Jump to content

Texas Recruiting Notes 2024: Bags Don't Beat Bankrolls


texifornia

Recommended Posts

Notes on a few visitors yesterday from Gerry Hamilton

Spoiler

*Inside Texas told there was “real progress” made in the recruitment of 2024 offensive line prospect Makai Saina. Texas offered the near 6-foot-5, 290-pounder. Saina made the visit with his mother, and is in talks with Kyle Flood about a June 23-25 official visit. That is significant because that is when Texas has Daniel Cruz, Daniel Calhoun, Ory Williams and Nyier Daniels are scheduled for OV’s. Texas A&M is strong competition for the DFW area lineman. 

*Terrance Hibbler made his way from Lexington, Miss. with his mom and dad. The early returns on the visit are very positive. And a June official visit is expected. The main competition for the 6-foot-3, 295-pounder is Mississippi State and LSU. Texas ideally wants Hibbler in town June 23-25.

*Texas scheduled Melvin Hills for an official visit June 16-18 during the unofficial visit Saturday. The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder has a strong relationship with defensive line coach Bo Davis, and is developing relationships with other members of the defensive staff. Inside Texas stopped by Lafayette Christian Academy recently, and the chatter around the program was that Texas, Ole Miss and South Carolina were putting in the most effort on Hills. Texas A&M, Georgia and Mississippi State were also in the mix at the time. 

*State of Arkansas defensive lineman T.J. Lindsey was in town Saturday. Similar to Hibbler, the early returns are that Lindsey will return for an official visit in June. Notre Dame was once thought to be the favorite, but SEC programs have been closing the gap. 

*On300 4-star Alex January was back on campus with his father Saturday. The January 21 Junior day visit was positive, but the returns on the Texas side weren’t great. The January family wanted more individual time with Texas staff members. That is what they got yesterday. The vibe coming out of Saturday’s visit was much more positive than January 21. My RPM pick for Texas hasn’t changed.

*Speedy playmaker P.J .Woodland(Hattiesburg, Miss./Oak Grove) was a maybe to stop by and visit while in town for 7v7. The 5-11, 160-pound upside prospect did get the chance to see the Texas camps, and visit with Texas staff members.

“I got a chance to visit yesterday as well, everything was great. Had a fun time with coach Bo yesterday!”

 

  • Hook 'Em 4
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

Notes on a few visitors yesterday from Gerry Hamilton

*Speedy playmaker P.J .Woodland(Hattiesburg, Miss./Oak Grove) was a maybe to stop by and visit while in town for 7v7. The 5-11, 160-pound upside prospect did get the chance to see the Texas camps, and visit with Texas staff members.

“I got a chance to visit yesterday as well, everything was great. Had a fun time with coach Bo yesterday!”

 

 

Rivals has him listed as 6'2" 175. I guess he shrunk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

247 Recruiting Stampede:

Spoiler

The Stampede: Recruiting notes from the Texas Cookout event

Spring visits are underway as prospects make their way to campuses around the country to see practices and take the next step in their recruitment. The Longhorns hosted their second annual spring cookout on Saturday playing host to many top prospects on the board. The presence of the Overtime OT7 event in Round Rock brought in several out-of-state guys as well who dropped by.

Since Steve Sarkisian arrived in Austin, the Texas recruiting staff has established a bit of a flow to the recruiting style. Gone are the Junior Day events that used to produce double-digit commitments for Mack Brown and today's world plays out more like a long-distance race. January and February are for establishing footing with prospects while spring allows them to take the next step to set up official visits. The staff will push more heavily in the summer following the busy season of official visits and carry that into the fall.

Following the event, Horns247 spoke with several prospects and other sources to get a read on how the event played out.

In this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of Texas recruiting intel, we open the notebook and pour out the recruiting scoop from the weekend.

— It sounds like the first visit to Austin went really well for Lake Belton cornerback Selman Bridges. The Texas staff made it clear to Bridges a few months ago that he was a priority for them and that showed up over the weekend when Bridges arrived. I’m told Bridges got a lot of personal attention, including a long one-on-one meeting with Steve Sarkisian. After the trip, Bridges spoke highly of the trip and it sounds like Texas made a big move for him. USC was previously the school on top with Alabama also surging, but the Longhorns made a big splash with the visit. There is still a long road ahead considering Bridges plans to make a decision at the end of the cycle, but I like where Texas is early.

