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Teryor

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  1. 9 minutes ago, Blotto said:

    Lets tap the brakes a bit there. Here's the current 247 hoops rankings reflecting both recruits and transfer portal

    image.thumb.png.51fd5cec667ff543c75c011e71e5c0e2.png

    Not to mention Rick had some pretty f'n salty classes as  well. 

     

    They have Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper who are 2 of the top 3 recruits in the nation. That is comparable to anything Rick did on its own. 

    9 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

    Can you expound on this a bit more. I don’t see these as comparable programs to where Texas should be in basketball. And I’m a bit skeptical about the Kentucky offer. 

    South Carolina was very good this year as exhibited by getting a 6 seed and Rutgers is clearly trying to invest in making basketball a priority. You're also not recruiting against the usual group of teams when you get to June and many teams don't have spots left. I'm not overly enthusiastic about this take but we are beyond desperate for big depth and good teams thought he was a take so I'll be cautiously optimistic.  Still need someone who we can be pencil in for 20+ minutes as a big but given the options available it's not nothing.

    • Hook 'Em 2
  2. 20 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

    We beat out basketball powerhouses South Carolina(not the womens) and Rutgers, according to Gerry.

    South Carolina is good and Rutgers has been on an absolute recruiting heater that I don't think Texas has ever matched. 

    • Hook 'Em 1
  3. The Stampede: 10 visitors from Saturday's Elite Camp that have the highest chances to end up at Texas
     

    Quote

    The Texas Longhorns are geared up for a big summer of recruiting. 

    The burnt orange staff started the summer hot, kicking off the month of June in style by having the annual Texas Elite Camp take place on Saturday June 1.

    One of the main points of the evaluation process for the Longhorns staff, the Elite Camp provides an excellent opportunity for the Texas staff to gauge where offered as well as unoffered prospects are in their individual developments, giving the staff an overall better picture of their board for each respective class heading into the fall. 

    The Elite Camp has been a staple of the Steve Sarkisian era in Austin, as each year he's been on the Forty Acres it's taken place in early June. Headlined by a spur of the moment commitment given by Saraland four-star QB KJ Lacey, last years group was more than solid as it featured future Texas commits James Simon, Lance Jackson, and Elijah Barnes alongs with several other top targets like Dakorien Moore, Michael Fasusi, and DJ Sanders amongst plenty others. 

    That said, there's a ton of value to be taken from the annual Elite Camp whether short term or long term. 

    In today's story though, we're thinking long term as we bring you 10 visitors from Saturday's Elite Camp that have the highest chances to end up at Texas.

    These aren't necessarily crystal ball predictions, but instead it's simply 10 prospects who Horns247 feels like has the highest chances of ending up at Texas out of Saturday's visitor list that features dozens and dozens of targets in the 2026 and 2027 classes. 

    Without further ado, let's get into it. 

    FT. LAUDERDALE (FL.) AMERICAN HERITAGE 5-STAR QB DIA BELL

    Dia Bell at Texas earlier this spring. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Texas hosted a handful of quarterbacks over the weekend for Elite Camp, one of which was Dia Bell. The No. 3 signal caller and No. 10 overall player in the country, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, also visited Austin for the first day of spring practice. As Horns247 reported over the weekend, we're told Bell was first in line in all the quarterback drills and received a lion's share of the coaching/attention inside DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. He still has upcoming visits to Florida State, Ohio State, and LSU in the month of June, but sources feel Texas is in good position. Side note: that doesn't rule out fellow 2026 signal caller Troy Huhn, who also camped in Austin on Saturday. As Horns247 has reported, Huhn is also a top target of the staff's and has a lot of interest in the Longhorns. He, too, has upcoming visits to Clemson, Auburn, Michigan, and then Penn State in July. Horns247 continues to lean towards Bell at the moment, though. (South)

    TEXARKANA (TX) TEXAS HIGH 4-STAR RB TRADARIAN BALL

    Tradarian Ball (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    The Longhorns will still have to work for it, but we like the chances of Ball's "dream school" — Texas — winning out at the end of the day. Ball has described an "at home" feeling when speaking about the Forty Acres in the past, and while it's been a fluid list of standouts throughout the recruitment, it's always felt like the Longhorns have well maintained their position at the top. After making the drive down from Texarkana to see several home games last fall, Ball has now returned to campus twice in 2024 with Horns247 expecting him back in Austin several more times before the end of the year. (Scruggs)

    SAN ANTONIO MADISON 4-STAR WR JORDAN CLAY

    Jordan Clay (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Texas has plenty of in-state 2025 targets at the wide receiver position, and as it looks now there's some high-caliber talent in the Lone Star State in 2026 as well. Clay earned an offer from the staff after working out on Saturday, one that he said made his mother cry. Even before the offer, Clay considered Texas a school in his top group, dating back to the Orange-White Game. He was quoted in saying it would be a dream to play for the Longhorns. Arizona State, Baylor, Notre Dame and Texas A&M are the competition at this point in time, but we feel the Longhorns offering gives UT the inside track as things stand. (South)

    PEARLAND SHADOW CREEK WR CHRIS STEWART

    Chris Stewart (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    One of the names heard most throughout the weekend when speaking with sources about standouts from Saturday's Elite Camp, it's possible Stewart is now the highest in-state WR on the board for 2026. Up to this point he's only been able to see a handful of programs in the region with the hope of seeing more out-of-state programs in the future, but in talking with Stewart and those around him it's clear that Stewart would like to stay close to home in order to not go far from his family. This could end up coming down to Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and potentially LSU, but we like the Longhorns' chances of winning out for the talented Houston area native with sub-11 speed. (Scruggs)

    NORTH CROWLEY 5-STAR OT JOHN TURNTINE III

    John Turntine III (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Arguably Texas' top offensive line target in the class of 2026, Turntine is a regular on the Forty Acres already. He was back again Saturday, and already considers UT a top school for him. One big factor playing to Texas' advantage is the location. "One big thing to me — the location," he told Horns247 after the spring game. "Both my sisters go to school, and my cousin, right down the street (referencing Hutson-Tillotson). My older sister is starting here (at Texas) during the summer. It would be cool to go to school with them. The location of Texas is a big thing." That could be what tilts the scales in Texas' favor over schools like TCU, Georgia, and Texas A&M, not to mention Kyle Flood and the Longhorns staff have done a great job of recruiting Turntine to this point. (South)

    MANSFIELD LAKE RIDGE 4-STAR OT FELIX OJO

    Felix Ojo (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    The rising junior checked in at 6-foot-7, 283 pounds on Saturday. Ojo was one of three 2026 offensive linemen the staff offered at camp. He says UT is a dream school and the fact that the program is on an upward trajectory has UT standing "pretty high" on his list. Ojo is going to have a momentous summer with visits upcoming to Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Florida State, so expect his offer list to continue to grow. Texas being the home-state school should keep the Longhorns in top contention over the next two seasons. (South)

    TEMPLE 4-STAR DL JAMARION CARLTON

    Jamarion Carlton (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    For several months I've been told by folks in Temple that an offer from the Longhorns would go a long way for Carlton and his family, and it was clear as day that the offer was monumental for Carlton in talking to him after the camp. The opportunities that include being able to leave home yet still being a short drive down I-35, playing in the SEC and at a top program like Texas, all while receiving a strong education were among reasons told by sources as to why the burnt orange offer meant so much in his eyes. While passing Wildcat Stadium on my drive home from Austin to Temple on Saturday night, I phoned a source close to Carlton who ultimately expects the top 100 prospect to stay in CenTex in order to play for the Longhorns. (Scruggs)

    DUNCANVILLE 4-STAR EDGE KJ FORD

    KJ Ford (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Of the schools that have been in the mix throughout the spring, Oklahoma has appeared to have done the best job. While it's possible the Sooners could still be in pole position, Horns247 believes the recruitment is starting to balance out as the Longhorns seemed to gain some momentum in the recruitment following Ford's camp visit on Saturday. It'll likely end up being a knockdown, dragout recruitment, but it won't be anything new to Texas as the Longhorns have already won at Duncanville in the form of Colin Simmons with the expectation that 2025 five-star wideout Dakorien Moore ends up in the burnt orange as well. (Scruggs)

    CARTHAGE 4-STAR LB DAQUIVES BECK

    Daquives Beck (Photo: Hank South, 247Sports)
    Beck fits the bill for what new linebackers coach Johnny Nansen looks for at the position. He checked in at just over 6-foot-1, 190 pounds on Saturday and had a solid showing in workouts. Beck loved what he took away from Nansen during drills when it comes to his technique. He's a big fan of Nansen's "aggressive" coaching style. Beck says it reminds him of his coaching at Carthage. The Longhorns already offered back in February after Beck recorded 132 tackles, including nine tackles for a loss, six sacks, and two fumble recoveries as a sophomore. Texas Tech and Texas A&M are likely the top competition in the early going for the Top247 'backer. (South)

    KATY MAYDE CREEK 3-STAR LB KOSI OKPALA

    Kosi Okpala (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Similar to Chris Stewart, Okpala is another recruitment that's expected to end with him selecting a school in the region, with Horns247 expecting the final decision to be between Texas and Texas A&M. The Aggies have done a good job of establishing relationships with Okpala throughout the spring, but the Longhorns are set up well down the stretch with Okpala being "godbrothers'' and having a unique relationship with Longhorn legend Brian Orakpo along with the fact that Okpala's defensive coordinator at Mayde Creek is former three-time All-Big 12 linebacker Rashad Bobino. (Scruggs)

     

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  4. 247 Texas Recruiting Quick Hitters from a loaded Elite Camp

    Quote

    AUSTIN, Texas — Texas hosted its annual Elite Camp on the Forty Acres on Saturday. Here's all the recruiting buzz we've gathered so far, with much more to come in the days to follow. This doesn't include every single camper, but many of the notable ones in attendance. 

    Monroe (La.) Ouachita Parish 2026 four-star defensive line Dylan Berymon

    Berymon worked out on Saturday and earned an offer. He visited Texas earlier in the week and stayed in the Austin area with family in Cedar Park before returning to campus. Berymon says new defensive line coach Kenny Baker is like a father figure to him and it's his best relationship in recruiting so far. This will be a Texas-LSU battle. Texas likes Berymon as a true nose.

    Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian Academy 2027 quarterback Peyton Houston

    One of the first 2027 quarterback offers extended. Houston is close with new Texas running back commit James Simon. It's still extremely early for him, but Texas will "definitely one of the top" schools for the Bayou State product. Loves the quarterback development under Steve Sarkisian and AJ Milwee. Will be at Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, and Tennessee in the coming weeks. Visited Alabama recently. Grew up an LSU fan.

    San Antonio Madison 2026 four-star wide receiver Jordan Clay

    Clay earned his dream offer today after visiting for the Orange-White game back in April. Texas was already one of his top schools without offering, and now the program is cemented in his top five with Arizona State, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M. Clay said his mom cried when he got the news. Texas is trending up in this one.

    Legacy School of Sport Sciences 2026 wide receiver Mike Brown

    Brown has been waiting on the Texas offer. He's actually from Austin originally. Brown says the program is his top three now that UT has offered. Loves the atmosphere. Game experience last season blew him away. LSU, TCU, and Ohio State visits are upcoming. Texas A&M is a team to watch early. His dad, Reggie, played for the Aggies.

    Mansfield Lake Ridge 2026 four-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo

    The Texas staff loves Ojo, who checked in at 6-foot-7, 283 pounds. He earned an offer after his workout. Ojo's upcoming visit schedule includes Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Florida State. Ojo loves that Texas went to the playoffs and their draft success this year. He says the program "stands pretty high" right now. Calls the program a dream school.

    Huntington Beach 2027 quarterback Brady Edmunds

    Edmunds was the other 2027 quarterback to get offered by a very selective staff when it comes to offering quarterbacks. He had one of the strongest days under center. "Not only just because it's Texas but because it's a relationship I've been building for the past several months so to finally here I've been offered is awesome," he told Horns247. "It's pretty early on for me still but with them being one of the top programs in the nation and someone that I already have a great relationship with, they're definitely up there."

    Cy Ranch 2027 defensive lineman Amari Vickerson

    Vickerson is only going into his sophomore year but already has size beyond his years. Defensive line coach Kenny Baker worked with him, praising his bend, ability to turn the corner, etc.

