, and the best player in the state of Hawaii according to 247Sports.