— Jasper linebacker Tyanthony Smith was back on campus over the weekend and spent part of his time teaching Texas linebacker coach Jeff Choate how to properly eat crawfish during the Texas cookout. Smith is another big defensive priority for this staff in what looks to be a small linebacker class in 2024. Alabama came on pretty strong for Smith in the last few months giving the Crimson Tide a big push, but it sounds like Texas had a successful trip over the weekend. This should be a back-and-forth affair with other programs like LSU and Texas A&M also involved.

Bo Davis had several targets on campus over the weekend with defensive line being a primary area of focus for this cycle. Bryant (AR.) defensive lineman TJ Lindsey said the visit checked boxes for him and he enjoyed meeting the staff and observing the Texas practice. The Longhorns seem to have worked their way into the top group for Lindsey and are angling for a summer official visit.

— Duncanville defensive tackle Alex January was back on campus, and a source near him told Horns247 that they loved this visit so much more than the Junior Day in January. The primary reason was that there were less people and it was a more personal touch. Texas has long been a favorite in this one considering January’s status as a legacy, but some other big programs have come in and turned it into a race. January will take his official visit on the last weekend of June and the Longhorns will have a chance to close strong.

—Another defensive lineman the Longhorns are performing well with is Melvin Hills. The Lafayette (LA.) Christian Academy defensive lineman was on campus yet again and said the trip gave him the opportunity to see how the coaches worked on the field. Hills said that Steve Sarkisian and Bo Davis both reminded him of his high school coaches and the defense he plays in now has several similarities to the Texas scheme. Hills has an official visit to Austin slated for June and the Longhorns seem to be one of the programs peaking at the right time with him.

— I’m still working on gathering more on the visit from Duncanville EDGE Colin Simmons, but the initial feedback seems to suggest Texas made a good impression. There are some dynamics at play for Simmons that could take him out of state as Georgia and LSU have both made big early impressions. LSU just lost Simmons’ lead recruiter Jamar Cain, and while it’s sure to have some impact, I wouldn’t expect the Tigers to fade into obscurity. The Longhorns needed a good effort to make a play in this recruitment and it sounds like that happened early on. I’ll continue to work to gather more there. On the same token, we are working on gathering more intel on Melissa defensive lineman Nigel Smith following his visit as well. The Longhorns have been down the list for Smith, and I’m interested in seeing how much this trip moved the needle for him. On another note, a source we spoke to near Allen EDGE Zina Umeozulu said that Texas remains in a solid position. Though Umeozulu has visited a number of other schools throughout the process, the presence of his brother Neto Umeozulu on the Texas roster is still big. Zina is expected to be at several games this fall with his family once again.

—On the offensive side of the ball, we continue to hear really strong things about Richland offensive lineman Daniel Cruz. The sturdy center prospect has been a priority for Kyle Flood since offering him and Texas has been putting in a strong effort. I’ve got a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Longhorns, and it sounds like the Longhorns are continuing to trend well for him. I was told that Texas quarterback commit Trey Owens spent a lot of time with Cruz and San Marcos offensive lineman Ory Williams along with a few other prospects up front. Texas also extended an offer to Arlington Martin interior offensive lineman Makai Saina. Saina was one of the better offensive line prospects I saw last fall, and the Longhorns joined a few other big programs in the race for him. It’s early, but we’ll see how much this offer makes an impact in his recruitment. The Longhorns also continue to sit in a good position for Austin Vandegrift tackle Blake Frazier, but it’s hard to ignore Michigan for the Wolverine legacy.

— While we initially heard some positive things regarding Texas and Fort Bend Christian offensive tackle Bennett Warren, I don’t love the way this one’s trending for the Longhorns. Though Warren was back on campus over the weekend, it looks like Texas A&M, Oregon and Oklahoma are all in a better position as of now. Warren is also in consistent contact with Georgia and Alabama though neither have offered. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Texas get an official visit with Warren, but they’ve got some ground to make up.

Tashard Choice had a nice group of prospects on campus from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 classes. One big name was that of Phoenix (AZ.) Mountain Pointe running back Christian Clark. As we reported a month ago, Clark is one of the highest targets on the Texas board and a big priority for Tashard Choice. The Longhorns are in the running, but it’s going to be a big fight to win Clark over. USC, Georgia and Alabama are all schools to watch in this recruitment. One thing the Longhorns have in their favor is Bijan Robinson. Clark watched quite a bit of Robinson at Texas and their games mirror each other in several ways. Though it looks like a tough race, I wouldn’t count Tashard Choice out.

