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MH BEVO

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  1. 8 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

    Gerry: 

    Evan Stewart, WR, Frisco (Texas) Liberty


    On3 Consensus ranking: No. 4

    Stewart is back at College Station this weekend. This would have to be one of those magical signing day flips. But you recruit through the whistle if you are Texas.

    Shazz Preston, WR, Saint James (La.)

    On3 Consensus ranking: No. 38

    Alabama is all over Preston. Texas has continued to try to close the gap with an in-home by Steve Sarkisian and staff two weeks ago. Where does LSU fit? That’s the big question.

    Armani Winfield, WR, Lewisville (Texas)

    On3 Consensus ranking: No. 223

    Decommit remorse is getting strong with this one. With that said Michigan State and Baylor have made him feel like a priority for weeks.

     

    So what’s the plan at WR? Portal?

  2. 11 hours ago, Getafix said:

     

    The Stampede: Recapping a big weekend in Texas recruiting
    MIKE ROACH

     

    (Some interesting stuff on QB recruiting.)

     

      Reveal hidden contents

    The Stampede: Recapping a big weekend in Texas recruiting
    MIKE ROACH

     

    Texas put up a strong performance with a talented group of recruits in attendance.

    The Longhorns are really starting to open up with their ability as on-campus recruiters and the Texas visit experience is being optimized with the new Moncrief-Neuhaus facility and south end zone.

    Among the big group of visitors that made their way to Austin this week were an official visitor in Lander Barton as well as some major targets on an unofficial trip. So, what was the visit experience like and how did Texas do with those prospects?


    In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we provide a bevy of news and notes on the Texas Tech game and how that could help the recruiting boost for Steve Sarkisian and his staff moving forward.

    GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE A HIT
    Texas now has an optimized visit experience. While the Longhorns hosted a large number of official visitors during the summer, they did so without the full extent of their facility. All of those visits were hosted in the north end zone hall of fame where the Longhorns used the public space as a makeshift visit base.

    While it certainly worked in a pinch, the staff now has some fancy new digs to show off to recruits and their families. The staff now has room for recruits and their families to hang out in the recruit lounge before coming out on the field in pre-game. They also have a great vantage point in the corner of the south end zone with room to spread out and be in their own section.

    The Texas gameday visit experience is as good as it’s ever been, and we should see more big visits happening on gameday weekends. Texas didn’t do as many for a couple of reasons this year. The biggest is the underwhelming slate of home games, which is why Texas is stacking its chips for the Oklahoma State game in October.


    Another reason for the number of summer visits was a murky recruiting picture following the COVID-19 dead period. I believe that if Texas could do it over again, they would have spread some of those visits out over the fall, but they didn’t know if kids were itching to make quick commitments after not being able to visit schools.

    There are a few guys Texas would have probably hosted later in the year, but they are also getting some big-name recruits on campus and taking their shot. This sets up nicely for the 2023 class where Texas can hopefully sell a strong season along with gameday experience and shiny new facilities to reel them in.

    TEXAS TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR HAROLD PERKINS
    This was the second week in a row the Longhorns were able to get five-star defender Harold Perkins back to Austin. I mentioned last week that there was some optimism in Austin about where this recruitment is at the moment compared to the summer.

    I asked a wide variety of sources both in Austin and near Perkins where things are as of now, and all of them are optimistic on the chances of Texas landing him. In fact, I went to one of my sources who is typically most realistic (almost to the point of being pessimistic on every recruitment) and that source told me that things are trending in the right direction.


    Harold Perkins (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
     

    Texas A&M held all the momentum early on in this race, and it’s odd that he hasn’t yet been back to College Station for the season. I’d expect he makes it back soon and a big push back from the Aggies is coming as Perkins represents a significant battle between the two recruiting rivals.

    Perkins came in on Friday with his team on a bye week, and he spent time with Brandon Harris and other members of the Texas staff. Perkins also hung out with Maalik Murphy on Friday and was with him all day on Saturday during the game. Cole Hutson, Connor Robertson and J’Mond Tapp also had interactions with Perkins from what I was told.

