Tag: oklahoma sooners football recruiting

Players to watch as Texas closes its 2023 recruiting class

Somehow this recruiting class can get even better.

Steve Sarkisian and company are picking up steam on the recruiting trail following a massive recruiting win with Anthony Hill.

Hill and Sarkisian shocked the world by announcing they would join forces after an in-home visit on Thursday night. Now, the Texas Longhorns have recruits buzzing about the potential of playing in Austin.

Make no mistake, regardless of where this class finishes in the final recruiting rankings it is one of the best the Longhorns have ever compiled.

The 2023 recruiting class checks nearly all of the boxes for the ideal class. Even so, the Texas staff looks far from finished on the recruiting trail.

Let’s look at a few players to watch as Steve Sarkisian’s staff closes the 2023 recruiting cycle.

WATCH: Bijan Robinson channels Barry Sanders on this run

Former NFL scout compares Bijan Robinson to Barry Sanders.

Bijan Robinson is not just any running back. He has the ability to become an all-time NFL great.

Former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus was reminded of another elite back watching Robinson play. He had the following to say about Bijan earlier this month.

He’s one of the best players in the country regardless of position. I had visions of Barry Sanders watching him play.

Broaddus’ comparison is high praise, but fits what we have seen from the special runner. Robinson’s innate ability to find openings that are not apparent to the average back has impressed since his freshman season.

The play below encapsulates what Broaddus likely sees from the Texas running back. Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika makes an incredible maneuver to get into the backfield. Bijan nullifies the move by countering with impressive footwork of his own.

In general, it’s true that most any starting caliber running back is as good as another in the NFL. But, as indicated by the above run, Bijan Robinson is on a tier of his own.

Where Texas’ 2023 recruiting class ranks after Anthony Hill’s commitment

Anthony Hill vaults Texas four spots higher in the On3 consensus recruiting rankings.

When the Texas A&M Aggies originally earned five-star linebacker Anthony Hill’s commitment, I wrote A&M landed a haymaker on Texas. In flipping Hill from the Aggies, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian landed a knockout punch.

The win on the recruiting trail skyrocketed the Longhorns up the recruiting rankings and gave Texas yet another impact player for the 2023 class.

The Longhorns now have the No. 3 recruiting class in the On3 consensus. The consensus combines the rankings from all four major recruiting websites.

Texas has eight Top 100 players committed according to On3. Among the Longhorns’ Top 100 players are the No. 1 quarterback, No. 1 running back, No. 1 linebacker, two elite wide receivers, the No. 5 cornerback, the No. 3 safety and an elite pass rusher.

Here’s a look at the top 10 recruiting classes in the country for the 2023 cycle.

Flip Season: Rivals’ Nick Harris hints at a potential recruiting flip

It looks like one talented Denton player will pick a new team soon.

All eyes are on Denton, Texas after Rivals recruiting expert Nick Harris tweeted about a potential flip. Continue reading “Flip Season: Rivals’ Nick Harris hints at a potential recruiting flip”

Texas Football: Challenging narratives about the 2022 season

We’re not letting Oklahoma off the hook for losing without Dillon Gabriel.

As is the case every year, popular narratives pervade discussion involving the most recent Texas football season. Often times, those narratives can rattle through the echo chamber until they are the accepted fanbase opinion, regardless of validity.

Today we’re going to challenge commonly accepted narratives about Texas and its rivals.

The Texas Longhorns went 8-4 and finished No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The high points of the season were wins over Oklahoma, Kansas State and Baylor and a strong performance against Alabama. The season lows were dealt by Oklahoma State and TCU.

Jaylan Ford was the highlight of the season, making outcome altering plays for the Longhorns week after week. Despite the development of Ford and others, many felt Texas left wins on the table.

Let’s challenge some of the popular opinions on the 2022 season.

Texas RB Bijan Robinson wins the 2022 Doak Walker Award

Bijan brings Texas its record-setting fifth Doak Walker Award.