— 2025 Shreveport (LA.) Calvary Baptist running back James Simon said his first visit to Austin was welcoming. He loved the excitement and comfort with the program and the energy level Tashard Choice brought to the field and the recruitment. Simon’s profile is on the rise and he seems to be adding offers by the day. LSU is always dangerous with an in-state kid, but Texas made a good early impression.

— It sounds like Choice also scored well with 2026 Forney running back Javian Osborne. Osborne echoed the comments of several others about the energy Choice brings to practice and said the entire staff was welcoming. Osborne has the look of a prospect who will have a high-profile national recruitment, but the Longhorns were in early and should have good footing moving forward.

— Smithson Valley wide receiver Freddie Dubose was back on campus for the first time in a while. Dubose told Horns247 that this trip was his best visit to Texas and he loved connecting with the staff and new wide receivers coach Chris Jackson. When we spoke to Dubose a few weeks ago, he didn’t have much familiarity with Jackson, but this trip allowed him to have some in-depth conversations. Dubose is working on setting up an official visit to Texas, and the Longhorns told him to plan for June. He doesn’t yet have a date set in stone, but Texas continues to look good in this race.

— 2025 Fort Worth All Saints quarterback Kelden Ryan doesn’t hold an offer yet, but he said the visit gave him another opportunity to solidify his strong relationship with AJ Milwee. Ryan made the move to the private school this off-season, and Milwee plans to drop by this spring to see him throw in person. If Texas enters the race, they should be considered a favorite.

— 2024 Fort Bend Marshall safety Joshua Lair was offered by Texas recently and took in Austin over the weekend. Lair told Horns247 that he likes how Steve Sarkisian cares about his athletes and gets to know them on an individual level. Lair also said that the trip put Texas into the top group in his recruitment along with programs like LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Baylor. While he hasn’t set an official visit date, Lair said he’s considering getting back to Austin in June.

— It also sounds like the Longhorns are rapidly making up ground with Converse Judson safety Myles Davis. Though they weren’t much of a factor a month or two ago, Texas turned up the heat recently with the physical defensive back. Davis called the trip “amazing” and said he feels like he’s a priority for the staff. He plans to return to Austin for the Texas spring game and is considering them for an official visit. He won’t set his official trips until May.

— Overall, it sounds like the event was received well. Nobody we spoke to complained of feeling rushed or talked about an impersonal experience. Reviews of practice were good and the cookout with families and the staff is a nice touch to end the day. This event serves as an opportunity to set the table for official visits in the summer and it sounds like the Longhorns did that well.

 

  • Hook 'Em 6
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

This guy. How is he not already making a career in Hollywood out of being the antagonistic bully in every coming-of-age high school movie being made these days?

When I saw his 247 picture for the first time I legitimately thought they must have accidentally cropped him out of it and uploaded a picture of his dad instead. Never seen someone so born to thrive in insurance sales. 

 

image.png.8d5b4280782a75f29377ef68f02ee558.png

  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RGBIII said:

God I wish we had more meddling boosters, our bank account would be an insane war chest...if any of yall knows a booster that wants to meddle please send them my way

to be fair, we don't have as many meddling boosters because they keep dying

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Professor Chesney said:

Tangentially related to UT recruiting, but even though USC is more of a competitor it is still pretty funny to watch Nebraska shoot itself in the foot.

https://www.on3.com/db/dylan-raiola-147035/

So you read that, and thought the Nebraska poster was being serious, and then also didn't pick up the Message Board Genius sarcasm? Because that's how I read it. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

So you read that, and thought the Nebraska poster was being serious, and then also didn't pick up the Message Board Genius sarcasm? Because that's how I read it. 

Well, shit.  Maybe I am just too used to team message boards that lack the mental capacity for sarcasm and self depreciation.

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

Yeah what kind of a professor are you?

No comment

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, NoName said:

guess who deleted all their tweets lol

also, he has 3 OVs set up - UTSA, Texas and Bama.

...his recent follows include the UTSA QB and WR coaches.

Knock me over with a feather if this guy gets to take an official visit to either Texas or Bama.

3 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

So you read that, and thought the Nebraska poster was being serious, and then also didn't pick up the Message Board Genius sarcasm? Because that's how I read it. 

So you read that (insert unnecessary comma), and thought the USC poster, who might actually be serious, was a Nebraska poster and decided to chide a perfectly normal poster here for posting it?

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

Getting some strong youth group girlfriend vibes here. Flirting was fun, but no, we cannot go to a hotel after prom. 

That wasn’t my experience. Maybe you needed to repeat the Genesis lecture.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...