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Texas Recruiting Notes 2023: Strippers, Monkeys, and 5-Stars


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Just now, Radical Larry said:

That A&M quote:

 

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Believe it or not, but that’s the perception among almost all the recruits right now.  Based on nothing but their 8-4 season,  same team that almost lost to Colorado last year.  With that said, don’t fool your self.  They are recruiting at a level higher than any program right now.  Blame this program, the players,  the coaches, etc for letting it get to this point.  Hopefully we can have a good season, enter the SEC next year, and beat them on the field to change the narrative.  The players we brought in offensively this off season is a step in the right direction.  I have no doubt we will recruit at an elite level on that side of the field.  I have serious doubts about our defense and our ability to get impact players there.  Let’s see…

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2 minutes ago, victory88 said:

Believe it or not, but that’s the perception among almost all the recruits right now.  Based on nothing but their 8-4 season,  same team that almost lost to Colorado last year.  With that said, don’t fool your self.  They are recruiting at a level higher than any program right now.  Blame this program, the players,  the coaches, etc for letting it get to this point.  Hopefully we can have a good season, enter the SEC next year, and beat them on the field to change the narrative.  The players we brought in offensively this off season is a step in the right direction.  I have no doubt we will recruit at an elite level on that side of the field.  I have serious doubts about our defense and our ability to get impact players there.  Let’s see…

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1 hour ago, Dbeasy said:

What are thoughts on Texas’ West coast recruiting. It seems like they spend a lot of time on players from there but don’t get a lot of return on it.  
 

 

Gerry Hamilton has complained about it on occasion, which probably means TXHSFB coaches have complained about it too

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37 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Visiting Friday per 247.  Was VIP so no idea of it's an OV or unofficial.  

https://247sports.com/player/ashley-williams-46130521/

This guy looks like a monster.  I wouldn't mind the staff pushing for this kid since he's visiting Friday.  Has taken OV's to Nebraska and Minnesota last two weekends.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13176986/61baeb3766561903e839cde2

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Appetizer

Spoiler

— Four-star Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater running back Cedric Baxter already gave his reaction to the official visit with Steve Wiltfong. I've checked around with several people and was told that the staff felt the visit went according to plan. One source I spoke with said the trip resonated with the entire family. This was Tashard Choice's show to run and it's clear that the Longhorns have a leg up from the relationship side with Choice. We'll talk more about the rest of the race in The Stampede.

— Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei tight end Spencer Shannon spoke with Horns247 shortly after arriving home from Austin. It sounds like the visit was a great success and he gave it an extremely high rating of a 10 out of 10 when asked. Shannon could be off the board as soon as this week. He said he has an idea in mind of who the pick will be, but he wants to talk with the family this week.

— I have not been able to make contact with four-star Kahuku (HI.) linebacker Liona Lefau as of yet. Texas did a good job on the trip from what I know, but I didn't get the sense there was a massive move made. I think Jeff Choate has done a great job with the relationship, but Texas just doesn't have the comfort level some other schools do like Utah and Oregon. I do think there are some factors that could possibly help Texas down the stretch but I'm working to gather a bit more information for tomorrow morning.

— I spoke with Zachary (LA.) EDGE Ashley Williams who said he plans to be in Austin this week for a visit. The trip will be unofficial as Williams plans to come in on Thursday and Friday for his first look at Austin and he will return in the fall for an official visit with an eye on the Alabama weekend. Williams would be an intriguing edge body for Pete Kwiatkowski and Texas as they look to find high-ceiling pass rushers.

— South Oak Cliff cornerback Malik Muhammad confirmed with me that he will be taking an official visit to Austin next week. The Longhorns have been coming on for Muhammad lately. Sources we speak with still give Texas A&M the edge and Alabama is still very much invovled. Texas has been able to do a good job of making up ground and will look to make a move on the trip.

 

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2 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

What are thoughts on Texas’ West coast recruiting. It seems like they spend a lot of time on players from there but don’t get a lot of return on it.  
 

