Texas lands commitment from four-star OT Payton Kirkland over Oklahoma and others

Hook ’em! Texas wasn’t included in his top five schools but they were able to close the deal late.

The Texas rumors regarding four-star offensive tackle Payton Kirkland this week turned out to be valid.

Gerry Hamilton of On3 Sports entered a surprising prediction for Kirkland in favor of the Longhorns on Wednesday. The prediction caused quite the stir on Twitter, even Kirkland himself dismissed the notion.

Why is it surprising to begin with? Texas was not included in Kirkland’s top five schools that he announced on March 18. Florida, Oklahoma, Miami, Michigan State and Alabama were the finalists. Aside from Alabama, the other four programs were the only ones to receive an official visit from Kirkland.

Steve Sarkisian’s staff reportedly came out of no where with an enticing offer to sway Kirkland to Austin. The Orlando native is rated the No. 25 offensive tackle in the country for the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 52 overall prospect in Florida, according to 247Sports.

The Longhorns continue to stay hot on the recruiting trail and are likely to land a few more commitments over the next two weeks. Per 247Sports, Texas currently owns the No. 4 recruiting class in the country with 20 pledges.

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