    Temple 2026 four-star edge Jamarion Carlton

    The Longhorns told Carlton they've been a fan of his for a while and had been wanting to offer, but wanted his offer to come from Steve Sarkisian in an in-person meeting. That it did, and Carlton gave quotes on record about how he came close to crying after receiving his offer. Ranked as a defensive lineman by 247Sports for now, Carlton's offer from Texas actually happens to be at the EDGE position. In talking to sources in Temple about Carlton over the past few months I was told multiple times that the family is super high on the Longhorns, so I didn't really find it surprising when Carlton's father showed up decked out in burnt orange. (Scruggs)

    Dallas South Oak Cliff 2027 offensive tackle Brian Swanson

    To my knowledge Swanson is the only 2027 in-state offensive or defensive lineman that holds a Texas offer. It's incredibly early in the process for him, but he's more than on pace to being a Top247 level prospect that finishes his career with 30+ offers when it's all said and done. Again, it's still early, but the chances are decent that Swanson could end up being the same level of target as Michael Fasusi or John Turntine but for the 2027 cycle. (Scruggs)

    Other new offers. More intel to come:

    Midlothian 2026 interior offensive lineman Noah Best

    Port Arthur Memorial 2026 cornerback Brock King

    Waco Connally 2026 cornerback Jamarion Vincent

    Klein 2026 interior offensive lineman Nicolas Robertson

    Targets/Propsects 

    Carrollton (Ga.) five-star safety Zelus Hicks

    One of the few five-stars in attendance, Texas left a great impression on Hicks for what was his second visit to Austin. Hicks says his parents want to move to Texas when he goes to college, which could give the Longhorns an added advantage when the time comes. His aunt is former Dallas County DA Faith Johnson. Hicks plans to drop a top 12 in a few days. Hicks wants to get up to Ohio State and Tennessee.

    Carthage 2026 four-star linebacker Daquives Beck

    Beck loved Johnny Nansen's aggressive coaching. Sarkisian talked to Beck about the culture in Austin. Beck is visiting Texas Tech later this month, and potentially Texas A&M next week. He checked in at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds. He'll be one of Texas' top linebacker targets in the 2026 cycle. (South)

    Texarkana (Texas) High 2026 four-star running back Tradarian Ball

    Another great visit for one of UT's top running back targets in the entire 2026 cycle. The Longhorns continue to be in strong position for the in-state back, per sources.

    San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills four-star quarterback Troy Huhn

    Huhn returned for what was his fourth or fifth trip to Austin, joined by his mom this time. Huhn says he felt like he had a good day throwing and was looking to get some questions answered by the staff, which he did. Huhn left after spending time with Steve Sarkisian this afternoon. He might return for game this fall. Clemson, Auburn, Michigan and Penn State visits are upcoming. We're learning more towards the chances of Dia Bell ending up in this class at this point in time. (South)

    North Crowley 2026 five-star offensive tackle John Turntine III

    It was his third time on campus in the year 2024, and in talking to Turntine it seemed like the best experience he's had visiting the Forty Acres so far. It's clear as day that he's the highest offensive lineman on the board in 2026 and we expect the same to continue through the end of the cycle. There's still a really long way to go and it's anticipated to be a slugfest, but with Turntine having family ties to the Longhorns and having been a top priority across the board for some time, Horns247 believes Turntine will eventually end up in the Longhorns' 2026 class. (Scruggs)

    Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne four-star quarterback Jaden O'Neal

    Short and sweet — this was the first visit to Austin and likely the last. Oklahoma is likely the landing spot. Texas' 2026 focus is currently on Dia Bell and Troy Huhn. (South)

    Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy 2025 three-star defensive lineman Amir Leonard-Jean Charles

    One of the handful of 2025 prospects camping today, Charles told the media that he's working on setting up a Texas official visit for the June 21-23 weekend but that defensive line coach Kenny Baker still needs to confirm it. At the time being, Syracuse and West Virginia are the only schools set to receive officials. If the Longhorns were to push, we feel like the recruitment would be over rather quickly and in favor of Texas. (Scruggs)

    Mayde Creek 2026 four-star linebacker Kosi Okpala

    Okpala worked with Johnny Nansen today. He's become close with him, as well as Jeff Banks and Steve Sarkisian. This was his first camp environment at Texas. This will come down to the Longhorns against Texas A&M for Okpala's signature. (South)

    Shadow Creek 2026 wide receiver Chris Stewart

    Having received his first offer by way of Texas and Blake Gideon following the end of his sophomore season, Stewart has long been wanting to solidify his relationship with Chris Jackson and he feels like that got done today. Although he's unranked, Stewart is my favorite WR in the in-state class and in talking to sources at camp it was clear he had one of, if not the top receiver performance. The last camper to be dropped off in the parking lot at the very end, Stewart spent a lot of time talking with coaches throughout the day with his whole family. Wanting to stay close to home for his college ball, Horns247 continues to like the Longhorns chances for the short and long term. The only other visit on the calendar for the summer is a trip to College Station he'll take later this month (Scruggs)

    Stockton (Calif.) St. Mary's 2026 three-star wide receiver Kenneth Moore III

    Moore considers Texas his dream school. He loves the school as a whole. Said he wanted to come to Austin to "chase his dreams." He didn't leave with an offer but did speak with Steve Sarkisian during the trip who told him to just keep working. Oregon, San Diego State, Cal and Stanford are up next. (South)

    Waco University 2026 four-star athlete London Smith

    Smith couldn't work out on Saturday due to an arm injury. He spent time with both Terry Jospeh and Chris Jackson. Texas continues to recruit him as a true athlete. Smith says he doesn't have a list but Texas will be up there since they're right around the corner from Waco. Smith is visiting Oregon next week. Wants to get back to Texas A&M and visit Alabama and Georgia. The Top100 athlete is going to take his time with the process, but sources feel like it'll come down to Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor when all is said and done. (South)

    Palestine 2026 cornerback S'Vioarean Martin

    Martin took this quote away from Terry Joseph: "You want to be elite or you want to be cool." He loves Texas. An offer would likely put UT atop his list of what's currently nine offers. Martin skipped the TCU camp to come to Austin today. (South)

    Flower Mound 2026 three-star interior offensive lineman Drew Evers

    As long as Kyle Flood is in Austin, we feel as if Texas will always be a school in high contention for Evers. One of the first o-linemen in the class to receive an offer from Texas, Evers has been one of the main 2026 OL targets since the beginning and the trend seems to be continuing. His second time in Austin in the year 2024, Evers enjoyed this trip more than the first due to getting to spend time getting coached up one-on-one by coach Flood. (Scruggs)

    Lakeview Centennial 2027 cornerback Montre Jackson

    Jackson got coached up by Terry Joseph, who told him to work on his feet. Jackson didn't leave with an offer but is a strong candidate for one in the future. Jackson also calls Texas a dream school. He also likes the track and field team as well. Oklahoma, Baylor and potentially LSU are up next for visits. (South)

    Carthage 2026 four-star running back KJ Edwards

    Edwards made a quick trip and was in and out after camp. He didn't spend much time with the staff, but still keep in regular contact with Tashard Choice. He still has the Longhorns in his top three with Baylor and Texas A&M. (South)

    Richmond Randle 2027 running back Landen Williams-Callis

    It's still incredibly early for Williams-Callis but it's clear in talking to him and sources at Texas that there is already very high mutual interest. While size might end up being an issue for some, Williams-Callis has already ripped several sub-11 100M times and has an impressive bloodline being the younger cousin of James and Jacquizz Rodgers which gives me confidence in his smaller stature. Already holding 30+ offers, there's still a long way to go but it's pretty encouraging that both sides are already at this high mutual interest level. (Scruggs)

    Bastrop 2027 quarterback Weston Nielsen

    Nielsen likes the drills the staff put them through. The local QB is becoming closer with AJ Milwee. He plans to be at Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Texas A&M in the weeks to come. Neilsen's family are big Texas fans so a potential offer would be significant. (South)

    Other notes—

    Horns247 spoke with several sources throughout the day to get intel on how certain campers did so here's a bit of scatter shooting:

    — Multiple sources told us Ft. Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage 2026 five-star QB Dia Bell was always the first in line for every drill/throw, and that it was by design of the Texas coaches. The sources also said it was clear he was receiving more coaching and overall attention from the staff than the other quarterbacks in attendance. That said, Horns247 continues to like the chances of Bell being the Longhorns signal caller for the 2026 class. Bell didn't speak with the media as he went to his hotel following the pool party. (Scruggs)

    — Multiple sources told us Temple 2026 Top247 CB Jason Bradford had one of the better cornerback performances on the day. The Longhorns told Bradford they like him a lot when they met with him, but that they need to dive into his film before extending an offer. I'm expecting Bradford to pick up a bunch of big-time offers by the end of the summer, so hopefully the Longhorns scholarship is coming sooner than later. (Scruggs)

    — According to multiple sources Austin LBJ 2026 safety Yaheim Riley had a similar stellar performance and met with the staff as well, but like Bradford, he also left without an offer. He's camping at Oklahoma later this month and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sooners extend an offer his way, and if Riley has the junior season I'm expecting him to have then he should have 20-25+ offers around this time next year. Riley will continue to be on the Longhorns' radar. (Scruggs)

    — Multiple sources felt like Brady Edmunds had the best QB performance on the day of the entire group. That's notable, as he joined Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian QB Peyton Houston as the only quarterbacks in 2027 to hold offers from the Longhorns. (Scruggs)

    — Sources lauded performances by 2026 edge KJ Ford. He, of course, already has an offer from the Texas staff and is one of the Longhorns' top targets in the cycle out of Duncanville. (South)

    — The Longhorns offered three offensive linemen on Saturday, a list not including Pulelei'ite Primus. We're told Texas really likes the Midland product though, so don't be surprised to see him get an offer eventually. (South)

    — Another strong showing at wide receiver today came from Jaylen Pile out of Parish Episcopal in Dallas, we're told. The 2026 pass catcher didn't leave with an offer but could pick one up on further evaluation into his junior season. (South)

     

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  5. 6 hours ago, utxmike05 said:

    lol.

    Veronica has taken the longest fall from hotness.  I had they playboy mag she was in....so hot.  I watched them show her repeatedly in that daily challenge....I was thinking before I hate...maybe she has some medical issue that makes her fat....but man they edited that poorly for her.

    I'm really just watching this for Laurel.  Majority of this cast can't carry a season...need more Alphas.  

     

    I loved Laurel from the jump but she's had an absolutely brutal dumb meathead season and capping that off with being too scared to go in the elimination you asked for is a tough look

    Especially when you could have just asked for Veronica and Flora in the elim and easily taken either out??

  6. 1 hour ago, SimkinsMan said:

    Speaking of the land of no money. Check out the poors next door. 
     

     

    I'm not being facetious when I say that's probably the smartest thing I've seen an Aggie say. He's right, every athletic department is full of incomparable amounts of bloat and there needs to be reform across the country.

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  7. Crystal Ballin': A Memorial Day 6-pack of predictions for Texas targets
     

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    The Texas Longhorns are ready to roll as they gear up for a busy summer of recruiting. 

    This weekend will bring some of the nation's best underclassmen to the Forty Acres for the annual June 1st Texas Elite Camp that'll take place on Saturday. 

    New offers will be sent out, new prospects will be evaluated, and other prospects will receive new evaluations before the staff turns around a week later to begin the most important time of the year— official visit season. 

    According to our notes, the Longhorns will welcome in 44 prospects on official visits over the summer as they look to add to their 16th ranked recruiting class that holds nine commitments from Texarkana (TX) Pleasant Grove four-star defensive lineman Lance Jackson, Dallas Skyline four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes, Saraland four-star quarterback KJ Lacey, Calhoun (GA) four-star tight end Emaree Winston, Cedar Hill three-star offensive tackle Jordan Coleman, Tyler Chapel Hill three-star running back Rickey Stewart, Port Neches-Groves three-star interior offensive lineman Jackson Christian, Melbourne (FL) Eau Gallie three-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown, and Cedar Hill three-star interior offensive lineman Devin Coleman. 

    Around this time next month, there will be more commitments in the class with the possibility of the class doubling in size by June 27. 

    That said, it's time we fire up the Crystal Ball machine and put in six predictions for Texas targets in 2025.

    Happy Memorial Day!

    SHREVEPORT (LA) CALVARY BAPTIST 4-STAR RB JAMES SIMON

    James Simon (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
    Unless something is going to happen out of the blue, Simon is likely the next prospect to commit to Texas as he'll be making his decision on Wednesday, May 29 at 12:30 PM CT. Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas, and Texas A&M make up the finalists, but this recruitment was Texas vs. LSU for the majority of it. Then April 13th came, and the Bayou Bengals took their second commitment at the running back position in 2025 from JT Lindsey. 

    That in turn made the recruitment all the way Texas and it's remained the same since, especially after Simon spent multiple days in Austin when he unofficially visited for the spring game. Although this one has been heavily trending Texas since the second week of April, Texas A&M is viewed as the school that's the biggest threat to Texas, but if things continue to trend like they should, a burnt orange hat will be selected around lunchtime on Wednesday.

    ATLANTA (GA) WESTLAKE 4-STAR OT JUAN GASTON

    Juan Gaston (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    A true behemoth offensive tackle prospect standing at 6-foot-7, 345 pounds, Gaston was one of the first out-of-state prospects to land an offer from Kyle Flood once the 2025 recruiting cycle really got going. With official visits set for Georgia (May 31-June 2), South Carolina (June 7-9), Texas (June 14-16), and Oregon (June 21-23), I heavily expect Gaston to eventually end up with the in-state Bulldogs. Gaston has also already seen all four of his finalist on unofficial visits, so none of the trips will be his first time on either campus. 

