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Texas Recruiting Notes 2024: Bags Don't Beat Bankrolls


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Gerry Hamilton: National competition for remaining 2024 targets

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Steve Sarkisian and staff are locked in a number of national battles with remaining targets in the 2024 cycle. And that is right where this staff desires to be with back-to-back top 5 classes, and the move to the SEC a year away. A number of the remaining battles have battle lines clearly drawn with an SEC or national recruiting program. Inside Texas takes a look at the main competition of the remaining key battles in the cycle.

On3 four-star D’Antre Robinson, DL, Orlando (Fla.) Jones
The main competition: Florida
The Longhorns continue to lead the Gators ahead of a July 20 decision. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder grew up a Florida fan, is in Orlando and the Gator staff has not given up. The Gators are touting a top 3 ranked class right now, as they should be. With that said, my On3 RPM pick for the Longhorns remains unchanged. Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis and area recruiter Tashard Choice have fought off Florida’s every move thus far.

Four-star cornerback Corian Gipson, Lancaster (Texas) High
The main competition: Clemson
The versatile 4-star defensive back continues to be a Texas vs. Clemson decision ahead of a July 22 announcement at Lancaster High. Texas has a number of things working in their favor, including a feeling of comfort with the Texas players. Clemson was the childhood dream that turns into an offer reality – which is rare with how few players Dabo Swinney offers in Texas, and in general compared to others in a cycle.

Four-star T.J. Lindsey, DL, Bryant (Ark.) IMG Academy
The main competition: Auburn
Texas is locked in a future SEC recruiting battle for one of the highest upside defensive linemen in the country. The Longhorns have been quietly considered the favorite by some close to the recruitment, but don’t tell Hugh Freeze that. Texas A&M and Miami continue to stay in the fight with an SEC decision very likely.

Five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
The main competition: Oregon
Baker is scheduled to be at Oregon the last weekend in July, where his older brother plays. The Longhorns remain locked in a battle with Oregon according to multiple sources. Texas is making a lot of sense for Baker and family vs. the Ducks being the heavy favorite at the beginning and for the majority of the process. Ohio State is still in the fight with a decision likely prior to his senior season.

Four-star IOL Blake Ivy, League City (Texas) Clear Springs
The main competition: Texas A&M
Texas is working to upset favorite Texas A&M with a decision expected at any point between now and the start of the 2023 season. Another SEC decision with LSU also still swinging away. The is one seems most likely to come down to Texas A&M vs. Texas with the football and academic combination being most popular with the family.

Four-star cornerback Wardell Mack, Marrero (La.) John Ehret
The main competition: Florida
A tough one to call for Texas’ main competition. Headed into the last weekend of July unofficial visits to LSU and Florida, it’s the Gators. Louisiana natives Jabbar Jaluke and Corey Raymond have helped Florida have an “at home” feel for the standout cornerback prospect. This is a Pelican State SEC battle with Frank Wilson, Terry Joseph, Jaluke and Raymond swinging away. A decision is expected prior to senior season.

Four-star Danny Okoye, Tulsa (Okla.) NOAH
The main competition: Tennessee
The extremely high-upside EDGE prospect has been considered a Tennessee lean since the last half of June. With that said, the Longhorns feel some confidence in this recruitment as the season draws near. LSU is the third team seriously in the mix. A last weekend in July visit to home-state Oklahoma could potentially shift what is a wildcard recruitment. If Okoye doesn’t end up in the SEC, it would be a surprise.

Five-star Dominick McKinley, Lafayette (La.) Acadiana
The main competition: Oklahoma
The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder is a little tougher to nail down on the main competition, but he’s an SEC battle the Longhorns will be fighting in future years. Texas is closely watching Oklahoma here due to Todd Bates’ vibe with McKinley and family. Texas A&M and LSU are also in this recruitment with a shot. A key family member would prefer a decision prior to McKinley’s senior season.

Five-star Colin Simmons, Duncanville (Texas) High
The main competition: LSU
The nation’s No. 1 ranked EDGE prospect has always been headed to a close to home decision according to those around the Duncanville High program. That has led to three teams being mentioned most – Texas, LSU and Texas A&M. Simmons remains scheduled to visit Texas A&M the last weekend in July. And there is good chance he makes a stop at LSU that last weekend of the month too if the family can make it work.

Five-star cornerback Kobe Black, Waco (Texas) Connally
The main competition: LSU
LSU continues to have an official visit set for early September with the 5-star Lone Star State corner. This is a recruitment where the Longhorns’ main competition is hard to pin down. Black is scheduled to be at Texas A&M the last weekend in July, and the Aggies could replace LSU as the main competition. Oregon is the sleeper. Similar to Colin Simmons, this is a national recruitment that has always been linked a close to home decision.

