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Texas Recruiting Notes 2024: Bags Don't Beat Bankrolls


texifornia

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4 hours ago, texifornia said:

Gotta love it when a recruit admits he's not exactly shocking the world. And attaching a boring, over long essay means he should fit right in at UMich.

 

If he held off a bit longer he could've gotten a shitty cookie cake and a sleepover with Harbaugh out of the deal.

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8 hours ago, Post Oak said:

This is the guy GH say should probably be ranked higher. He's raw. Plays every sport and you won't know what you really have until he's in a program for 2 years.


I'm glad you said that because I just checked his stats from last year and they're not too impressive. Of course, when you're a receiver, a lot depends on your QB and in high school that's a crap shoot. 

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8 hours ago, Post Oak said:

This is the guy GH say should probably be ranked higher. He's raw. Plays every sport and you won't know what you really have until he's in a program for 2 years.

So on this day and age, after he’s already transferred once. 

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15 hours ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:


I'm glad you said that because I just checked his stats from last year and they're not too impressive. Of course, when you're a receiver, a lot depends on your QB and in high school that's a crap shoot. 

Brownsboro has been operating with small scrappy quarterbacks with limited arm strength for as long as I can remember.

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Roach

Spoiler

Spring football came to an end on Saturday with an impressive team performance at the Texas spring game. Now the coaches will turn their attention to the next phase of recruiting which includes the spring evaluation period and the push to summer recruiting.

With the summer will come official visits, a staple of the recruiting process that was altered by a rule change last week. Over the weekend Texas hosted a few big name recruits and made some more progress in scheduling official visits.

The 2024 class is off to a relatively slow start, but if we’ve learned anything about Steve Sarkisian’s recruiting pace, I’d expect things to speed up this summer. Where did this weekend leave them with some targets?

In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel we wrap up visitors from the spring game, talk a few others who scheduled visits and get into how the NCAA’s recent rule changes could change the game.

— The nation’s top running back was back in Austin as Jerrick Gibson returned to town once again. 247Sports’ Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong had an update with Gibson yesterday and it sounds like the visit was a hit once again. For the second straight year, Tashard Choice has the top running back in the country, and a Florida high school prospect, looking hard at Texas. The feeling of many close to the recruitment is that the Longhorns hold the edge right now much like they did with Cedric Baxter heading into last summer. Like Baxter, they will face some tough competition from the Florida schools with the Gators and Hurricanes also coming on. The fact that Gibson has been to Austin so many times on his own dime is one thing, but it’s also huge that Texas will presumably get one of the last official visits Gibson takes in the summer is also huge. Tashard Choice has been nothing short of a homerun hire so far and adding Gibson would only cement that further.


Michael Uini (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
 

— Copperas Cove OL Michael Uini returned to Austin for a visit as well and he said that the trip was productive. While on the visit, Uini spent time with the other offensive linemen visiting. Uini has already set up a few official visits already but he said he’s yet to set one up for Texas. When I asked if he had plans to set one up, he said the Longhorns might get one during the season now that recruits will be able to take unlimited official visits. The vibe I get is that Texas is definitely in the mix, but Uini has his eyes on a couple of out of state schools. The fact he hasn’t scheduled an official visit is a bit of a red flag to me and I’d like to see that happen before I feel better about this one.

— I exchanged a few texts with five-star Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei offensive tackle Brandon Baker who was in town for the weekend. It sounds like there were some positives for the Golden State’s top-ranked prospect. I’m set to connect with him for more this week, but Texas will be in a heavyweight fight for this one. Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and the hometown USC Trojans are all involved. If Texas can use this weekend to vault into a stronger position, it could get interesting for Kyle Flood as he pursues another elite tackle option.


Daniel Cruz (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
 

— Richland offensive lineman Daniel Cruz was back on campus and the feedback I’ve heard makes me continue to believe Texas remains in a strong position for one of the top prospects on the offensive line board. The Longhorns have pursued Cruz as hard as anyone in this class with a vision of him fitting at the center position on the next level. I’d expect a strong push into the summer with eyes on closing a commitment.

— Brownsboro wide receiver prospect Gekyle Baker was also in town for the spring game. He said the visit went well and the highlight was the fan turnout and engagement during the scrimmage. Baker said he talks often with Texas wide receivers coach Chris Jackson and is working on setting up an official visit for the summer. Baker named Tennessee and Oklahoma State as a few of the other schools standing out. We’ll see how things progress moving into the summer and how high of a priority the Longhorns make the intriguing small school prospect.