    Georgia does a phenomenal job of keeping their local talent home, and with Gaston being an Atlanta native this just makes too much sense. At this point in the recruitment I couldn't even tell you what the order of schools is after Georgia in first place, which is pretty telling of where this one is trending. This isn't intel based at all, but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Gaston commits to Georgia on his OV and ends up canceling the rest of his trips.

    SAN FRANCISCO (CA) ST. IGNATIUS PREP 3-STAR OT JOHN MILLS

    John Mills (Photo: Brandon Huffman, 247Sports)
    Another true behemoth offensive tackle prospect at 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, it's clear as day that Kyle Flood is still sticking to his big humans mantra heading into year four in Austin. Mills has already taken two official visits to Nebraska (April 26-28) and Cal (May 23-25) and he has three more coming up with Washington (May 31-June 2), Florida (June 7-9), and Texas (June 14-16). A bit of a unordinary recruitment, Mills wasn't invited to a Texas camp yet showed up and earned an offer without the staff knowing who he was when he first arrived.

    He earned a few more of his big time offers the same way, but since Texas threw their hat in the ring they've been in good position. With multiple family members having gone to Washington as athletes and regular students, the Huskies are viewed as the main competition to the Longhorns but I like the chances of Kyle Flood getting this one done. With Mills planning to announce a commitment in June after the completion of his official visit slate, Texas is set up well as the school with the last visit on the calendar.

    ALIEF HASTINGS 4-STAR DL SMITH OROGBO

    Smith Orogbo (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    A prospect who really saw his recruitment process take off this spring, Orogbo collected 32 of his 39 offers since the turn of the new year and he has a full official visit schedule as well. He'll see Mizzou (May 31-June 2), Texas Tech (June 7-9), Kansas (June 12-14), Texas (June 14-16), and Oklahoma (June 21-23). He's also already taken two official visits when he saw Arizona State (April 26-28) and SMU (May 17-19) earlier in the spring. 

    Although I just listed seven schools for his official visit schedule, the recruitment is being led by three programs: Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. This is one of the few recruitments in the year 2024 where education is paramount in, and with Orogbo wanting to become a real estate agent one day, the Longhorns blow the competition out of the water from an academic perspective. The Longhorns also hold the proximity advantage, and with all that said I like the chances of Orogbo eventually ending up at Texas.

    RUSTON 3-STAR CB AIDAN ANDING

    Aidan Anding (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    One of the biggest risers of this offseason, Anding collected all but one of his offers since the turn of the new year. With official visits set in the order of Miami, TCU, Arkansas, and Texas with the Hurricanes being viewed as the main competition to the Longhorns, I like Texas' chances here and am rolling with the burnt orange. As stated previously, the Hurricanes are the main competition and aren't to be taken lightly as they've even ramped up their efforts in recent weeks.

    But as long as Anding makes it out of his official visit to Miami (that's this upcoming weekend) uncommitted, than I'd expect Anding to end up committing to the Longhorns before the summer is over. Although Champ Lewis didn't end up in the Longhorns 2022 class come signing day, Terry Joseph has used his Louisiana ties to land a defensive back commitment from a Louisiana native every full recruiting cycle he's been in Austin and I expect the trend to continue in 2025 in the form of Anding.

    FORT BEND MARSHALL 3-STAR CB CALEB CHESTER

    Caleb Chester (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    A longtime target of Terry Joseph and Steve Sarkisian, Chester has four official visits left and he already saw TCU May 3-5. Up next will be LSU (May 31-June 2), Texas (June 7-9), Texas A&M (June 14-16), and Arkansas (June 21-23). While I think Arkansas and more so LSU have given Chester a lot to think about, a source in Houston has long maintained Chester's decision would likely come down to the two in-state rivals of Texas and Texas A&M.

    After Adonyss Currie committed to A&M over the weekend, the Aggies now hold four commitments from cornerbacks with all four being ranked inside the Top247. While A&M still has more room to add DBs as they look to sign a large class, I don't see Chester being a part of it and instead lean towards the Longhorns. I could see Chester committing to Texas on his visit during the June 7-9 weekend and opting to cancel his other trips, but regardless of when the decision comes it'll be before his senior season with us expecting the decision to be Texas. I'm joining Hank South who entered in his Texas crystal ball for Chester on August 1, 2023 with my own prediction with a confidence of 6.

    The Stampede: In-depth breakdown of expected visitors for Texas Elite Camp
     

    Quote

    It's going to be a busy month of June on the Forty Acres, starting this upcoming Saturday, June 1, as the Longhorns gear up to host Elite Camp. An invite-only event, a number of offers will come out of Saturday, and it's likely a handful of future Longhorns players will be putting their talents on display. 

    More names will be added to the list throughout the week, so this isn't a final look at who all is expected. But it's enough to get a general idea of the kind of talent expected to compete inside DKR on Saturday. 

    Take a look! 

    San Marcos (Cailf.) Mission Hills four-star quarterback Troy Huhn

    There's a strong chance Texas' 2026 quarterback commit is in attendance at the Elite Camp on Saturday. Whether that's Troy Huhn or Dia Bell is still to be determined. Huhn is returning for yet another visit to Austin after attending the April 6 Longhorn City Limits. Texas is near, if not at, the top of the 6-foot-4, 205-pound passer's list, along with additional offers from Washington, Michigan, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, among others. (SOUTH)


    Dia Bell at Texas earlier this spring. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
     

    Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage five-star quarterback Dia Bell

    In all likelihood this could be the most potent camp in the country this summer when it comes to quarterbacking talent, as all three of the out-of-state signal callers have already firmly entrenched their names into the Top247 for their respective cycle.

    The son of former NBA defensive ace Raja Bell, Dia is the headliner of the camp as he'll check in as the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 4 quarterback in the nation on Saturday. With the plan of being committed by the end of the season at the latest, Bell was originally wanting to shut it down this summer but now looks to be aiming for the August or September timeframe for his decision. Texas, Oregon, and Florida State are the programs on the visit/camp schedule for now, and the Longhorns are in great position as they begin their summer of recruiting. Bell will likely see other schools before his decision as there are other programs in the mix like Penn State and Miami, but it's clear the Longhorns are in the leading group regardless of who the competition consists of. I wouldn't necessarily expect it, but if things go well, I would not be surprised at all if Bell follows in the footsteps of his good friend KJ Lacey by shutting it down while on campus this weekend. (SCRUGGS)

    Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne four-star quarterback Jaden O'Neal

    The Longhorns have yet to offer Jaden O'Neal, but I've seen him several times in person this offseason and really like him as a passer. His recruitment is pretty open and he has over 10 schools on his visit schedule this summer so the Longhorns still have time to get in the mix if they wanted to. He's incredibly well put together at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and is one of the rare young passers where the ball jumps out of his hand. While I wouldn't give him the comp of Florida five-star freshman DJ Lagway, he's probably the closest thing we've seen to him from a jumbo athlete/frame on a quarterback since Lagway was evaluated.

    Pflugerville quarterback Cole Taylor

    Taylor is a local product that'll be making his way to camp with his good friend and teammate Jaivion Martin. Also a baseball player and the son of the Panthers head coach, Taylor has gone 256-432 (59%) for 2,906 yards and 18 touchdowns in about a year and a half of starting play. (SCRUGGS)


    Tradarian Ball. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Texarkana Texas High four-star running back Tradarian Ball

    Aledo three-star running back Raycine Guillory — Texas commit

    Up to us finding out Raycine Guillory silently committed while we were still in the parking lot for the January 20 Junior Day, we'd long felt as if Ball had the best shot out of any of the running backs in the loaded in-state 2026 class to end up with the Longhorns. With the Longhorns being the dream school and Tashard Choice leading the charge, that's obviously still very possible, but Guillory's commitment certainly made things vague with the running back picture as Guillory's pledge trimmed the available RB spots in the class from two to one.

    While Guillory has taken visits to other programs this spring, he's remained locked in with his commitment to the Longhorns since giving it on Jan. 20 at the Junior Day. He'll return from his injury he suffered in the playoffs and will be right back to being the Bearcats' bellcow in 2024. (SCRUGGS)

    San Marcos running back Izayah Young

    Texas' 2026 running back board is pretty simple, at least at this point. You have Longhorns commit Raycine Guillory, and after that you have you Tradarian Ball, Javian Osborne, and KJ Edwards. The class is likely going t be made up of some sort of combination from that group, at least as things stand now. Young has offers from Baylor and Texas State. We'll see how he performs this weekend as to whether he'll move the needle with UT. (SOUTH)


    Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports)
    Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt

    Another talented prospect coming out of Mater Dei High School, a program the Longhorns are very comfortable recruiting. Both Steve Sarkisian and wide receivers coach Chris Jackson have ties to the Monarchs program, which helps when working to recruit talented prospects to move cross country for their college football. Dixon-Wyatt earned an offer from the Longhorns well over a year ago. Alabama, Miami and UCLA are three schools he saw this spring already. 

    Stockton (Calif.) St. Mary's three-star wide receiver Kenneth Moore III

    Another West Coast wide receiver, Moore has yet to receive an offer from the Longhorns, which of course could come with a strong camp showing on Saturday. His father played for Washington State in the 1990s. Most of Moore's recruitment to date has centered around West Coast programs like San Diego State, Washington, and the aforementioned Cougars. (SOUTH)

    Pearland Shadow Creek wide receiver Chris Stewart

    Pflugerville three-star tight end Jaivion Martin

    He's currently unranked, but think of Chris Stewart like he's a Top247 WR because I like the chances he ends up being one one day. Holding pretty much every offer you could possibly want as a wide receiver prospect outside of the prized Ohio State offer, Stewart's recruitment is one that the Longhorns will be in till the end at the very least as Texas was the first school to throw their hat in the ring back in the winter.

    Besides Zach Turner from Duncanville, I think Martin is the best tight end prospect I've seen in Texas in 2026 so far, and he'll be making the short trip down to campus with his high school QB Cole Taylor. With Texas being the dream school and Martin being a local kid, a crystal ball would be entered in in favor of the Longhorns pretty quickly if Martin was to receive an offer. (SCRUGGS)

    Melissa wide receiver Payhton Porter

    A rising in-state talent, Porter's recruiting footprint is just getting going. The 6-foot-2.5, 187-pounder holds an early SEC offer from Missouri. Look for his list to grow in the coming months. (SOUTH)


    Keenyi Pepe. (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
    Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe

    One of the highest rated prospect in attendance, Pepe has caught a ton of national buzz in recent weeks, including form our own national director of scouting, Andrew Ivins: 

    "Not only does Pepe own a prototypical frame (6-foot-7, 295 pounds), but he's light on his feet and can match speed rushers with his agility. There weren't a ton of full team reps during the glorified practice, but we also liked how he was able to find leverage and open up perimeter run lanes."

    Pepe reported a very early offer from Texas back in the fall of 2021, early on in the Steve Sarkisian era. The rising junior now holds nearly three dozen offers to his name. There are no Crystal Ball projections to date. (SOUTH)

    Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy three-star interior offensive lineman Breck Kolojay

    Kolojay, originally from Colorado, is drawing heavy SEC interest, with Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, and others all expected to host the talented 6-foot-5.5, 300-pounder. It's too early to determine a favorite at this point. It's safe to assume Texas will be on the short list when he does, though, based off his criteria for a school. 

    "I definitely want a school that competes for a national championship every year. A school that wins football games and also a school where I could help them win football games," Kolojay recently told 247Sports' Brett Greenberg. "Also, relationships are everything. I want a great relationship with the head coach, the coordinator, the position coach and the grad assistants. That is what it is all about. Seeing how many offensive lineman they send to the league and how they develop players, that is really what I am looking for." (SOUTH)

    Euless Trinity interior offensive lineman Pupunagatoa Katoa

    When he eventually gets ranked it still probably won't show of the true impact he is, but the wide bodied Toa Katoa has already made a pretty strong case as being the top interior offensive line prospect in Texas in 2026. Already holding an offer from the Longhorns, Texas should be in this one till the end as the recruitment could come down to the blue bloods in the region. (SCRUGGS)


    KJ Ford. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Temple four-star defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton

    Bastrop four-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola

    Duncanville four-star EDGE KJ Ford

    The No. 4 prospect in the state for the rising junior class, Carlton still doesn't have an offer from the Longhorns but will likely receive one this weekend. Listed as a defensive lineman for the time being, Carlton could project to EDGE as the 6-foot-4, 215 pounder is one of the more explosive pass rushers in the Lone Star State as he comes from a deep basketball background as Temple's star playmaker on the hardwood. Also throws shot and disc on the track. 

    Another local product, Bastrop's Tiki Hola was one of the first prospects to receive an offer from the Longhorns as he earned it following one of Texas' camps this past summer. A local kid that's highly coveted, Texas will have competition in keeping Hola in Austin but the Longhorns should end up getting it done. 