 

I mean, this staff has been here for one cycle. Got Swanson, LTG, Murphy and Agbo from the west coast in the 2022 class and had Anthony Jones from Nevada committed up until signing day.

Could have been a lot worse.

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17 minutes ago, Teryor said:

Appetizer

  Hide contents

— Four-star Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater running back Cedric Baxter already gave his reaction to the official visit with Steve Wiltfong. I've checked around with several people and was told that the staff felt the visit went according to plan. One source I spoke with said the trip resonated with the entire family. This was Tashard Choice's show to run and it's clear that the Longhorns have a leg up from the relationship side with Choice. We'll talk more about the rest of the race in The Stampede.

— Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei tight end Spencer Shannon spoke with Horns247 shortly after arriving home from Austin. It sounds like the visit was a great success and he gave it an extremely high rating of a 10 out of 10 when asked. Shannon could be off the board as soon as this week. He said he has an idea in mind of who the pick will be, but he wants to talk with the family this week.

— I have not been able to make contact with four-star Kahuku (HI.) linebacker Liona Lefau as of yet. Texas did a good job on the trip from what I know, but I didn't get the sense there was a massive move made. I think Jeff Choate has done a great job with the relationship, but Texas just doesn't have the comfort level some other schools do like Utah and Oregon. I do think there are some factors that could possibly help Texas down the stretch but I'm working to gather a bit more information for tomorrow morning.

— I spoke with Zachary (LA.) EDGE Ashley Williams who said he plans to be in Austin this week for a visit. The trip will be unofficial as Williams plans to come in on Thursday and Friday for his first look at Austin and he will return in the fall for an official visit with an eye on the Alabama weekend. Williams would be an intriguing edge body for Pete Kwiatkowski and Texas as they look to find high-ceiling pass rushers.

— South Oak Cliff cornerback Malik Muhammad confirmed with me that he will be taking an official visit to Austin next week. The Longhorns have been coming on for Muhammad lately. Sources we speak with still give Texas A&M the edge and Alabama is still very much invovled. Texas has been able to do a good job of making up ground and will look to make a move on the trip.

 

Hopefully Choate's next visit to Hawaii will be to accept his new job with the Rainbow Warriors 

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21 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Unofficial

This guy and Braylon Shelby look to have the highest upside of the EDGE guy we are after.  Gullette I think has been talked about as a possible LB.  And I know Blake Purchase is taking an OV, but I'm not sure how much of shot we have with his brother at ISU and he recently visited them and got a CB pick.  Would love to get 3/4 of that group.  I'm not sure where Vasek fits in/on the staffs board??

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12 hours ago, victory88 said:

Believe it or not, but that’s the perception among almost all the recruits right now.  Based on nothing but their 8-4 season,  same team that almost lost to Colorado last year.  With that said, don’t fool your self.  They are recruiting at a level higher than any program right now.  Blame this program, the players,  the coaches, etc for letting it get to this point.  Hopefully we can have a good season, enter the SEC next year, and beat them on the field to change the narrative.  The players we brought in offensively this off season is a step in the right direction.  I have no doubt we will recruit at an elite level on that side of the field.  I have serious doubts about our defense and our ability to get impact players there.  Let’s see…

Lol source?

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Main course

Spoiler

OFFICIAL VISITORS
Cedric Baxter, RB, Orlando (FLA) Edgewater

Shortly before Cedric Baxter arrived in Austin for his official visit, word began to leak that Alabama was making a hard charge in his recruitment. While I do believe the Crimson Tide are always a threat and never want to bet against them in a recruitment, that intel ran counter to what we heard for weeks leading up to the trip. The buzz has been growing for Texas and we heard that the battle for the Florida star could come down to a Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M. When Alabama’s name was invoked, I checked in with sources on multiple sides of the recruitment who still felt that this was something that would come down to the Aggies and Longhorns as of right now.