National college football awards were announced on Thursday night. It comes as no surprise that Bijan Robinson was involved in the ceremony.

Robinson was the clear cut best running back in college football this season. Some would argue he was the best player. The Doak Walker did right by the talented back recognizing him as the best at his position.

Bijan will go down in Texas football history as one of the greatest running backs in program history. Although he might not top the rushing charts for the program, he has a claim as perhaps the most uniquely gifted back to wear the burnt orange.

The award would be a great finish to what would be an incredible college career. Texas is now tied with Wisconsin at No. 1 all-time in Doak Walker Awards with five. Four Longhorn running backs have earned the prestigious award. Ricky Williams took home the trophy twice.

Here’s a look at the two most significant Big 12 representatives from the night.

Texas ranks No. 20 in College Football Playoff rankings

Texas finishes the regular season ranked in the Top 20.

The Texas Longhorns finish the regular season as the No. 20 team in college football. With the exception of post-conference championship shakeups, that is about where they will sit heading into bowl season.

The ranking marks progress for Texas after going 5-7 in Steve Sarkisian’s first season as head coach. It also could have bowl ramifications for Texas.

The Longhorns were likely headed to the Alamo Bowl before the poll. Texas Tech was considered the next best option for the second best game with Big 12 ties.

Texas Tech’s omission from the rankings will make it even more difficult for the Alamo Bowl to overlook Texas. The Longhorns would likely face one of Utah, Oregon, Washington and UCLA should they make the Alamo Bowl.

Here’s a look at who made the top of the rankings and is still alive in the College Football Playoff race.

Twitter reacts: 4-star WR Anthony Evans flips to UGA

Four-star class of 2023 wide receiver recruit Anthony Evans has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs

Four-star class of 2023 wide receiver recruit Anthony Evans has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs. Evans, who was previously committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, flipped his commitment after a visit to Athens, Georgia.

Anthony Evans plays high school football for Judson High School in Converse, Texas. Evans first committed to Arkansas in April 2022.

Evans ranks as the nation’s No. 284 overall prospect and No. 39 wide receiver in the class of 2023, per 247Sports. The talented receiver is considered the No. 53 recruit in Texas.

The Judson star has high-end speed and acceleration.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound receiver also competes in track and field for Judson High School, where he ran a personal-best 10.27 second 100-meter dash in the spring of 2022. Evans took a visit to the University of Georgia for the Tennessee game.

Here’s how Twitter reacted as Evans flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to Georgia:

Wednesday Recruiting: Recapping the huge week for Texas

Texas’ win over K-State has recruits wanting a closer look at Texas football.

The Texas Longhorns are on an late-season tear on the recruiting trail. Steve Sarkisian’s staff started off the week scorching hot with rumors that Colton Vasek and Anthony Hill Jr. might head to the Longhorns.

So far the claims have been valid. Vasek chose the Longhorns yesterday, while Anthony Hill decommitted from Texas A&M. Hill, the talented linebacker from Denton, appears to lean heavily toward the burnt orange according to multiple recruiting experts.

The above players are just the tip of the iceberg for Texas, who hosts the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday. On the strength of a road victory over a ranked Kansas State squad, fan enthusiasm is building to a fever pitch while recruits want a closer look at the program.

Let’s look at what’s going on with recruiting on the Forty Acres.

Report: Oklahoma commit Colton Vasek expected at Texas game

Brent Venables’ no-vist policy could be tested today.

The Texas Longhorns could have an elite edge rushing prospect on hand for their game with Iowa State. The fact that he could be considering leaving a rival school makes it even more significant.

Oklahoma defensive end commitment Colton Vasek is expected to be present for the Longhorns’ game against the Iowa State Cyclones. His potential interest in Texas is encouraging, but that’s not the biggest story of the anticipated visit.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has a no-visit policy for Oklahoma commitments. That’s Venables’ prerogative, but his policy will be tested with Vasek. Now, we’ll see if the first-year Oklahoma head coach will keep his word.

Here’s a look at how social media is taking the news so far.