    The next in-line on the defensive line at the prospect factory known as Duncanville, Ford has already taken a lot of visits as a member of the California Power 5on5 program and has already made stops at Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, USC, UCLA, and Miami amongst others this spring. If the recruitment was to end today, there's a high shot that it'd be for Oklahoma as the Sooners have done a really good job so far, but we're far from decision time and the Longhorns will be very much in the thick of it at the very least. Texas will have some work to do over the next year to make that happen, but it's nothing this staff hasn't faced before as they look to land their next coveted pass rusher out of Duncanville after landing Colin Simmons in 2024. (SCRUGGS)

    Carthage four-star linebacker Daquives Beck

    Katy Mayde Creek three-star linebacker Kosi Okpala

    Fort Bend Marshall three-star linebacker Noriel Dominguez

    Beck might be the kid I'm most excited to see this weekend and largely because we don't get much exposure to Carthage kids with them being well, all the way in Carthage. Broke out onto the national recruiting scene after having 132 tackles, 9 TFLs, and 6 sacks en route to leading Carthage to the fourth round of the playoffs. 

    Okpala is one of the prospects in 2026 who I feel pretty good about eventually ending up at Texas if things continue to go the way they're going. Godbrothers with Brian Orakpo with lots of other ties to Austin, everyone in Okpala's family wants him at Texas and so do the Longhorns as the 6-foot-1.5, 215 pounder commonly wreaks havoc off the edge for his Mayde Creek Rams.

    Dominguez is the only one of the three linebackers listed without an offer. Another pretty productive 'backer with 92 tackles, 12 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles in 2023, expect Dominguez's offer list to grow as works to speed up his testing times. (SCRUGGS)


    Jason Bradford. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Willis four-star cornerback Jermaine Bishop

    Temple four-star cornerback Jason Bradford

    There's a serious chance Bishop is pound-for-pound the best prospect in the state in 2026. The nephew of 1998 Heisman runner up Michael Bishop, Jermaine has started for Willis going back to his freshman year. He goes two ways and is a production machine, as in 2023 he had 37 tackles, 8 PBUs, 2 pick sixes, 5 INTs, 384 rushing yards and 7 TDs on 26 attempts (14.77 YPC), and 1,414 receiving yards and 17 TDs off 80 receptions (17.68 YPC). He also had a kick return for a touchdown, and he did it all as a 5-foot-11, 155 pound sophomore. Besides football, he's been on the Wildkats varsity basketball team since his freshman year and also runs on Willis' relay teams as well. As far as the recruitment goes, its incredibly wild open as schools are pursuing Bishop as a cornerback prospect.

    One of my favorite prospects in the 2026 class, Temple's Jason Bradford is a jumbo cornerback prospect at 6-foot-2.5, 195 pounds with a plus wingspan and a late birthday that'll have him at 17 years old when he early enrolls to his school of choice in January of 2026. Another varsity starter in both football and basketball, Bradford will be making the trip down with his good friend and teammate Jamarion Carlton. Click HERE for more on Bradford from earlier this spring. (SCRUGGS)

    Palestine cornerback S'Vioarean Martin

    The rising junior has a great frame at 6-foof-2, 185 pounds. Martin already holds a handful of offers from Arizona, Cal, Houston, Michigan State, and others. He'll be one to keep on offer watch depending on his performance this weekend. (SOUTH)

    Carrollton (Ga.) five-star safety Zelus Hicks

    Five-star alert. The Peach State standout spends his practice time defending passes from star quarterback and USC pledge Julian Lewis. Hicks already holds a Texas offer, one he earned earlier this month. Programs like Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Miami have already been mentioned among his earlier interests. He was recently on the Plains to see the Tigers. Texas could join that group this weekend, and it could be important timing as Hicks plans to commit before his junior season. (SOUTH)


    Isaiah Williams. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    Fort Bend Marshall safety Isaiah Williams

    Austin LBJ safety Yaheim Riley

    Fort Bend Marshall's Isaiah Williams makes up one of the two in-state safeties in 2026 with a Texas offer, with the other being Mesquite Horn's Markel Ford. With Ford likely shutting down his recruitment this summer with the commitment likely being for Texas A&M or Oklahoma, Williams' value to the Longhorns could be increased here in the next few months. A freshman varsity starter for the Buffs, Williams landed a large majority of his offers before this time last year so he's using this summer to see programs like Oregon and Ohio State for the first time as he's been a frequent visitor to the local programs in the region for over a year. That said, it's encouraging news that Williams is still making it down to Austin this weekend as for now, Texas is the only program in the region that's scheduled to host Williams this summer. 

    Austin LBJ's Yaheim "Miami" Riley is my favorite defensive back in Austin for the 2026 class and he's just now starting to land offers he's been long deserving of. Others might not see it, but I view Riley as being in the same tier of talent as the previously mentioned Isaiah Williams and Markel Ford. Click HERE for more on Riley. (SCRUGGS)

    Duncanville three-star safety Braylon Edwards

    Edwards had a very productive sophomore season, tallying 79 tackles, seven pass breakups, and three interceptions. Clemson has shown interest, Arizona State has offered, and others are evaluating the talented 5-foot-10, 175-pounder. It's no secret Duncanville churns out some of the nation's top talent, so it will be worth monitoring how this weekend's camp performance goes for the in-state DB. (SOUTH) 

    2027 recruits expected: 

    Bastrop quarterback Weston Nielsen

    Jackson (Ala.) running back Ezavier Crowell

    Richmond Randle running back Landen Williams-Callis

    Brenham running back Jakoby Dixon

    Cy Ridge EDGE Kaden McCarty

    Houston Kinkaid running back Wayne Shanks Jr.

    Waxahachie safety JayQuan Snell

    Forney offensive tackle Jordan Carraway

    Garland Lakeview Centennial cornerback Montre Jackson

     

    • Hook 'Em 7
  8. 5 hours ago, definitely not derka said:

    we’re not going to jump stupid for someone who is anything less than a generational talent. just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you should spend any price for every single thing that you want. also this is Texas, not arkansas or ole miss. we’re not trying to be the highest bidder for every recruit out there, we want guys who actually really want to be here. we have five starters and 7-8 guys total who actually matter. if we can’t fill out those spots with great players who want to be here then we’ve got bigger issues than missing out on a random, merely good player who is only looking for a payday. 

    You're not wrong, but at the same time without another starter quality big this team simply will not matter and you've paid however much for Mark, Johnson, Pope, etc for no return. Ya you're overpaying for one player, but that one player makes the team way more functional and dangerous. Shedrick isn't exactly exactly a paragon of health and if he misses any time at all we're beyond fucked.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  9. Sorry to interrupt the circlejerk

    Feldman: How do college football teams keep players out of the transfer portal in the NIL age?
    https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5499474/2024/05/20/college-football-transfer-portal-nil-collectives-movement/

    Quote

    Recruiting from the transfer portal is only part of the job for college football programs in this new era of unrestricted player movement. Coaches also have to recruit their own rosters to prevent transfer portal attrition.

    So how much is player retention prioritized? What kind of resources are NIL collectives dealing with? And what do players need to do to hold up their end of NIL deals? The Athletic surveyed numerous coaches, NIL collective officials, agents, personnel staffers and players who have transferred on a variety of portal-related topics. All survey participants were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor and to preserve relationships.

    Keeping a roster together
    NIL collective CEO 1: We’ve had a seven-figure deal. It wasn’t a portal kid, it was retention.

    NIL collective CEO 2: Retention is priority No. 1 and where the overwhelming majority of funds are allocated.

    NIL collective CEO 3: Retention is legitimately 90-plus percent.

    NIL collective CEO 4: It’s definitely a lot cheaper to retain than it is to recruit, so we start there. And then we build off our budget and start in like December and try to keep our kids, and then whatever is left, we use to go get portal kids. It’s not that the budget is allocated a certain way, we’re just retention first and then we kind of see where we are.

    NIL collective CEO 1: Two years ago, we spent more in the portal. This past year, it was closer to 50/50 between retention and portal because we had a bunch of really good players returning. We still spent a lot of money in the portal this year, but we didn’t spend quite as much, because we had a bunch of really good players returning.

    NIL collective CEO 3: It’s probably 50/50. In the past, it’s more heavily weighted toward retention. Anytime you have a coaching change, it’s probably more toward the recruiting/transfer side.

    NIL collective CEO 5: It depends upon the year. This year it’s going to be 95 percent current players and 5 percent transfers. Last year it was 75/25.

    NIL collective CEO 6: Maybe 60/40 for football — 60 to incoming and 40 to retention. But it could be closer to an even split.

    NIL collective CEO 7: We’re going to evaluate the roster and our needs on a year-to-year basis, so that’s hard to say. I’d have to look at the numbers exactly, but the majority of it is going to be on returning players.

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    College football portal confidential: How tampering, NIL deals and portal chaos happen

    General manager 1: Even in July, you might be talking to a high school coach and find out that a player isn’t happy where he’s at. He’ll make it through the season, but be ready, he might be going into the portal. So he’s someone you have on your list to keep an eye on. Our (recruiting) reporters usually do a good job of letting us know if our guys are talking to other schools. We had a couple of guys on our roster who were looking around at the end of August last season.

    Agent 1: We had an offer for $350,000 the kid turned down to play for zero. Wasn’t in the portal, didn’t do it.

    General manager 2: Most kids don’t want to leave their teammates, don’t want to be a quitter, so there is some loyalty. Then there are cases where some player with a sixth-round draft grade will come and claim they are being offered a million bucks to go somewhere — well, you should take it. If you’re getting offered that, you should take it. You have to know the kid you’re dealing with.

    Personnel staffer 1: There are kids who will come to us and tell us schools are reaching out, and they might not be asking to get that same amount because they want to be here, but can we get closer? We have those conversations. If you have good players, you need to keep them in the building. But it doesn’t happen a lot.

    NIL collective CEO 4: You may have a running back that makes A and a kid he went to high school with is making B. Well yeah, you may have more yards than him and more receptions, but that kid is 6-2 and is going to be a second-round pick and went to this place or that place. It’s all relative to the value of the schools you’re at and it can be hard for a 20-year-old to grasp why he had more touchdowns than another kid but isn’t making as much as him. Well, that kid is bigger, faster, stronger and has better players around him.

    General manager 3: Sometimes you’re fighting more against a player deciding whether to go to the NFL. We did pay a bunch of guys to stay, but part of that was us saying, this is what you should be getting. And that helps the culture of the team a little bit. And some of the guys who might have tried to press us, we phased them out before they even could.

    NIL collective CEO 4: We have some kids making a ton of money, but most don’t. They’re making money but not killing it. I’ve never had a kid ask for more money on our team that we couldn’t retain. Not for football, at least. It happened a couple times in baseball and basketball. There are some choices we made on whether a kid was worth it, but nothing like that.

    How much money do collectives have?
    NIL collective CEO 1: We’ve got 6,000 members that pay a subscription fee to our collective, and that’s as little as $10 a month. That’s your recurring revenue bucket. Then you’ve got your corporate sponsors, which are local and regional businesses that give to the collective to activate with the athletes. And then your major gift givers, people that are giving $50,000 and up. That’s obviously a smaller group, but a very influential group. I would say, in total, probably 7,000-8,000 people, from people who give us $10 a month to people that give us half a million dollars a year.

    NIL collective CEO 4: Between recruiting and giveaways and one-off donations, we have a database of about 3,000 to 4,000 people that have donated, but you’re looking at about 500-600 that are true, consistent givers with monthly or annual donations. We’re somewhere between $6 and $8 million total. Of that, I’d say about 60 percent of it goes to football.

    NIL collective CEO 5: About 2,900. This year we intend to raise/pay out nearly $5 million.

    NIL collective CEO 3: Like 150 people. For football, it’s a little over $1 million. Next year we hope it’s closer to 2.

    NIL collective CEO 2: We have had 6,000 individuals donate directly and thousands more through branded product sales. Our fundraising year ends June 30, but anticipating a budget of $5-6 million for the 2024-25 athletic season.

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    How Ohio State won the college football offseason with a new NIL approch

    NIL collective CEO 7: We’re at $12-13 million.

    NIL collective CEO 6: Probably 300-plus. We’re at $3.5 million a year for football and between $3.5 and $4 million for men’s basketball.

    NIL collective CEO 8: About 3,000 fans. But the few dozen large donors probably carries 80-plus percent of the money that comes in. It’s about $9 million total, with about $5 million for football and $2.5 million for men’s basketball.

    NIL collective CEO 9: We’re right about $600,000 for football and the same for men’s basketball. I’d say 95 percent is football and basketball.

    NIL collective CEO 1: We’ve got close to 300 athletes under contract across all our sports, and we’ll spend around $14.5 million. Football is probably 80 percent of that.

    What do players do in return for NIL?
    NIL collective CEO 3: For the traditional nonprofit, we have a deal where you get paid a certain amount a month and you have to make a charitable appearance for the work that month. It’s one appearance for a payment. If there are bonuses, he does more for that. We work out with local charities where five players will come to you this week. Some guys will help coach flag football games for local fatherless boys who want to see the players. That’s an appearance. It’s typically two to four hours in exchange for a payment from the nonprofit.