Four-star Zina Umeozulu, Allen (Texas) High
The main competition: Oklahoma
The younger brother of Texas left guard Neto Umeozulu has slowed the process down in the last couple of weeks. Texas has been considered the favorite since the June official visit process, and a commitment appeared imminent for about a week. Oklahoma and Texas A&M continue to recruit the DFW area prospect like they have a legit chance.

Five-star Ryan Wingo, Saint Louis (Mo.) University
The competition: A wildcard
The No. 24 ranked prospect in the country is currently set to announce his decision December 20. There are SEC teams Tennessee and Missouri very much in the mix. A visit to Texas A&M is scheduled for late July. Georgia remains in contact as well. Michigan is likely in the wrong conference to win out at the end of the day.

 

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Gerry Hamilton: Path to the top 5 for the Texas Longhorns 2024 class

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One of the questions asked most frequently on Inside Texas and the On Texas Football YouTube channel is where will the Texas Longhorns finish in the 2024 class rankings. Steve Sarkisian and staff currently sport the No. 19 ranked class with 14 commitments. The Longhorns have a longer runway that the majority of classes ranked ahead of Texas right now. Georgia will sign the No. 1 class. That’s essentially a done deal. Ohio State is a virtual lock to finish No. 2 or 3. After that, everything in the class rankings is up for grabs.

Of the 18 teams ahead of Texas as of Sunday morning, six already have 20 commitments or more. And five more have 18 commitments or more. That means Texas has plenty of room to ascend up the rankings with as many as twelve spots remaining in the class. Inside Texas takes a look at what Texas has to do to accomplish a third straight top 10 class, as well as the path for a third straight to 5 finish.

Path to the Top 10

This is the part of the equation where stacking the 4-stars has to happen. The Longhorns have eight prospects that carry a four-star ranking on the board right now. And two of those will announce decisions this week.

  • Orlando (Fla.) Jones four-star DL D’Antre Robinson
  • One of four-star defensive back Corian Gipson or four-star cornerback Wardell Mack. Both would be a class rankings bonus. Both are ranked in the top 100 of the On3 Industry Ranking.
  • Bryant (Ark.) IMG Academy four-star DL T.J. Lindsey
  • One of four-star EDGE Danny Okoye or four-star EDGE Zina Umeozulu. Get both, and it’s a class rankings bonus. Both have On3 Industry Ratings of 90.68 or better.
  • Four-star IOL Blake Ivy or four-star IOL DeAndre Carter. Both have On3 Industry Ratings of 92.39 or better.

Path to the Top 5

Of course, how many 5-stars the Longhorns sign will ultimately determine just how high the class can finish. If Texas signs two, firmly in the top 10 likely around 6 or 7. Sign three with one being Colin Simmons, and the Horns will sign a third straight top 5 class.

  • Duncanville (Texas) five-star EDGE Colin Simmons
  • Waco (Texas) Connally five-star cornerback Kobe Black
  • Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker
  • Lafayette (La.) Acadiana five-star DL Dominick McKinley
  • Saint Louis (Mo.) University five-star WR Ryan Wingo

Senior risers in rankings will have an impact

The final piece to where the Texas class could eventually finish will be prospects committed that will rise in the rankings as senior. Inside Texas has a strong opinion that four commitments stand a very good shot to ascend as seniors.

  • Three-star DL Alex January makes jump to On3 Industry Ranking 4-star.
  • Three-star TE Jordan Washington makes jump to On3 Industry Ranking 4-star.
  • Four-star RB Christian Clark makes jump into top 150 in the On3 Industry Ranking, which would take his rating from 90.44 currently into the 92.5 range.
  • Four-star Daniel Cruz makes move into the top 150 in the On 3 Industry Ranking from No. 196 currently. That would be a small bump, but a bump that would matter in overall class prospect ratings.

Players that could commit to Texas that will rise

No. 406 nationally, D’Antre Robinson should see a senior season bump into the top 300 overall. That would change his On3 Industry Rating 1.5-2.0 points, which is significant in determining an overall class rating and ranking. Four-star T.J. Lindsey currently has a rating of 89.72, near the bottom of On3 Industry Ranking 4-stars. Inside Texas could see a senior season jump into the top 150-175 range nationally playing at IMG Academy. That will ascend his rating to the 92 range, which would be significant in a class ranking equation. Should Texas take and land On3 Industry ranking high three-star safety Joshua Lair, that would be another prospect poised to end up a four-star by January’s final ranking for the 2024 cycle. Lair will decide out of Texas, LSU and Baylor prior to his senior season.

 

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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

 

 

38 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

You know that son of a bitch hated taking that picture.

 

35 minutes ago, BigSwingingD said:

Which son of a bitch?

Obviously Ketch in his pink shirt.  Looks like he dropped his ham sandwich.  