(Photo: Texas Athletics)
 

For Texas, the relationship with running backs coach Tashard Choice is probably the strongest of any relationship he has in his entire recruitment. Coming out of the weekend, I was told that everything went according to plan for Texas. From that perspective, there wasn’t much they could have done better with the four-star back. Choice has been able to really make an impact with Baxter and he’s been able to reach his parents as well. Florida, Miami and Alabama have all been mentioned, but most people we talk to feel that Texas A&M is the most dangerous opponent for Baxter. I’m not sure anyone expected for Texas to close the deal this weekend, but it would be a surprise if Tashard Choice wasn’t in on this one until the end.

Spencer Shannon, TE, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei


Going into the weekend, I figured Shannon was the best chance Texas had at landing a player from this group. Coming out of the weekend, I haven’t changed my mind. In fact, if the Longhorns are able to add Shannon to the 2023 class, it will likely be as early as this week. Shannon spoke to Horns247 shortly after his visit and said the visit was a ten out of ten on his scale. Shannon was hosted by Texas tight end Gunnar Helm who showed him a good time and gave him some valuable insight into the program.


(Photo: Texas Athletics)
 

For Shannon, the biggest factor seemed to be meeting with the players and hearing from them what they think of the coaching staff firsthand. Another huge factor for Shannon is the fact that he could get on the field early while getting a great education in business at McCombs if he’s able to get in. The way the state of Texas and the university treat football are also a big deal for Shannon. He said that he has an idea of where he’d like to go to school, but he wants to sit down and talk things over with his family. I think Texas did a great job on the visit and it sounds like they showed Shannon everything he needed to see on the trip. I’d like to check with some people over the next 24 hours, but the buzz is good enough that I’m close on a Texas Crystal Ball.

Liona Lefau, LB, Kahuku (HI.)


The Longhorns probably needed more buzz than they currently have coming out of the weekend to take a step forward with the four-star linebacker. In short, the Longhorns have done everything right, but he just doesn’t have as much familiarity with the Longhorns as he does with schools like Oregon and Utah. Jeff Choate has been picking up air miles making trips between the mainland and Hawaii over the past two years and I think he’s really been able to establish a strong relationship. Lefau was hosted by Jaylan Ford on the trip who has been a frequent host for Texas visitors.


(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
In a vacuum, Texas has been able to do a great job with Lefau, but will he be able to step out of that comfort zone and get away from the familiarity and people he trusts when it comes time to make his decision? One thing that could factor in for Texas is the family’s desire for him to play at a high level of collegiate football. With an impending move to the SEC coming, that could be in their favor in contrast with the Pac 12 schools they are currently facing off against. For now, Texas needs to keep working in this recruitment because Oregon will likely put the big-time press on when they host Lefau at the end of the month.

 

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16 minutes ago, Teryor said:

Main course Ordering Every Item on the Menu at Applebee's

  Hide contents

OFFICIAL VISITORS
Cedric Baxter, RB, Orlando (FLA) Edgewater

Shortly before Cedric Baxter arrived in Austin for his official visit, word began to leak that Alabama was making a hard charge in his recruitment. While I do believe the Crimson Tide are always a threat and never want to bet against them in a recruitment, that intel ran counter to what we heard for weeks leading up to the trip. The buzz has been growing for Texas and we heard that the battle for the Florida star could come down to a Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M. When Alabama’s name was invoked, I checked in with sources on multiple sides of the recruitment who still felt that this was something that would come down to the Aggies and Longhorns as of right now.


(Photo: Texas Athletics)
 

For Texas, the relationship with running backs coach Tashard Choice is probably the strongest of any relationship he has in his entire recruitment. Coming out of the weekend, I was told that everything went according to plan for Texas. From that perspective, there wasn’t much they could have done better with the four-star back. Choice has been able to really make an impact with Baxter and he’s been able to reach his parents as well. Florida, Miami and Alabama have all been mentioned, but most people we talk to feel that Texas A&M is the most dangerous opponent for Baxter. I’m not sure anyone expected for Texas to close the deal this weekend, but it would be a surprise if Tashard Choice wasn’t in on this one until the end.

