Tag: Texas football recruiting

Texas commit Christian Clark discusses Longhorns’ upcoming commits

Christian Clark expects the Texas class to grow considerably over the next few weeks.

Christian Clark is set to become a Texas Longhorns running back. Continue reading “Texas commit Christian Clark discusses Longhorns’ upcoming commits”

2024 four-star running back Christian Clark commits to Texas

Elite Arizona running back Christian Clark becomes the third Texas commitment within the last six days.

In perhaps the most underrated commitment for the 2024 cycle, Arizona four-star running back Christian Clark has committed to Texas. His commitment continues Tashard Choice’s reign over running back recruiting in college football.

Last offseason, Choice won over the nation’s No. 1 running back CJ Baxter. Now, he’s landed another unique talent at the position.

Don’t let Clark’s mere four-star rating fool you. He has all the tools to dominate in college football and find a prominent place in an NFL roster’s plans.

The ball carrier from Phoenix put up strong statistics last season. He carried the ball 103 times for 737 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a receiver he nabbed 37 receptions for 368 yards. The highly sought after running back chose Texas over Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and Oregon among others.

Make no mistake about Clark’s importance to the 2024 recruiting class. He is the type of player that will help Texas break games open and compete for championships. Texas will look to add more elite players to its recruiting class over the weekend.

What to make of 2024 five-star WR Micah Hudson’s canceled Texas visit

The Longhorns would love to have Micah Hudson, but the wide receiver room can handle a recruiting loss.

Texas target and five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson has canceled his visit to Austin. The move is widely viewed as a big deal in regard to the Longhorns’ chances in his recruitment.

At one point in his recruiting process, Hudson was seen as a likely Texas commit. Now it appears the talented receiver has shifted his focus from Austin to Lubbock and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

To be sure, Texas will be fine regardless of whether or not Hudson elects to ultimately sign with the team. The 2024 wide receiver room is set to be led by AD Mitchell, Isaiah Neyor, Johntay Cook, DeAndre Moore and Ryan Niblett. The latter three could all take over the starting receiver roles in 2025.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and company would greatly benefit from adding a player of Hudson’s caliber. Certainly, they should do everything they can to sway the talented receiver. Even so, Texas can win with him or without him.

We’ll continue to monitor the Hudson recruitment as the 2023 season approaches.

2024 five-star OT Brandon Baker shares his thoughts about Texas

Brandon Baker appears to be a big Kyle Flood fan.

The nation’s top offensive tackle prospect has the Texas Longhorns on his mind. After visiting Austin over the weekend, Brandon Baker left with a positive outlook on who he would be playing for should he choose the Longhorns.

It became evident the Mater Dei (California) player has great respect for Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood. Baker said the following about Flood and what the Longhorns are building.

“When I talk to Coach (Kyle) Flood, it means something. He’s a really good coach and he’s building a really strong offensive line. They’re putting something special together and he wants me to be a part of that.”

Based on the above quote, Baker appears coachable. Whatever Flood has shared with the elite talent has resonated with the young player.

It’s encouraging to Texas faithful that the Longhorns have dramatically improved their offensive line. More encouraging is that a player of Baker’s caliber is taking notice of the improvement. Now Kyle Flood will look to turn positive program perception into more elite commitments along the offensive line.

Five-star cornerback Kobe Black shares excitement over Texas visit

Kobe Black seems excited to be in Austin this weekend.

Five-star cornerback Kobe Black is set to visit the Forty Acres this weekend. He is one of the most important targets Texas will pursue in its 2024 recruiting class.

Seldom does a five-star cornerback develop in the Longhorns’ backyard. That’s practically the case with Black who plays high school football in Waco, less than two hours from Austin. Proximity plays to the Longhorns’ advantage for the player.

Texas has long been seen as a favorite to win over the elite player. Black is contributing to that theory based on what he’s shared to Twitter ahead of his visit. On Monday, his profile picture featured the talented corner in a Texas uniform. Clearly, his weekend visit to Austin is on his mind.

The Longhorns’ 2024 recruiting class picked up momentum after nabbing commitments from cornerback Santana Wilson and wide receiver Freddie Dubose. Black will be worth keeping an eye on over the weekend as we inch toward a decision.

The Waco native is the No. 2 cornerback and No. 22 overall player in the On3 consensus rankings.

Four-star wide receiver Freddie Dubose commits to Texas

Texas secures its second commitment in just over 24 hours with wide receiver Freddie Dubose.

Four-star wide receiver Freddie Dubose has made his intentions known. He wants to be a wide receiver for the Texas Longhorns. On Saturday, he became the Longhorns’ second commitment in the last 25 hours.

Dubose hails from Spring Branch, Texas, just up Route 281 from San Antonio. He might not be the last San Antonio area recruit the Longhorns win over in the coming weeks.