    NIL collective CEO 4: They have to do a social media post once a month. They have to do an appearance once a semester. We have the right to get them to sign some stuff, but we usually don’t use that. We can use their pictures for events and that stuff.

    We send the social media post for them. We try to lump them in as much as we can, or ask guys who might not have the real market value to do a school reading instead that would be beneficial to the community. Only like 20-30 percent of them have a market value where they can help us, where people will buy tickets to come to an event they’re at.

    NIL collective CEO 9: We have partnerships with nonprofits in the community like Boys & Girls Club. There’s an amount per hour we designate. A guy making $100,00 is doing twice as many hours as a guy being paid $50,000. It comes out to about $500 an hour, which is exorbitant, but it’s within the bylaws to remain a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We also have a for-profit arm that is business appearances, autographs and things like that.

    NIL collective CEO 2: We have athletes participate in up to 10 community engagement activities as part of their obligation to the collective.

    NIL collective CEO 7: Social media posts, in-person appearances, virtual appearances.

    NIL collective CEO 5: Live near campus, not get arrested, must show up and perform the charitable service. They also have to take a photo of themselves at the venue and upload it to our portal for proof.

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    In college football's version of free agency, where do NIL agents come in?

    NIL collective CEO 6: It depends on the amount. They have to do charitable appearances for things like a nonprofit food pantry or free clothing distributor, one or two times a month. We have regular social media postings, autographing of items, promotional appearances on commercials or podcasts, things like that.

    Player 1: I did a few posts on Twitter and Instagram, but the majority of things was showing up for signings, whether it was after practice or after the spring game or at basketball games or for events around the community.

    NIL collective CEO 8: Our players have to do a certain amount of charity work. We have a group that coordinates all that for us, coordinates the events, makes sure the players can get there, documented, pictures taken. We haven’t had any issues with compliance on that side, or with the players. They actually enjoy it, I think. It’s been a real positive in the community in terms of engagement and connection.

    Player 2: We do two hours of charitable work once or twice per month and you’re required to do social media posts about it to promote the collective that supports the team. It definitely isn’t a ton of work. I think they do a good job of making it charitable and working with the community to help better the community whereas other schools based on how they’d explained things to me, it didn’t really seem that was to me as much.

    Agent 1: Collective-wise, never had any issues. I do remember one early where a brand said we’d own your rights in perpetuity and it was a T-shirt company. Do not sign that.

    Agent 2: Lots of brands are jumping in for product-only deals and asking for licensing rights in perpetuity. They’re completely blown away when I push back and say we can’t do that. You’re trying to give them a $50 duffle bag and use his picture forever?

    Agent 3: Spending a birthday with the donor — the athlete is to spend a booster’s birthday with him. That’s kind of weird to me. Creepy. But it’s really similar nowadays. It’s going to say 12 appearances over 12 months, or this many tweets, or this many this, or this many that.

    Agent 4: Residence stuff, like he doesn’t want to live with anybody else. Nothing too crazy, but it is stuff you would think would be in a coach’s contract.

    Player 3: At my first school, I had a marketing deal where contractually I had to post an ad after one of our losses. Like contractually, I had to. I said, can we wait one more week? They were like yeah. But then we lost again, and they said we can’t wait any longer. You already pushed it back a week. So I had to post it after a loss. I felt so guilty afterward. I felt bad posting after a loss like that.

    Reminiscing on it now, if I don’t play well, I don’t feel like I deserve to get paid. That was a reason why I felt like I didn’t really care about the money the next time I went into the portal. In the NFL, they pay to have you on the team. They know what they’re looking at. That was a big learning experience for me. The comments after that post were pretty ruthless and I usually don’t care about the comments. But I was like, those were valid.

    NIL collective CEO 8: In terms of positives of NIL, I think the players getting connected with some boosters and alumni and the community, that’s been a positive. Before this, players couldn’t talk to boosters or make any connections or network. Now they can do that, so some of us have relationships with some of those kids and can help them find jobs.

    So, what if a player leaves?
    NIL collective CEO 4: Every school has different contracts. Ours have the verbiage that if you’re no longer commercially beneficial for us to advertise you, and there are reasons why that might be — one of them is being outside of the market — so if a kid transfers it would trigger that clause in his contract and it doesn’t say if you go in the portal.

    Who knows how legislation or laws will work out in the next 2-5 years where that may shift, but our contracts are pretty flexible on both ends where they can cancel, we can cancel for marketing benefit.

    NIL collective CEO 5: They have to live within 15 miles of campus in order for it to stay valid.

    NIL collective CEO 1: We have language in our agreement that the moment a player officially goes in the portal, we have the right to void, terminate or cancel his contract. Because now he’s no longer marketable to me as an ambassador of the collective. Because he’s put out a post saying I’m leaving the (program) to go pursue other opportunities, I can’t market him to our fan base anymore.

    NIL collective CEO 3: Each deal lays out at the beginning a monthly structure. Each payment is contingent on the performance of that month’s work. If they’re no longer here working for the charity, it’s voided. We haven’t had an issue with guys leaving and trying to get future payments.

    NIL collective CEO 9: It’s voided if you’re no longer enrolled or in good standing on an NCAA team. So we don’t say you have to play here. But the moment you enter the portal and you’re not on a roster, it’s void.

    NIL collective CEO 8: The way our contracts are written, we can terminate them at any time, for any reason. If they leave, we terminate it. We don’t have to give a reason. We’ve never had any problems legally or had anyone complain. Some might try to take advantage and transfer the day after a payment gets delivered, but we just try to stay on top of that stuff.

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    What happened to Deion Sanders' Colorado castoffs? Revisiting a record-setting exodus

    Who to trust?
    Assistant coach 1: Here’s the part that’s so frustrating with all of it: There are so many false narratives out there you don’t know what’s real. You hear these numbers and these numbers aren’t true. Again, there’s no guardrails so people are throwing outlandish numbers out, outlandish information, and half the time not any of it’s true.

    NIL collective CEO 6: There is so much bulls— out there, either from the agent misrepresenting or collectives trying to drive up the price for other collectives. It’s not like there is any obligation for anyone to be candid or honest about any of this stuff.

    Player 3: This receiver I know said he was making $400,000 a year. There’s no way this guy who isn’t even their second-best receiver is making 400 grand. A lot of teams will say they’ll give you X amount of money, like we’re giving you this $100,000, but in reality it’s really a rental. It’s not yours. Or a house that’s worth $2 million, but it’s not yours. You just get to live there. A lot of these numbers are really inflated. These guys think they have a $500,000 NIL deal, but are they getting $500,000 in cash or assets? Or is the value of stuff you’re using worth $500,000? And then there are the deals you hear about and then after it’s done, you hear from that player that he only got a quarter of what he expected to get.

    Assistant coach 2: I’m not aware of any players I’ve coached being offered in the millions, but well into six figures has become pretty common. I had a starter tell me that a team reached out to him. He was not in the portal, but they reached out to him and told him he could be making well over double what he makes with us. He’s going to stay and isn’t going to go in the portal, but he wanted to let me know that those guys are shady and they reached out to me.

    Head coach 2: I had one player, he didn’t tell me, but the info got to me that another school was offering him $90,000 to get in the portal and transfer. So I was like, great, I’ll call them and say they can have him, and I’ll even pay the first $10,000.

    Head coach 1: I’m not holier than thou, but I am a college football purist in the sense I think our integrity is important, and I think integrity in general is missing in so many ways in our games, so I am totally comfortable having real conversations with coaches. Like, “Dude, it ain’t right what you’re doing. This is who you are, awesome. It’s good to know.’” And most of the time, they start backpedaling. But there is no regulation. You can say there is, but there just isn’t.

    General manager 2: We’ve had coaches call other coaches directly, basically gave them a warning. But it’s a little bit of that honor-amongst-thieves mindset. Don’t throw rocks in a glass house. Everyone is bending the rules in some capacity. You don’t want to draw attention to anything you might be doing.

    NIL collective CEO 2: Thankfully we have had few, if any, players try to use the portal or other schools as a negotiation tactic.

    General manager 2: If you have a good player on your team, someone is hitting them up. And the kids, they’re smart, they’ll mention vague offers from other schools, use that with our collective to get more money to stay. But it’s a lot of he said/he said, few facts, negotiating against yourself half the time. If I was a player, I’d say, “Hey, I need you to offer me this much to stay.” You’ll probably get yourself a nice pay day.

     

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  10. Scruggs- Road Report: Storylines aplenty as Longhorns gear up for big recruiting summer

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    I've been on the road the last few days. On Monday I saw Ruston, on Tuesday I saw Jasper, Port Neches-Groves, and Port Arthur Memorial, and on Wednesday I saw Spring Dekaney and Shadow Creek. 

    In between school stops is a lot of time in the car and a lot of time talking on the phone, and not a ton of time to write or transcribe interview audio. That said, whenever I get the chance I'll post the stories with quotes from all of the Texas targets I've seen over the last few days, but for now let's get right into some recruiting notes from my time on the road. 

    Ruston — Monday, May 13

    — First off, Aidan Anding was phenomenal in practice and it was his first time back in pads since Ruston won the Louisiana State Championship back in December. Ruston started spring ball weeks ago, but Anding hadn't joined the team yet as he was busy competing in the Louisiana 5A State track meet where he took home second in the long jump with 23-9 and sixth in the 200M with a run of 21.73. The meet was on May 4th, but the Ruston coaching staff felt it was right to give Anding a week to get his legs under him with some rest. It's important to note Anding rolled right into track following a successful season on the hardwood where he averaged 14.8 points per game as he helped lead the Bearcats to the fourth round of the Louisiana 5A State Basketball playoffs. He showed up in basketball the Monday after Ruston won state in football as well, so there isn't really much of an offseason for the Pelican state native.

    With Ruston having Louisiana rules that obviously differ from Texas' UIL rules, I legitimately watched Anding and the Bearcats practice in full pads for over two and a half hours which made for a fun and refreshing afternoon on my end. As I said earlier, Anding was great in practice and came away with a couple INTs and several PBUs. 

    While I did write in this week's stampede that a source in north Louisiana views Miami as the main competition, there is some more to this recruitment than was previously known about. For example, it's technically breaking news that Anding will officially visit TCU after the Horned Frogs had never been discussed in the past. TCU will now host Anding June 7-9 as that was his only open weekend in June as he has long had OV dates set for Miami (May 31-June 2), Arkansas (June 14-16), and Texas (June 21-23). 

    Although TCU is the new, trendy team to the race and the Horned Frogs actually happen to recruit the state of Louisiana at an exceptional level for what they are as a program, I do think it's a safe bet that they'd finish in fourth place currently. Arkansas is a school that earned some points in Anding's book following his first visit to Hogtown as Anding found himself to be a big fan of the scenery and vibes of the city of Fayetteville. However, there is awareness around the recruitment about the current state of Arkansas' program and how much of the coaching staff's future could be riding on this upcoming season. I think Miami is and will continue to be the main competition for Texas, but I ultimately believe that the Longhorns will end up receiving Anding's commitment when he comes to a decision following his official visit slate.


    Aidan Anding (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    I'm not quite ready to enter in a crystal ball prediction, but Texas was by far and away the school that was brought up the most by those in and around Ruston when Horns247 stopped by practice on Monday. Terry Joseph's ties to Anding's home state and his relationship with the rising three-star are some of the reasons for my liking to Texas' position to land Anding, as is the proximity to home factor that Texas has over Miami. Official visits will loom large in the recruitment as he's only been able to visit his four finalists once a piece, but again I do think Texas is the most likely landing spot of the four schools in the mix.

    With Anding being a state of Louisiana prospect, there's sure to be some questions about the potential impact if an LSU offer was to come. I did some digging and asking around on Monday, and at this point I think it'd probably be too late for the Tigers to get in the mix. With the defensive coordinator being none other than six time pro-bowler and 2003 LSU national champion defensive tackle Kyle Williams, the Ruston staff has a ton of ties to LSU. That said, they've been informing the LSU staff about Anding for forever, but yet he's continued to go without landing the offer which has caused frustration. You can obviously never say never with it being LSU and a state of Louisiana kid, but that's probably the most encouraging news you could read as a Texas fan that'd be nervous about that potential scenario.

    Anding doesn't have an exact timeline, but he intends to make his decision in the period between the conclusion of his official visits and the start of his senior year. Also if Anding ends up choosing Texas when the time comes, Longhorns fans will be able to see him play high school ball in the Lone Star State this fall. Ruston's first three weeks of the season include games vs. Midland Legacy, Longview, and Stephenville. They'll play Midland Legacy at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington and then the Longview and Stephenville games will both be played at Longview's Lobo Stadium on back-to-back weeks. 