Spencer Shannon, TE, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei


Going into the weekend, I figured Shannon was the best chance Texas had at landing a player from this group. Coming out of the weekend, I haven’t changed my mind. In fact, if the Longhorns are able to add Shannon to the 2023 class, it will likely be as early as this week. Shannon spoke to Horns247 shortly after his visit and said the visit was a ten out of ten on his scale. Shannon was hosted by Texas tight end Gunnar Helm who showed him a good time and gave him some valuable insight into the program.


(Photo: Texas Athletics)
 

For Shannon, the biggest factor seemed to be meeting with the players and hearing from them what they think of the coaching staff firsthand. Another huge factor for Shannon is the fact that he could get on the field early while getting a great education in business at McCombs if he’s able to get in. The way the state of Texas and the university treat football are also a big deal for Shannon. He said that he has an idea of where he’d like to go to school, but he wants to sit down and talk things over with his family. I think Texas did a great job on the visit and it sounds like they showed Shannon everything he needed to see on the trip. I’d like to check with some people over the next 24 hours, but the buzz is good enough that I’m close on a Texas Crystal Ball.

Liona Lefau, LB, Kahuku (HI.)


The Longhorns probably needed more buzz than they currently have coming out of the weekend to take a step forward with the four-star linebacker. In short, the Longhorns have done everything right, but he just doesn’t have as much familiarity with the Longhorns as he does with schools like Oregon and Utah. Jeff Choate has been picking up air miles making trips between the mainland and Hawaii over the past two years and I think he’s really been able to establish a strong relationship. Lefau was hosted by Jaylan Ford on the trip who has been a frequent host for Texas visitors.


(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
In a vacuum, Texas has been able to do a great job with Lefau, but will he be able to step out of that comfort zone and get away from the familiarity and people he trusts when it comes time to make his decision? One thing that could factor in for Texas is the family’s desire for him to play at a high level of collegiate football. With an impending move to the SEC coming, that could be in their favor in contrast with the Pac 12 schools they are currently facing off against. For now, Texas needs to keep working in this recruitment because Oregon will likely put the big-time press on when they host Lefau at the end of the month.

 

Made it more accurate for the author.

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1 minute ago, RaysBoomBoomRoom said:

Texas is really all over the place with LB recruiting. 

I wouldn't say we're all over the place exactly. We just have the two worst recruiters on staff coaching our LBs, so we're constantly missing and resetting. If we had better recruiters there/assigned some of our better recruiters to help, then our strategy would probably appear much more coherent. Not only did PK put in an all time bad DC performance last year, but he and his buddy are also causing positions of scarcity to be even more scarce with their recruiting. Sark needs to have a short leash with PK this year. 

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1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

I wouldn't say we're all over the place exactly. We just have the two worst recruiters on staff coaching our LBs, so we're constantly missing and resetting. If we had better recruiters there/assigned some of our better recruiters to help, then our strategy would probably appear much more coherent. Not only did PK put in an all time bad DC performance last year, but he and his buddy are also causing positions of scarcity to be even more scarce with their recruiting. Sark needs to have a short leash with PK this year. 

This, I am not getting the warm fuzzies on our LB recruiting. With such a screaming need at the position, I am shocked that we don't have 5 or 6 guys we feel good about. 

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4 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

This, I am not getting the warm fuzzies on our LB recruiting. With such a screaming need at the position, I am shocked that we don't have 5 or 6 guys we feel good about. 

We have Burrell committed, and we currently look good for gullette who we are recruiting for an off ball position. We also have a number of hybrids we are keeping tabs on. Not sure how many linebackers we are taking in this class. 

It could be worse, but having Burrell gives us a solid floor for the class

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