    With all of the optimism comes the qualifier that the Texas staff knows Perkins is a bit unpredictable and this recruitment won’t truly be over until the paperwork is received.


    DENVER HARRIS RETURNS TO AUSTIN
    The mercurial North Shore corner made it back to Austin this weekend despite rumors that he was close to releasing a Top 2 without Texas. The Longhorns did not waste their opportunity with the five-star prospect.

    Harris took in the big win on Saturday and I was told by a source near him that the visit went great. Harris spent time with the other recruits at the game, and he got personal time with Steve Sarkisian for two hours afterward.

    Texas cornerback Josh Thompson also put in some time on this one as he made sure he found Harris after the game to talk with him, and he placed a call to him later that night. Sources near Alabama have been bullish on the Crimson Tide in this race for a while, but I was also reminded that Harris has spent more time at Texas than just about anywhere else.


    (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
     

    A source I spoke with last week told me that the longer this plays out, the better it potentially could be for Texas.  Harris wanted to see Texas play some games and perform this year, and so far he’s seen a defense that played really well in spots but also has some opportunity for early playing time.  Despite a lot of uncertainty around Harris, sources remain encouraged about where they stand with him.  LSU is trying to make a push and Texas A&M won’t retreat from this recruitment easily.  I still feel this comes down to Texas and Alabama unless it takes a weird left turn and continued strong play from Texas could secure a big win.

    LANDER BARTON'S OV GOES AS WELL AS IT COULD
    Texas had a big official visitor in Austin in the form of Salt Lake City (Utah) Brighton linebacker Lander Barton. The four-star linebacker was tired after arriving home from his visit and promised to connect with me later tonight.

    I did exchange a few texts with him, and Barton told me that the visit was “great.” He was hosted on the trip by walk on linebacker Marshall Landwehr since other players were getting ready for and playing in the game.

    Barton connected well with Jeff Choate and loved the possibilities available to him in the Texas defense. A source in Austin told me they thought the visit went as well as it could have, and if Barton leaves the state of Utah, they will be a strong contender for him.


    (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports)
     

    That’s the tricky part though. Barton’s family has deep roots at Utah where his father and mother both played sports. The parents have told others that they will let Lander make his own decision, but I did get the feeling talking to him in the past that he does feel a bit of pressure to stay home.

    Barton has also been to Michigan on an official visit and Oregon is expected to host him as well. The Ducks should be considered a sneaky contender as well with the amount of former Utah high school players on their roster.

    The sources I spoke with felt they gave Barton a lot to think about, but he is still going to have to ultimately pull the trigger and leave his family behind to come to Austin.

    TEXAS GIVES DYLAN RAIOLA A FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE
    Texas extended its first offer to an in-state 2024 quarterback over the weekend, and if you don’t count Sark honoring the offer that was already there for Cade Klubnik, this is the first in-state quarterback offer Texas sent out since Steve Sarkisian arrived.

    Raiola isn’t getting too far ahead with anything, but this was an offer I think he and his family wanted. Texas got in at the right time as his stock will only continue to rise. I don’t sense Raiola making a move anytime soon, and he’s going to want to really look at his options moving forward.

    Raiola moved to Texas from Arizona and his father played at Nebraska, but he doesn’t really have a “dream school.” He and his father have talked often about finding the right fit for him offensively that can prepare him for the future.


     

    Earlier in the summer I mentioned that I spoke to a parent who said he came into the visit with Texas wanting to hate it but who loved everything they saw during their time there. That parent was Dominic Raiola who told me he was conditioned to hate Texas because of his time at Nebraska. Sarkisian and Milwee both have impressed the elder Raiola and he’s spoken highly of what they are doing at Texas.

    In fact, I spoke with Dominic after the visit to see how everything went and he described everything as “first-class.” Raiola said that he has a ton of respect for the staff’s time and can’t imagine what it’s like having to host recruits and families while getting ready for a game. Having played at a high level, he knows what goes into pre-game prep, but he said everyone made them feel welcomed during the trip.