    Other names of note at Ruston — They have a 2027 wide receiver who's a monster that unfortunately wasn't at practice the day I stopped by. Ahmad Hudson is the name. 6-foot-7, 220 pounds who's just as effective on the hardwood as he is on the gridiron. He holds offers from Louisiana Tech and Grambling State for both football and basketball, and then also has an offer from LSU in football as well. Their quarterback is rising senior Joshua Brantley who's an incredibly intriguing well put together athlete prospect at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He'll be a safety in college and could really end up turning into a special defensive back at the next level. He tore up the defense throughout practice each time he tucked it.

    JASPER — TUESDAY, MAY 13

    Kiotti Armstrong (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    — There isn't much new to the recruitment of the nation's No. 3 ranked tight end, Kiotti Armstrong. He has June official visits set up for Auburn, Baylor, Texas A&M, and Texas. More OVs will be taken in the fall to programs like LSU, Ole Miss, and a few others, as Armstrong fully intends to come to a decision sometime in the fall, and not this summer. 

    Texas and Texas A&M continue to be the two programs brought up the most by those in and around Jasper, and that's likely to continue the further this recruitment goes. Texas having Armstrong's former teammate and close friend Ty'Anthony Smith already on the roster will continue to help the Longhorns' chances, but it is worth mentioning Armstrong visited Texas A&M much more than any other school this summer. 

    Other names of note at Jasper — They have a 2026 WR named Raja Garza-Adams that holds a UTSA offer already and after seeing him a couple times in 7on7 this spring, I think he'll be a damn good receiver at the group of five level. Demetris Dean might be the most quiet prospect in the Top247 and he has a pretty unique recruitment with Houston looking like the most likely landing spot. I didn't get his name, but there's also a 2027 linebacker at Jasper that the Bulldogs' coaching staff thinks will be their next national recruit following Ty'Anthony Smith and Kiotti Armstrong. On Tuesday I was only able to see them in the weightroom so I wasn't able to see him moving around, but he certainly looks the part of an FBS linebacker prospect.

    PORT NECHES-GROVES — TUESDAY, MAY 13

    Jackson Christian (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    — I've already posted just about everything from my time talking to Jackson Christian on Tuesday. Click HERE for some in-depth quotes from him on his commitment to the Longhorns. 

    The quotes he gave me are some of my favorites that I've ever gotten from a prospect. Christian is incredibly straightforward and gives a lot of thought to his responses and is the pledge I'm least worried about potentially decommitting from Texas' 2025 class. I also happen to have a lot of family that hails from Port Arthur and attended PNG back in the day and their offensive coordinator from the last two years actually happened to coach me in middle school, so Christian and I did a lot of catching up off the record which made for a really fun and unique school visit.

    Other names of note at PNG — They have a 2026 offensive tackle prospect named Aaron Wolford that some in southeast Texas think could end up being better than Jackson Christian. He has a differing body type than that of Christian as Wolford stands at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds. He's really talented and I love him as a prospect, but unfortunately he does not have the body type that Kyle Flood and Texas tend to target at the position and with that being said I'm not sure how much interest the Longhorns might have. Because of his situation, it's not easy for Wolford to make it to camps, visits, or showcases so it's likely he could continue to fly under the radar from a national perspective. That said, whichever school decides to really push and put time and effort in with Wolford in relationship building is likely to reap the benefits of a well hidden power four offensive tackle prospect. There's a funny story about how Wolford landed his second offer from Texas Tech. The Tech staff watched one of PNG's non-district games on Texan Live to watch Christian who they had already offered. The thing is, Christian suffered an injury which sidelined him that game which shifted Wolford from right tackle to left tackle. Tech wasn't made aware of the situation, and called Christian after the game to tell him how good of a game he had and that they loved the way he played. Christian broke the news to them that that wasn't him and that it was actually Wolford, to which Tech asked for Wolford's contact info before calling and offering him later that night. Fun stuff.

    PORT ARTHUR MEMORIAL — TUESDAY, MAY 13

    Tank King (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    — It's early but I feel pretty good about the chances of Tank King turning into one of the biggest recruitments in the state for the 2026 class. The early in-state 2026 class has been weak at linebacker so far, and with King being one of, if not the best 'backers of the in-state group, he's sure to be coveted. King's two dream schools growing up were always Texas A&M and LSU (and really more so LSU), but the Tigers haven't offered yet. I and many others around the recruitment eventually expect that offer to come and potentially shake up the recruitment, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

    Texas A&M has done by far and away the best job out of any school in the recruitment up to this point. The Aggies were King's first big-time offer and it came from the Jimbo Fisher staff last summer. When Elko came in, his staff made King priority No. 1 for the 2026 linebacker board and in talking with coaches at Memorial, it's the Aggies who have been by the school the most this spring out of any of the programs recruiting the Memorial program.

    The communication level between Texas and King is higher than it usually is between the Longhorns staff and 2026 prospects at this stage in their process, which shows you of the priority that Texas views King as Johnny Nansen and Steve Sarkisian have done a good job at establishing a relationship since they offered earlier in the spring, but if the recruitment was to end today Texas would finish second behind the Aggies. Texas has historically done a good job recruiting Memorial with wins in the form of Jamaal Charles and Jaylon Guilbeau among others, but with King not deciding until the summer of 2025 I'm not sure how much of an impact Texas' ties to the school will end up having but feel like Texas will at least be in it till end. There's obviously still a long way to go, but it's already feeling like this one will come down to Texas and Texas A&M with LSU also in the final group if the Tigers ever decide to offer.

    Other names of note at Port Arthur Memorial — Michael Riles was once a name to monitor for Texas' defensive line class in 2025, but it's been an extended period of time since the two sides communicated as Riles was more of a Bo Davis guy and less of a Kenny Baker guy. He put out a top six that included Nebraska, Texas A&M, UCF, Texas Tech, Florida, and Oklahoma State but in talking with him and people at Memorial, it's likely the decision ends up coming down to Oklahoma State and UCF. UCF has a ton of ties to the school with Kam Martin being the Knights' running backs coach and his little brother (Amante Martin) being in Memorial's 2026 class. Speaking of the younger Martin, he's 100% a power four running back prospect but unfortunately he could end up with less options than if he was in another class as the 2026 running back class is by far and away the best in-state class of running backs that I've ever covered. Brock King is another prospect they have in 2026 and he's one of the better defensive back prospects you'll find in the in-state 2026 class. Michael Milson is another 2026 prospect that's intriguing on the offensive line. They have a 2027 class that'll be deep as well, and it's led by safety Jamarcus Hudson who's 6-foot-3, 190 pounds already and will one day play in the SEC. They also have a 2026 WR named Keavon Roberts who had no offers when I found him back at a 7on7 tournament in March but now holds three offers from Houston, UNT, and UNLV. He's a jumbo athlete at 6-4 that has a deep basketball background and could really blow up this fall with a strong junior season. 

    SPRING DEKANEY — WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

    Nick Townsend (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    — Although Nick Townsend is ranked lower than Kiotti Armstrong, he would likely be the best tight end out of Texas in any of the last five recruiting cycles. He's a special prospect. A wide bodied 6-foot-3, 235 pounder that goes both ways as a tight end and linebacker and owns multiple sub-11 100m times with a PR in the 10.8s that he ran at 235 pounds. Just turn on the tape, it's up there with DJ Sanders for the most entertaining junior year tape in the 2025 class.

    USC, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Texas will receive official visits in that order starting with the Trojans on the May 31-June 2 weekend. Alabama, Texas A&M, and Texas are the schools at the front of the recruitment, with the Tide and Longhorns being who I expect the recruitment to come down to. At this point in time, I believe Alabama is the leader with the Longhorns in second place before a bit of a drop off to A&M who's in third place.

    The Longhorns sent Jeff Banks, Johnny Nansen, and Chris Jackson out to Dekaney this past week to meet with Townsend and Tanook Hines. The trio of coaches met with Townsend, whereas Nansen didn't take part in Hines' meeting with the coaches. That's on purpose, as in the meeting last week Nansen and Texas happened to offer Townsend the ability to play both sides of the ball if he was to land in Austin. After watching Townsend work out on both sides of the ball on Wednesday, I would be completely fine with him keeping his ranking if he ever hypothetically made the full-time switch to linebacker from tight end. He'd be the best linebacker in Houston in 2025, and there was even a point during practice where Dekaney's head coach commented on Townsend being a natural at linebacker when he was working a defensive drill.

    The offering to play both sides of the ball in Austin certainly catches his intrigue, but at this point in time Alabama seems to be ahead of Texas. Official visits will loom large on the decision as up to this point, Townsend has only seen Texas and Alabama once a piece with his trip to Austin taking place at the January Junior Day. With Townsend intending to announce a commitment sometime in July or August before his senior season starts, Texas is set up well with the last official visit during the June 21-23 weekend.

    With Townsend being a summer decision, his commitment could certainly have an impact on what Jasper Top247 tight end Kiotti Armstrong ends up deciding on. Texas is almost guaranteed to hold a spot for both, with Armstrong as a tight end and Townsend as a tight end/athlete take. 


    Tanook Hines (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    — USC and Notre Dame are the two programs at the front of Tanook Hines' recruitment, but Texas is creeping back in the picture after going separate ways earlier in the spring. 

    With a July or August commitment in mind, Hines will see Baylor, USC, and Notre Dame on official visits, and he'll see Texas on an official visit as well. Dates are still being worked out, but Hines and those at Dekaney were adamant an official visit to Texas would be taking place in the month of June. This is a new development, and it came to be after Hines met with Chris Jackson and Jeff Banks when the Texas staff stopped by Dekaney last week. 

    USC and Notre Dame are the leaders at this current point in time, but I definitely see a world where Texas could join that contending group here in the next few weeks. Texas is looking at Hines for receiver, but it's worth noting he will play a lot at safety for Dekaney this fall. That's notable because I think like Townsend, Hines would be good enough as a full-time safety prospect to keep his current ranking. He's also grown at least an inch since I saw him last in July and is probably now somewhere in the 6'1.5-2.5 range, and with Hines finishing in 2nd place in the 6A 200m dash at the Texas State track meet earlier in the month, it makes sense as to why he looks like a million bucks. Hines also comes from a family of athletes and has an older brother currently playing receiver for Hawaii University. 

    I think there's a chance Hines could receive serious looks and flip attempts from schools after they see him play major time at safety this fall. If he holds his own at the position which I think he can/will, it would be incredibly interesting to see if Texas would be interested in Hines as a safety. With the state of the defensive back board being where it's at, Hines could potentially be the perfect athlete to plug in as one of the safety takes for the Longhorns in 2025. 

    Hines and Townsend will have two of the most intriguing recruitments to track over the next few weeks, and with Texas gaining momentum in the recruitments of both of the Dekaney two-way stars, I do think it's a true possibility Texas could end up with both Hines and Townsend in the Longhorns' 2025 class. 

    Other names of note at Dekaney — Whoever ends up signing Jamal Frilot will be getting one of the biggest steals of the in-state 2025 class. He's a bona fide power four tight end prospect that gets overshadowed by Townsend, but he's an awesome prospect in his own right as he now stands at 6-foot-5, 215 pounder. Calvin Carter is a pretty intriguing 2026 EDGE prospect, he's a fluid athlete at 6-foot-3 but he'll need to continue to add weight leading up to his college career. Dekaney has two running backs in the 2026 class that will play FBS ball. One of the pair, named Samaritan Cunningham already holds four offers with his first one coming from Oklahoma. They also have a 2027 kid who's name I'm blanking on that should be a power four prospect whether it's at running back or linebacker. Besides him, there were several other prospects in their 2027 class who have the body type and frame you'd want to see from FBS level prospects as freshmen in high school.

    SHADOW CREEK — WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

    Chris Stewart (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    — I've been complaining about it behind the scenes but I wish we had Chris Stewart ranked in the initial 2026 Top247 update on Apr. 24. He absolutely cooked the Shadow Creek defense for the full duration of the Sharks' spring game, though it's worth mentioning Top247 Texas A&M cornerback commit Cobey Sellers is still working back from his surgery and didn't participate in the spring game. Regardless, I've viewed Stewart as a Top247 guy for a while now but after seeing him do what he did on Wednesday, I'm more confident than I've ever been in that notion. 

    It's still incredibly open for Stewart as he's a 2026 prospect that's collecting new offers every week, but I continue to like the chances of Texas being in the recruitment until the end. The Longhorns were the first program to offer Stewart a scholarship back in the winter and I think that'll help down the stretch. The in-state 2026 receiver class isn't strong either, and with Keisean Henderson wanting to play quarterback, Stewart could have a serious chance to emerge as WR1 in the Lone Star State. It's still early and there's a long way to go, but based off my conversations with Stewart over the last year I'm not sure I'd expect him to leave the region to play his college ball. 

    I was at Alief Hastings and Hitchcock today (Thursday) to see Smith Orogbo and Kelshaun Johnson, and I'll be seeing Caleb Chester and Isaiah Williams at Fort Bend Marshall tomorrow morning as well. On Saturday I'll be catching a couple training sessions and a showcase before driving home to Dallas that night. I'll have a similar story/update out tomorrow evening regarding Orogbo, Johnson, Chester, and Williams. 