The elite wide receiver is a significant get for the team. Dubose has been consistently mentioned as one of the team’s top targets for the 2024 cycle, and with good reason. Here’s what the team’s newest commitment had to say about his decision.

“Alright so first and foremost man that coaching staff is something different. They’re real about what they say. Being able to play under Chris Jackson, with all the experience he has had before, it puts me in a good position. … I feel like Texas is everywhere and when football comes to an end I know the Texas family will take care of me for the rest of my life.”

It appears the Texas staff did its job of building a relationship and discussing the advantages of being a Texas graduate. The Longhorns will look to pitch the university and football program to the rest of its class.

Dubose is On3 Sports’ No. 170 overall player in its individual industry rankings.

Texas makes up ground with key targets after a huge recruiting weekend

Texas made quite an impression with a handful of recruits over its first big recruiting weekend.

The Texas Longhorns’ 2024 recruiting class looks like it’s about to take off in the coming months. Four-star cornerback Santana Wilson got the weekend off to a strong start with the Longhorns’ fourth commitment of the cycle.

Texas appears to be in solid standing with several other recruits. Namely, offensive tackle Brandon Baker, edge rusher Danny Okoye, running back Jerrick Gibson and wide receiver Aeryn Hampton appear to trend closer to the Longhorns.

There looks to be a strong push for several Arizona players after adding Wilson from Scottsdale. Edge rusher Deshawn Warner and running back Christian Clark enjoyed their time on the Forty Acres this weekend after Texas made them feel at home.

Here’s a few glimpses at where the team stands with some key targets right now.

Twitter reacts to four-star CB Santana Wilson’s commitment to Texas

Santana Wilson’s commitment fired up the fanbase on Saturday.

Four-star cornerback Santana Wilson has committed to the Texas Longhorns. The commitment sent shock waves through Texas Twitter.

It’s been a long offseason on the recruiting trail for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff. Prior to the commitment, the class had just three 2024 commits. It looks like that number could rapidly increase over the next couple weeks.

Several targets are trending toward the Longhorns after a strong start to the recruiting weekend. The fanbase is taking notice.

To be sure, this recruiting cycle could determine whether or not Texas builds a playoff contender or if Sarkisian’s tenure will fall flat like his last two predecessors. Here’s a look at how social media is responding to Wilson’s commitment and the team’s recruiting momentum.

2024 four-star cornerback Santana Wilson commits to Texas

The No. 90 player in On3 Sports’ 2024 recruiting rankings chooses the Longhorns.

The recruiting weekend is already off to a fast start for Texas. The Longhorns secured a surprise commitment from four-star cornerback Santana Wilson to begin its momentum toward another Top 10 class.

Wilson joins elite corner Hunter Moddon, quarterback Trey Owens and kicker Michael Kern in the Longhorns’ 2024 recruiting class. The Scottsdale native continues the Arizona to Austin pipeline that Bijan Robinson opened in the 2020 recruiting class.

While there’s plenty of work for the team in its 2024 class, Saturday stands as an encouraging start. Here’s a look at what On3 believes Texas is getting from the big time commitment.

Savvy corner with high-end ball skills. … Works in press and off coverage. Looks to be a heady player with strong awareness. Plays with strong overall technique. Understands body positioning. Uses his hands at the line of scrimmage. Shows strong ball skills and has plus ball production with 4 interceptions and 12 pass breakups as a junior. Does not have verified speed and looks to be quicker than fast, though he does run well. Can improve his stride length. The son of former All-Pro safety Adrian Wilson.

On3 Sports lists Wilson as the No. 90 player and No. 13 cornerback in the 2024 class. Texas looks to continue its recruiting surge and add to the Scottsdale player over the weekend.

What 2024 four-star TE Ryner Swanson committing to BYU means for Texas

Ryner Swanson or not, Texas would need a portal tight end after Ja’Tavion Sanders goes to the NFL draft.

Texas tight end target Ryner Swanson chose the BYU Cougars over the Longhorns on Thursday. What was somewhat quiet news compared to the early SEC schedule release stands as a long-term loss for the program.

Without question, should Swanson stick with his commitment to BYU, Texas will have lost an impact player down the road. That said, if you’re hoping to immediately fill a void at tight end left after Ja’Tavion Sanders presumably enters the 2024 NFL draft, you’re probably not going to do that with a freshman.

The plan at tight end next season likely involves developing the current tight end room and finding an impact portal player. The latter will be a difficult task since many great tight ends stay put.

The reality is, you’re not going to be able to replace a player like Ja’Tavion Sanders in 2024. Texas can, however, lean on a receiving corps that could have AD Mitchell, Isaiah Neyor and Johntay Cook leading the unit.

Though Texas faithful should appreciate Sanders’ unique skill set while they can, the Longhorns offense can function without a dynamic tight end going forward. The team will now look to close on other tight end targets as it looks to build its 2024 recruiting class.