Edited by stork642
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Roach (247), on Hudson and Gipson

(The schmuck is coming around on Gipson ... )

 

Spoiler

 

Roach (247)

— In talking with sources around the recruitment, I still feel strong about my Texas Tech prediction for five-star Temple (Texas) Lake Belton wide receiver Micah Hudson. There was some expected movement a few weeks ago, but nothing ever happened on Hudson's end. A source I spoke with close to Hudson acknowledged that he's a different type of kid and doesn't want to do anything on anyone's expected timetable. Still, the Red Raiders have gone all in on this recruitment and there is no sense of panic in Lubbock. There has been some talk surrounding Texas A&M as a factor for Hudson, but I'd still put my money on Texas Tech at this moment.


— I've been checking with sources on several sides regarding four-star Lancaster (Texas) cornerback Corian Gipson. As I previously reported, I was told that sources near Gipson indicated that Ohio State and Clemson may be the top two schools with Texas on the outside. While those same sources continue to believe that, there are some interesting dynamics at play. The Longhorns continue to make a strong push and I'm told that Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad who knows Gipson from high school ball has been involved with pushing the program to him. Combine that with the presence of Texas commit Jordon Johnson-Rubell who grew up with Gipson and it's hard to count the Longhorns totally out of it. There is also the argument for proximity. A source today indicated that as the decision gets closer, the idea of his family having to travel a long way to see him play is somewhat of a factor in the decision. There's confidence on the Texas side that the relationships and distance could win out. Gipson is set to make his decision on July 22.

 

 

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Be prepared for the premier shitting on Texas recruiting pitch from the Aggie players and staff that weekend if those three show up.

It won’t matter that none of the three are expected to end up in college station, they’ll be happy to just shit in our punch bowl.

Hopefully they have car troubles on the way there or it completely backfires.

 

 

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19 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

Be prepared for the premier shitting on Texas recruiting pitch from the Aggie players and staff that weekend if those three show up.

It won’t matter that none of the three are expected to end up in college station, they’ll be happy to just shit in our punch bowl.

Hopefully they have car troubles on the way there or it completely backfires.

will we ever again reach the high of Kris Boyd trolling A&M with all of his "car broke down", "ride fell through", "on my way..." then no showing?

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IT update on some 2024’s

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D’antre Robinson, DL, Orlando (Fla.) Jones 

Confidence still remains higher on the Texas side versus Florida headed into the July 20 announcement. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder is in constant communication with Bo Davis and Tashard Choice. He has also spoken with Steve Sarkisian in recent days. 

Inside Texas has set the table for this one. Should Robinson choose Texas, there are a number of factors that helped. The ability to play early with Texas losing two or three interior players after the season, Cedric Baxter Jr. and Payton Kirkland having very good experiences at Texas, Austin having many networking opportunities, Texas moving to the SEC, the program ascending, Davis and Choice recruiting him, Davis’ resume, and NIL. 
 

Dominick McKinley, DL, Lafayette (La.) Acadiana

IT continues to hear that the 5-star defensive lineman out of the Pelican State is moving toward a decision prior to senior season. That is preferred by the family. Davis and Sarkisian have been made aware that the timeline is likely moving up by McKinley and family. The Longhorns are locked in a battle with Oklahoma and Texas A&M, with LSU still in play. 

Kobe Black, CB, Waco (Texas) Connally 

Texas remains in a strong position with the On3 four-star cornerback. 

Texas would love to get Black back on campus, but he’s still looking at an unofficial to Texas A&M in late July. He could potentially take official visits to Alabama and LSU this fall. 

One game he won’t miss is the Red River Shootout in Dallas in mid October, sources close to his recruitment tell Inside Texas. 

Terry Bussey, ATH, Timpson (Texas)

Texas continues to push for the East Texas product, sources tell IT. While Bussey maintains he’ll wait until his senior season for a decision, there’s word he might make a selection within the month.

Texas A&M, Alabama, and Texas at times have been great in this recruitment, with the Aggies currently holding the upper hand. 

Corian Gipson, DB, Lancaster (Texas) 

With his announcement fast approaching, the On3 four-star is down to three schools: Texas, Ohio State, and Clemson. 

This appears to be a battle of the Longhorns versus the Tigers for the Metroplex prospect’s services. 

Proximity, relationships, and close friends attending Texas remain the strongest factors for UT in this recruitment. 
 

TJ Lindsey, DL, Bryant (Ark.) IMG Academy 

Texas or Auburn remains where the decision is expected to come from with Texas A&M and Miami not giving up. There appears to be more confidence on the side of Auburn in the last 24 hours. Communication hasn’t stopped with Texas to be clear, just the Auburn side has growing confidence, When the 6-foot-4, 268-pounder will decide remains in question with IMG Academy reporting day July 20. 

 

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  • texifornia changed the title to Texas Recruiting Notes 2024: Bags Don't Beat Bankrolls

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