     

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  11. Travis Branham thinks Toppin most likely to end up at Texas currently

    Quote

    What we are hearing: A four-star prospect coming out of high school in Dallas, JT Toppin put college basketball on notice with a dynamite freshman season at New Mexico. The bouncy 6-foot-8 forward averaged 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per outing while shooting over 62% from the field.

    After emerging as one of the top rim-running four men in the country, Toppin's entrance into the transfer portal came as a surprise to nobody. From the start, it was thought that he would end up back in his home state with a program like Texas and Texas Tech 

    However, Toppin also entered the NBA Draft and is fully committed to seeing that process through. Currently, Toppin is at the combine in Chicago where he's playing in front of and meeting with NBA teams to get feedback on what his draft status would be.

    Ultimately, we expect that Toppin will be urged to make a return to school to beef up his all-around game and improve is stock for next year. Should that happen, we are currently seeing Rodney Terry and the Longhorns as the team to beat.

     

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  12. The Stampede: Texas recruiting intel from the road, DB official visitor outlook
     

    Quote

    It's hard to believe we're almost at the halfway point of May, which means camp season and Official Visit Palooza is right around the corner. 

    In today's The Stampede, we took a look at some of the latest recruiting intel from the road as Horns247's Jordan Scruggs has been traversing the state of Texas and beyond to gather the recruiting pulse of some of the Longhorns' top 2025 target. Here, he'll share the latest on: 

    -- Four-star offensive tackle Lamont Rogers, as the Longhorns continue to gain ground 

    -- Five-star offensive tackle and top Texas target Michael Fasusi

    -- The latest from UT's top remaining linebacker target in Riley Pettijohn

    -- An under-the-radar 2025 prospect in Central Texas

    -- ... and more ... 

    Along with that, Horns247's Hank South breaks down the official visitors outlook for the month of June as it pertains to the secondary. The Longhorns have yet to add a defensive back in the class of 2025, but that will change this summer with many of UT's targets on the back end set to make their way to the Forty Acres. 

    Not a VIP member of Horns247? You can sign up today and get your first month for just $1! 

    LATEST WITH LAMONT

    Lamont Rogers. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
     

    Lamont Rogers, 4-star OT, Mesquite Horn 

    There isn't a ton of news with or in Rogers' recruitment, but the Horns have remained consistent throughout the spring as we approach official visit season. Originally playing from behind to start the new year, the return to Austin by Chris Gilbert put the burnt orange in position to have a shot almost immediately as the Gilbert-led Horns began to start really connecting with Rogers in February and March. Outside of the reported dates for his official visits, Rogers will take two more officials. He'll see a school June 18-20 before his last OV starts June 21-23. The June 18-20 OV is already booked, Rogers just has to announce it himself, whereas the June 21-23 OV is still being decided between Florida State, LSU, and Tennessee. A decision will be made in July with Horns247 expecting the choice to come down to the Lone Star Rivals of Texas and Texas A&M. 


    HEATED BATTLE REGIONAL BATTLE SHAPING UP FOR 5-STAR OT
    Michael Fasusi, 5-star OT, Lewisville 

    Although Texas A&M is 1000 percent a real threat and should continue to be viewed as one going forward, I continue to like where my 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction stands just weeks before Fasusi starts his official visit circuit. Kyle Flood and Co. have had Fasusi as OL target No. 1 going back to the beginning of the class, and with Flood's skins on the wall in the form of Kelvin Banks, DJ Campbell, Brandon Baker, etc., it's incredibly hard to bet against the Longhorns offensive line coach here. Oklahoma has also remained in the picture for the majority of the recruitment, and with the Sooners and Aggies both extending a PWO offer to Fasusi's best friend Sean Hutton, the race is only expected to get more heated between the three regional rivals. Click HERE for a story I posted from Fasusi and I's conversation.

    PETTIJOHN REMAINS TOP LB TARGET FOR EVERYONE

    Riley Pettijohn. (Photo: Andrew Hattersley , 247Sports)
     

    Riley Pettijohn, 4-star LB, McKinney 

    Similar to Rogers, there isn't a ton of news with Pettijohn's recruitment. Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC continue to be the schools of note with the Longhorns continuing to be the leader on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. It's important to remember that Pettijohn is effectively held in the same regard by all four schools as the top linebacker target, and on the same note I saw Ohio State DC Jim Knowles and LB coach James Laurinaitis spend the majority of McKinney's spring game on Friday talking with Pettijohn's father. I'll have quotes from Pettijohn and I's conversation out in the near future, but the Longhorns continue to be the attractive pick in the recruitment of the Top247 linebacker.

    CANES MORE OF A THREAT THAN WE THOUGHT FOR BAYOU STATE CB?
    Aidan Anding, 3-star CB, Ruston (LA) -

    I'll be seeing Anding in practice later today, but I feel like it's worth mentioning I've been speaking with a source in North Louisiana over the past week who has made it very clear Miami is in a better position than almost anyone anticipated. Anding is already down to a top three of Arkansas, Miami, and Texas so it isn't necessarily ground breaking news, but in all honesty I thought Texas was in better position than they seem to be. Again, we'll find out more today, but this seems to be shaping up to be a Texas vs. Miami battle as the Hurricanes aren't to be taken lightly.


    RISING 2026 WR TURNING HEADS

    London Smith. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
     

    London Smith, 2026 4-star WR, Waco University 

    In what looks like a down year at the receiver position for the in-state class of 2026, Smith is expected to be one of the most coveted prospects in the Lone Star State as the Top247 WR is already firmly in the sights of Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M. A Baylor legacy with his plenty of ties to the green and gold, Smith will eventually face the same ordeal all legacies are faced with where they must decide if they'd like to follow a path laid before them or if they'd like to blaze their own path. 

    UNDER-THE-RADAR 2025 NAME OF NOTE

    Jason Stokes Jr. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
     

    Jason Stokes Jr., CB, Pflugerville Weiss 

    With a board that'll continue to shrink the further we get into the offseason, Stokes Jr. could be a local senior riser to watch. An incredibly intriguing prospect, Stokes is 6-3, 185 pounds and has only played defensive back for one season as prior to being a first team all-district selection at cornerback as a junior, he primarily played receiver. With three OVs currently set up for Liberty, Arizona State, and Utah, Stokes could see more schools added to his schedule after landing offers from Houston and LSU this week. Although he's been a bit under the radar compared to other 512-area prospects, I've been a fan of Stokes for some time and really think he could potentially fit the bill of a Texas cornerback as he's a local product with the coveted length and athleticism. Stokes, along with Jayden Sanders from Kilgore could be two 2025 defensive back names to watch for the Horns going forward.

    2026 DB EXPEDITING COMMITMENT TIMELINE?
    Markel Ford, 2026 4-star S, Mesquite Horn 

    Another one of the more coveted prospects in 2026, Ford has seemed to be ahead of others in his class in recruiting. He's basically had the top four of Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and SMU since the end of his sophomore season and I don't see the group of favorites necessarily changing either. Ford has made it very clear he'd heavily prefer to play for a defensive minded head coach, and with that said the Sooners and the Aggies are who the recruitment is expected to come down to. With Ford seemingly a vet to the recruitment process already, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him give a commitment this summer. 

    DEFENSIVE BACK OFFICIAL VISIT OUTLOOK

    Caleb Chester. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
    June 7-9

    Caleb Chester, 3-star CB, Fort Bend Marshall

    The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder has been a frequent visitor to Texas throughout his recruitment, most recently stopping in on April 13. He'll kick off his tour of official visits later this month at LSU May 31-June 2, followed by Texas, then Texas A&M June 14-16, and rounding things out at Arkansas June 21-23. This has long been thought to be a Texas-Texas A&M battle. If the Longhorns turn up the heat, the program will be a tough out for any other school to overcome. My Crystal Ball prediction has been in favor of UT since last summer, and I'm keeping it there for now. 

    June 14-16

    Dorian Brew, 5-star CB, Conroe

    Earlier this year Brew had a commitment date set and all signs pointed to Ohio State for the talented cornerback. However, Brew put a pause on commitment plans and made an unofficial visit to Austin for Junior Day in January. Since then, the Buckeyes have lost steam and schools like Texas, USC, Texas A&M, and LSU have picked up steam. Brew's father attended LSU and his mom attended Ohio State, giving both programs family ties to lean on. We'll see how much, if at all, that comes into play when Brew makes his decision.


    Kade Phillips. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
     

    June 21-23

    Devin Williams, 4-star CB, Buford (Ga.) — Auburn commit

    The Longhorns locked in Williams for an official visit June 21-23 last week, as the Longhorns appear to be turning up the dial on the flip meter. So far Williams has said all the right things about his Tigers pledge, but setting an official visit to the Forty Acres is certainly notable. Williams has only been to Austin for a track event, so this will be his first exposure to the football side of things.

    "Texas is not like some of these others schools that just give out offers to everyone," Williams said last week. "Texas only offers if they really want you and that says a lot about the culture there."

    Kade Phillips, 4-star CB, Hightower

    The Longhorns offered the 6-foot, 170-pounder earlier this year and have since been a trendy pick for the in-state CB. Phillips will take several official visits this summer to Texas A&M June 7-9 and LSU June 14-16, before wrapping things up on the Forty Acres. He also officially visited Baylor late last month. The Longhorns seem to have set the bar, though.

    "Just the environment, the people here, they want you," he said. "You feel wanted here. Not just someone that's going to come here and they're going to forget about you. You're here for a reason."

    A decision will likely be made after his slate of official visits.

    Aidan Anding, 3-star CB, Ruston (La.)

    Another spring offer at the defensive back position, Anding made a trek out to Austin on April 6 for the Longhorn City Limits recruiting event, which placed Texas in the Bayou State product's top three. It'll likely come down to Texas vs. Miami, as Jordan noted above, for Anding when all is said and done, and you can't rule out LSU getting involved and keeping the talented cornerback home when all is said and done.

    "How they develop their players," Anding said of what he likes about the UT program. "I feel like if I eventually end up going there, they can help me get my profile out there, get me bigger, my image. They're putting them boys in the league."

     

    • Hook 'Em 4
  13. Feldman: Inside how college football’s transfer portal works: Coaches, players and agents dish on NIL
    https://theathletic.com/5484900/2024/05/13/college-football-transfer-portal-nil-deals/

    Quote

    College football’s transfer portal has become more hectic by the year since it launched in 2018, as it’s been made more complicated by unlimited transfers and, of course, players being able to profit off their name, image and likeness.

    So what is the transfer portal really like in the NIL age? The Athletic surveyed numerous coaches, NIL collective officials, agents, personnel staffers and players who have transferred on a variety of portal-related topics to open a window into college football’s version of free agency. All survey participants were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor and to preserve relationships.

    Before the portal opens
    College football has two transfer windows, at the end of the regular season in December and in late April. But for all involved, portal preparation is a year-round conversation  — even if contact between schools and players is not permitted unless those players are in the portal.

    Assistant coach 1: The main way it works is staffs — especially at the highest levels — have a whole crew of people that just watch film all day of other college teams. The same way you used to watch high school film, they watch college games and keep a board stocked with potential portal players. Even though none of these players are in the portal, they watch them and they find ways to let those people know that, “If you happen to go to the portal, you’ll have a home with us.” That’s happening a lot.

    Assistant coach 2: They’ll start evaluating that tape ongoing through the season, and starting in October or November, contact gets made to the high school coach, player’s family or maybe a player on your roster knows the kid or played with him.

    Player 1: I didn’t hear directly from coaches from other schools during the season, but I did hear through the grapevine that coaches would be interested in me if I did enter the portal because this coach from School X knew a teammate of mine because they were from the same area and told them to tell me that they were interested in me. A lot of people from certain teams had followed me on Twitter and other social media to kind of lay the groundwork if I were to enter the portal — at least that’s how I took it.

    General manager 1: You can follow a kid on Instagram, you can like his stuff. You know if he’s liking your stuff back that he likes you, or if you follow him on Twitter and he follows you back — the kid is not dumb, that’s happening for a reason. Back a few years ago when people weren’t tampering as much, that’s the way you did it — hey, he followed me back! This could happen. Then sometimes the kids will just DM you and tell you they’re going in. I think there are some schools that straight up just call the kid, text them, talk to them. It’s reckless.

    Head coach 1: It’s so out of control because everybody knows there’s not any regulations to it. It’s like you’re on the freeway, and there’s a speed limit but no cops. I mean, there is no regulatory body. Like there is in theory, but nobody cares.

    General manager 1: We had an agent email a staffer, to their university email, a list of players who aren’t in the portal but were going to go in, asking if we had any interest. More often than not, if an agent is reaching out to schools about players, those players aren’t very good. If you have a dude who is going to get paid in the portal, that player is getting paid whether you’re shopping him around or not.