    Raiola met with Steve Sarkisian and AJ Milwee before the game, and when the coaches had to get with the team, the wives took over. We’ve talked about Loreal Sarkisian getting involved in the recruiting effort, and Raiola said that Milwee’s wife took over when the coaches had to do their jobs. They were also able to spend time with Texas volleyball player Jhenna Gabriel who is a close family friend from Hawaii.

    Over the summer, Raiola sat in on meetings with the staff to see how the offense works, and they were impressed with how well it translated to the field on Saturday. Raiola also mentioned how he saw it work at the NFL level with the Falcons and how he’s heard nothing but great respect for Sark as a quarterback developer. All in all, it’s fair to say that Texas blew the Raiola family away, and the pro-style offense is one that Raiola is in favor of having played in the league.

    TEXAS LOOKING FOR SECOND QUARTERBACK
    It sounds like Texas is looking to add an additional body to the quarterback room. I heard over the weekend that Texas is kicking the tires on several passers in the 2022 class and beyond. It seems that there is some worry about the overall depth at the position, especially if there is some attrition.

    One name I’ve heard early on is USC commit and Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon quarterback Devin Brown. Brown was an Elite 11 finalist who put on a great performance at the annual quarterback competition, and USC’s status puts all of their commits in play.

    Nebraska commit and San Antonio Southside quarterback Richard Torres is another name I’ve heard some noise around. While Texas might be checking him out, Torres told me he’s yet to hear from anyone in Austin.


    (Photo: 247Sports)
     

    Texas could also look to Rockwall county for either of the major high school’s passers. Rockwall-Heath quarterback and Indiana commit Josh Hoover has been lighting it up this year along with Rockwall quarterback and Mississippi State commit Braedyn Locke.

    It’s also likely that Texas could look to the transfer portal to see what’s available if there isn’t a high school name they like. The JUCO ranks don’t seem to have the high-end quarterback talent at the moment, though Tyler Junior College’s General Booty does have a link to Sarkisian through his uncle John David Booty who played for Sark at USC.

    I talked to a source near Maalik Murphy who said the staff has communicated their plans with him thus far, so this shouldn't be something that will take him by surprise.  I don't see it changing anything for him, but you never know when a second quarterback gets involved.

    THE LATEST ON LARRY TURNER-GOODEN
    I spoke to some sources over the weekend about Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany safety Larry Turner-Gooden. The longtime Arizona State commit recently opened his recruitment and a visit to Texas looms for him in October.

    Turner-Gooden came to Austin on his own dime in July, and Texas is sitting high on his list at the moment. Penn State left quite an impression after Turner-Gooden made a visit to Happy Valley last week to see the Nittany Lions down Auburn in a raucous stadium environment.


    (Photo: Courtesy Larry Turner-Gooden)
     

    One source near Turner-Gooden told me that this likely comes down to Texas and Penn State. Arizona State will still get the last visit, but they don’t see him recommitting to the Sun Devils right now. As I mentioned last week, this comes down to how much Texas wants to push with some other irons in the fire. Texas would also like to get Jacoby Mathews back for a shot at him and they are still working on trying to flip Bryce Anderson.

    With Jaylon Guilbeau gone to TCU, that could give Texas the room to take another target there, but a heavy effort to flip Ohio State commit and Little Elm cornerback Terrance Brooks is also underway. Right now, defensive back has the most moving parts out of any position the Texas staff is recruiting,

    LONGHORNS PUSHING FOR NATION'S TOP TIGHT END
    Jaleel Skinner will make his decision in a few weeks and I expect Texas to keep pushing for the nation’s top tight end to try and win it. A few people I spoke to over the weekend near Skinner praised the Longhorns for the work they’ve done to get into this recruitment and make themselves a real player for him.

    While it may have once looked like Skinner could end up in the state of Florida, I don’t believe he will. Everything between Skinner and Florida State has faded while Florida and Miami don’t really stand a chance either. I believe this race ultimately comes down to Texas and Alabama, and if I had to handicap it right now, I’d give Alabama the advantage.


    (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
     

    Skinner had a bad experience with media this spring and summer and doesn’t talk, so we have to rely heavily on sourced information from those close to him.  Right now, the feeling is that Bama is in the driver’s seat, but Texas still has some cards to play.  The Longhorns are showing off some impressive offensive ability and Skinner could factor in from the moment he steps on campus.

     

    This is a Jeff Banks recruitment, and as one source in Austin I spoke to told me, “When Jeff is on a guy, we just get out of the way and let him do his thing.”  Let’s check back in a week and see where things stand.

    TJ SHANAHAN TAKING RECRUITMENT SLOWLY
    2023 Austin Westlake offensive tackle TJ Shanahan put on a show of brutality that should have had its own anti-bullying campaign Friday night against Del Valle. After the game, he talked with Horns247 about his recruitment. Shanahan said he’s establishing a fantastic rapport with Steve Sarkisian and Kyle Flood, and he’s been to one Texas game already this year. In fact, when Shanahan announced that he was moving to Westlake, he immediately called the Texas staff to share the good news.


    (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
     

    He also has linemate and Texas commit Connor Robertson in his ear daily working to get him to Texas. He will probably also hear from Maalik Murphy who showed up to the game to support Robertson and Elite 11 classmate Cade Klubnik. Murphy was taken aback at the size of the Westlake line and wants to work on some of those guys to get them up front in Austin.

    It’s still extremely early and Shanahan seems to really love the recruiting process. Texas, Oklahoma and several others are standing out early for Shanahan, and he’s looking for a place where he can play early and have a good relationship with the staff. Texas checks a few of those boxes already.

    JULIAN SAYIN AND A NOTE ON WIDE RECEIVER RECRUITING
    2024 Carlsbad (Calif.) quarterback Julian Sayin was also in town with his family for a visit this past weekend. Sayin has a link to Maalik Murphy through renowned quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez who has trained some of the best players in the country.

    Sayin told Horns247 over the summer that he grew up a Texas fan and the offer was a dream for him. He immediately returned to see a game and loved every bit of the experience. Last time Sayin was in town, the facilities in the south end zone were still under construction, but the completed updates blew him away and he said he had never seen anything like the game atmosphere.

    The offensive fit also stands out to Sayin who is a student of the game. Sayin spent time with AJ Milwee on Friday seeing how quarterbacks prepare the day before the game and he sat in on a couple of meetings. Texas might have some tough decisions to make with the wealth of talent at the quarterback position in 2024 and two guys in the class heavily interested already.

    One thing I heard over the weekend that I found fascinating is that receivers in the recruiting cycle are somewhat worried about coming to Texas if Evan Stewart chooses the Longhorns. Stewart is already a social media star with a big following and an even bigger skillset.

    There are a couple of receivers who have talked about showing more interest in Texas, but they are definitely keeping an eye on what the five-star from Frisco Liberty is doing. These players feel Stewart’s presence could hurt their ability to shine and cash in on NIL opportunities.

    It’s a minor note, but I thought I’d pass it along as it certainly is significant.

    TEXAS TAKES STEP FORWARD IN FIVE-STAR RECRUITMENT

    Everyone I spoke with around five-star EDGE rusher Matayo Uiagalelei said that Texas took a step forward in this recruitment. This has been a great effort from Steve Sarkisian, who has ties to the family going back to his relationship with his older brother DJ Uiagalelei, and Jeff Banks who has been working hard to get him on campus.

    I think there is a general assumption that Uiagalelei will be headed to Clemson regardless of everything else, but the sources I speak with out west tell me that the family wants him in a place that he fits best. There’s also a desire on the part of Uiagalelei to be his own man in a way.

    Uiagalelei came in with his mother on the trip and the two were taken care of the entire time they were on campus. This recruitment isn’t close to being done, but it sounds like Texas has been able to establish itself as an early contender in this race at the moment.

     

     

    I’m curious what NIL opportunities General Booty would have. Anything from car insurance to strip clubs? I heard about him in San Antonio a few years back then he just disappeared. 

  3. Just now, kevwun said:

    He didn't want to pit earlier in the race either.  They asked him and he said he thought he had 10 more laps and then he pitted shortly after that.

    Didn’t he go from “Front left is done” to going another 10-15?

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