    Agent 1: I had a defensive line coach reach out to me over winter break and he told me, “These are the positions I need to fill; send me the list of your guys who are willing to enter the portal.” I gave him a list. It was as simple as that.

    Agent 2: There are other programs that just ask the player directly in warm-ups.

    Player 2: There was a school that, after we played them, one of their coaches came up and talked to me. “Hey, I know it was a bad deal here. I’m not really allowed to say much, but for what it’s worth, you have really big fans over here and I want you to know that. I know you’re entering the portal soon.” I was like, “OK, cool.”

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    How college football's era of unlimited free transfers works

    Head coach 2: Nothing is sacred anymore. And it’s really hard and confusing for the players. Even if they don’t want to go anywhere, they’re still hearing from so many people. I could see it at the end of last year ahead of the bowl game. The only players in our program who looked like they were in a good headspace were the kids who had already transferred. Then a couple weeks later, they changed the transfer rule anyway (to allow unlimited transfers).

    Player 3: I didn’t really hear from any schools during the season. I think most people thought, including myself, that I was looking to enter the draft and I really wasn’t looking down that route, so I don’t think those schools were viewing me as a potential portal prospect either. But then I was thinking, “I do have one year of eligibility left,” and I was hearing that I was projected to be a late Day 2 or Day 3 pick, so I felt like if I do have this one more year where I could play in the Power 5 to boost my draft stock, I might as well take it.

    Agent 3: There are absolutely kids going into the portal that don’t want to go into the portal, but the parents orchestrate it. And a big thing now is (collectives giving) a separate NIL stipend for parents to go to the games. Because that gets expensive. You can get a situation where the player gets a certain amount of money, but the parents take a big chunk out of it, so now it’s a big thing for the parents to get a separate NIL stipend. And that’s a big thing for the kids, because the parents are a big influencer.

    Agent 2: It’s a feel test. I look at their circumstances — their playing time, the coaching staff, the regional fit, the needs by other schools, the family situation. You can figure it out.

    Entering the portal
    The second a player’s name appears in the transfer portal, it’s like a high school recruitment all over again, only in a tighter time frame and with a history of college production to point to. Plus, there are financial conversations to be had.

    Player 3: As soon as I entered the portal, my DMs started blowing up that night and it just kept going from there. It was definitely a cool experience. Coming out of high school, I didn’t get that kind of attention. It was cool to have these two very different recruiting experiences, going from being this guy who was really under the radar that no one knew about to being seen as a top guy in the portal.

    Player 4: If I had to give a rough estimate, it’d be probably 20 to 25 schools.

    Player 5: A LOT. Lots. Like maybe 60 or 70.

    Player 1: At least 50. Probably more. The schools that I had multiple calls with and tried to maintain a relationship for at least a week or so were probably between 25 and 30.

    Player 2: The first time (I transferred) I talked to 15 schools. The second time I kind of knew going in, so I had like four that I was talking to, but I probably talked to everybody. I talked to UConn. I never didn’t answer the phone.

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    What happened to Deion Sanders' Colorado castoffs? Revisiting a record-setting exodus

    Assistant coach 3: Portal recruiting is actually like speed dating.There are some advantages to it. You get straight to the brass tacks of it, right? Now, that’s the thing too with these portal kids. Instead of doing 72-hour visits, you’re doing 24-hour visits. Getting them in and out, showing them the depth chart, showing them the opportunities, talking about the NIL aspect and how they can take advantage of that. It’s more of a business model.

    General manager 1: We’ve had players tell us that the first thing they did when they went on a different visit was meet with the NIL folks. The strategy there is if you float a number that they like, then they decide they like that place. It makes them view a visit differently as opposed to wondering the whole visit what the money might be. If you’re walking around some crappy facility but know you’d be making bank, well that’s fine. But that really only works if you’re offering more than others. Our strategy was to have NIL people meet with them at the end of the visit to make sure we weren’t talking money with players we didn’t like or didn’t end up wanting based on how the visit went. We wanted to vet them and feel them out first.

    Player 5: NIL was a big part of the process. Obviously, I wanted to be compensated. I wanted to be paid in the market of my position value. I tried to figure out what my NIL value was from hearing what other guys got from agents and what other guys in the market were making by talking to some of my friends at Power 5 schools to find out what they were getting. I’d talk to them over social media.

    How the deal is done
    In February, a federal judge in Tennessee blocked the NCAA from enforcing its prohibitions against recruits signing monetary deals with booster groups. Though the NCAA has sought to restrict the use of NIL as a recruiting inducement, financial conversations are becoming much more direct between NIL collectives and transfers.

    NIL collective CEO 1: We’re in direct contact with our coaches about roster management daily. It’s three conversations — high school recruiting, which is the smallest piece, it’s your current roster, and it’s portal recruiting. And we’re talking to our coaching staff daily, weekly, about all three buckets. It was a needed change. Now that everything’s kind of out in the open, the athletes now have full visibility of what each particular school is offering, and we can communicate with our coaches now, which helps us manage budgets and rosters.

    NIL collective CEO 2: That wall of separation that was supposed to exist between collectives and student-athletes was enjoined by that district court decision.

    NIL collective CEO 3: I’m told to make contact once there’s an official visit set up, and usually I’m making contact with a parent or an agent. It’s been very agent-heavy lately, especially during the December portal. I was on the phone with agents every day.

    General manager 1: If you’re dealing with a high-quality transfer, it’s usually an agent. If it’s a G5 kid or something like that, it’s usually the kid and their parents.

    Player 3: I’ve been hearing from a ton of agents, even prior to me entering the portal because of the NFL. But then once I went into the portal, I heard from a lot more agents who said they wanted to build a relationship through NIL to represent me. But I just felt like I didn’t really need that, so I decided not to go with anyone.

    Agent 4: I abide really conservatively to the solicitation rules. Anybody that comes to me is strictly referral-based.

    Agent 5: We don’t really target clients that are trying to enter the portal. In our experience, we have clients who are already clients that want to enter the portal. There’s been maybe a couple rare situations where we’ve been called to assist someone enter the portal, but that’s not usually how we do it. That’s not our target clientele.

    go-deeper
    GO DEEPER

    How Ohio State won the college football offseason with a new NIL approch

    Player 5: I did use an agent, but just in the beginning part of it. I think he got my number from someone. I honestly don’t know how that worked, and then I had a bunch of agents reach out asking me to do NIL representation. I had friends who went through a similar (process).

    Agent 1: Yes, we’re an agency and charge a percentage of the contract negotiated with a collective or marketing agreement. But we’re really an athlete development company. I’m not jumping into who is making money in the portal and how do I place him at Team X so I get a cut out of it. For me, it’s how do we build out your brand, monetize that and then put you in position to become the player you want to be. We want guys who want more than the bag. We take our clients on a case-by-case basis.

    Agent 6: We had a kid who signed, and then two days later he went in the portal and asked to get out of our contract. We could’ve been a–holes and said no, but we said sure. I assume he was working with someone else who could get a certain offer.

    Personnel staffer 1: Some of them are highly qualified agents who are reputable and have history and background of success within the world. Then you have this other group of agents who have no f—ing clue what they’re doing. They’re just latching on. A kid hits the portal and all these agents are just sharks DMing them. These kids are like, “My buddy got an agent and made $100,000 — I should get one too.” So they get this agent on Twitter and this guy has no idea what he’s talking about and is asking for 10, 15, 20 percent of the contract when the NFL maximum is 3 percent.

    Head coach 2: I had a player commit to me, to my face, on a visit. And I asked if we needed to talk business, and the player said, “No, I’m good, just talk to my agent.” And the agent was out of this world, saying it would cost $800,000 to $1.2 million. OK, well, sorry, we’re out. Is the kid really going to get that money? I don’t know. But he’s not coming here now.

    Agent 1: They’re kids. They’re gonna grab the cash. But at the same time a lot of them have their heads screwed on straight. So, even if they get an offer to go to another school who may pay them more, our kids are taking the long-term play over the short-term play. But I do know there are kids out there who want the upfront bag because they don’t think they’re good enough to get the bigger one on the back end.

    Agent 6: Unless the money’s crazy, find the best fit. Someone can take the most money and it’s also the best fit.

    Player 3: The NIL I am getting is very generous, so no complaints there, but it is mostly football. But if it came down to two schools that were equal from a football standpoint with what the opportunities were, then NIL would’ve been the next thing after all that.

    Player 1: A lot of the conversations that I had, the head coaches would bring up money directly. They would talk about the numbers that they give to players at my position based on how much value they deem based on the level of recruit that you are and how much playing time you’ll have and what you mean to the team.

    Personnel staffer 1: I like to think of it as an amusement park. If you’re really thirsty at an amusement park, you buy a bottle of water, and it costs $16 or whatever. But you need it. If you really need a position, you’re probably going to overpay. There are traditional programs and transactional programs. Those guys who ask about money to even come on a visit, they’ll fit in the transactional world.

    Personnel staffer 1: We had a situation where a player said he was getting offered $350,000 from another school. So we reached out to someone we knew from that other school and they told us that was nowhere near what they were offering. Which made sense. He was a good player, we wanted him, but are you serious? $350,000?

    We had another kid ask for $800,000 in the portal, and to be honest, we didn’t know if he was serious. We thought he was f—ing with us. But he wasn’t. He did end up coming down to $400,000, and even that was too much.

    General manager 1: You have to have the balls to say no to the players or stand up to the agents. If you open up your hand, they’re just going to try to eat from it at all times. We had a player who wasn’t very good tell us on a visit he would sign immediately if we promised him $15,000 a month. Yeah, no s— you would.

    Agent 2: I prefer to deal with the coaches because they’re so out of their element. They’re like, “We can get it done.” There’s an ego thing — you want to get it done for your position group and your school, show you’ve got money.

    Agent 3: The coaches are in many cases their own worst enemy because they’re lying to kids, enticing them with those lies to come to their college campus, then the kids get there and they’re like, “Hey, that’s not what you said.” It doesn’t take long for them to figure out they’ve been misled. So if things don’t go well that first semester, that’s one of the reasons they’re like, “Forget this place. I’m going to the portal.”

    NIL collective CEO 4: You have to know what the coaches want, and the collective, somehow, has to be operating consistently with how the coaches want their program run. You try to be as careful as possible with the rules, but at the end of the day you can’t have donors doing the recruiting, and you can’t have donors managing the roster. So it’s this weird, awkward dance the way it’s set up right now.

    College football’s new normal
    NIL and the transfer portal continue to evolve, and there’s little doubt more changes are coming soon. So how chaotic is all the player movement?

    Assistant coach 4: College football is funded by investors who give money. We have to be careful how far we push the limit because you can turn some people off. The media, no offense to you, play to the lower-level obsessive fans and the exciting (stories) are the worst 5 percent of situations. As everybody reads about the worst stories of NIL, they get this vision that this is what it is and we’re turning some people off — when 90 percent of the focus is on 10 percent of the situation. Most of (NIL is fine). I’m good with it. There’s 10 percent of situations that frustrate me, but they’re the ones written about.

    Player 1: I’d purposely graduated early knowing that I was going to either enter the draft or enter the portal. Once I knew the level of recruit that I became, I guess NIL became more of a reality for me to look at, but it was never a deciding factor for me choosing schools. That was not the reason that I wanted to play another year of college football at a higher level. The answer that I always gave to coaches was that I do believe that I deserve to be compensated fairly, but it wasn’t gonna play a role in my decision.

    Player 2: There was an SEC school that offered me $500,000 this past year, and looking back, maybe I should’ve tried to take that, but it wasn’t a situation where they were going to be winning a lot of games. I had another big program ask, “Hey, is there a number?” The school I signed with the second time was like, “Hey, is there a number you need,” and I said no. They were like, “Cool, we really appreciate that,” and they still paid me. But it wasn’t like I knew what I was gonna get going in. They just said they’d do everything they can for you.

    When I got there, I probably made $100,000 this past year just from their collective, which was nice obviously. But they didn’t sell me on that. That was just how it ended up happening.

    Inside college football's long history with the unlimited transfer 'Wild West'

    NIL collective CEO 5: Any journalist or coach or administrator who says it’s the wild, wild west out there lets me know that person is f—in’ lazy. That’s the mantra that people say who don’t get it. Is it hectic? 100 percent, but the collective landscape is the only one trying to make it not the wild west.

    Player 5: The portal is a dangerous place to be. Luckily, I was in a position where I don’t have to really worry about schools reaching out to me, but there are a lot of guys selling the same thing. There’s a lot of competition, and a lot of jealousy from a lot of other players. You’re all competing for other deals. But I’m glad I got into a good situation.

    Player 6: There were crazy things, but it’s just like that for everybody in the portal. It was crazy, just wow, like how much money some universities threw at me. I’m just thinking about the younger generation coming up that’s about to come to college and get even more. I feel fortunate with how much players make with NIL.

    Interesting article, my favorite quote was the GM admitting the usefulness of the middle school bullshit of following and liking IG posts to let a player the school is interested

    • Hook 'Em 6
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