Myles Davis (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
 

— Converse Judson safety Myles Davis didn’t end up making it in for the game but he does have an official visit set up for June 16. I mentioned it a month ago, but Davis is a prospect Texas has been making up ground with rapidly as they battle a few schools, most notably Texas A&M, for the big, physical prospect. The turnaround with Davis has been swift after not really being on the radar for him for most of the early part of the year. If Blake Gideon continues on his current path, he has a great shot at winning out.

— Duncanville defensive tackle Alex January is another the Longhorns seem to be resonating with. January was back on campus again after getting to Austin for the cookout a few weeks ago. The Texas legacy has a visit set up for the summer and we could see another strong push to land him in the class. Some big-time programs have entered the recruitment and are pushing the Longhorns, but there’s a good chance for Texas to win out this summer.

 

The NCAA Division I Council approved a big change to the recruiting world last week. Starting July 1, high school athletes will be able to take an unlimited number of official visits though they will still be restricted to one official visit per school.

From the prospect side, this is sure to shake things up. In the past, prospects would often use up their official visits early and new schools moving in would often need to get those prospects in on their own dime late in the cycle. With what we’ve seen from the introduction of NIL and more power going to the athlete, we are likely in for more theatrics each year.

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From the program side, each school is still only allowed 56 visits in a year. From that side, those visits will become much more precious as the possibility of getting a big-named prospect in will be too valuable to give away on players schools aren’t all in on. The recruiting landscape has changed more over the last five years than it had in the 20 years before that and it’s likely not the end.

The NCAA also moved up the contact date from September 1 of a prospect’s junior season to June 15 following their sophomore year. One under-the-radar aspect of the change was a reduction in allowable recruiting days during the spring eval period. Previously schools were allotted 168 evaluation days for the entire staff throughout the spring but it was reduced to 140. The spring is one of the most important times in the process as in-person evaluations are vital. One source I spoke with felt this would only help lazy recruiters and punish the schools that thrive by evaluating.

The question is where things will go from here. As I’ve been reporting since this time last year, there’s a push behind the scenes to eliminate limits on most recruiting numbers. The number of initial counters has already been removed and there’s talk that the restriction on the number of official visits schools are permitted could be removed as well. If that were to happen it could have huge ramifications on staffing as college personnel departments are already overworked. I’ve talked to more than a few people who said something like that would cause a lot of good people to leave the business.

The other question is what the NCAA would do with the recruiting calendar. I’ve heard that there could be a push to eliminate all dead and quiet periods leaving an open season for the wild west world of recruiting. In talking to some sources over the weekend, I was told that the chances that happens are slim and the more likely scenario is that more dead period time is put in place.

It's clear that these changes aren’t slowing down anytime soon as the NCAA continues to grapple with the changing world of college football. It will be interesting to see how staffs adjust to the new rules.

 

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35 minutes ago, cmontexas said:

Who was the last player we pulled from Judson? @Helobious

It actually might be that Reed guy, been a long ass time I think. For awhile they were a superpower without any big superstars. They had a good run of players in the 2010s (Flowers, Leal, Robinson, McCormick, Williams) but none of them came here. 

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12 minutes ago, Helobious said:

It actually might be that Reed guy, been a long ass time I think. For awhile they were a superpower without any big superstars. They had a good run of players in the 2010s (Flowers, Leal, Robinson, McCormick, Williams) but none of them came here. 

Who was that tiny rb they had in the mid-aughts?

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23 hours ago, Teryor said:

Roach:

 — Copperas Cove OL Michael Uini returned to Austin for a visit as well and he said that the trip was productive. While on the visit, Uini spent time with the other offensive linemen visiting. Uini has already set up a few official visits already but he said he’s yet to set one up for Texas. When I asked if he had plans to set one up, he said the Longhorns might get one during the season now that recruits will be able to take unlimited official visits. The vibe I get is that Texas is definitely in the mix, but Uini has his eyes on a couple of out of state schools. The fact he hasn’t scheduled an official visit is a bit of a red flag to me and I’d like to see that happen before I feel better about this one.

Yesterday: 

20CAE4A3-E4A0-45B2-855A-5AEA879F1498.thumb.jpeg.c7e8643acf68f094f3f95e5e21121769.jpeg

I’ll reiterate that I don’t think the kid is worth the scholarship. It would be based totally on potential, not anything he has done to date. 

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The Huddle: Tuesday recruiting notes

Hudson Standish

 

(This should thrill Tex Pete) "I'm getting closer to submitting a crystal ball for Uini to end up at Texas but want to double check with a few more sources before firing it in."

 

Spoiler

 

The Huddle: Tuesday recruiting notes

Hudson Standish
 

— A number of priority targets confirmed official visit dates to Texas over the last few days as the Horns' staff looks to lock in dates as we get closer to OV season. TyAnthony Smith, Parker Livingstone, Landyn Cleveland, and QB commit Trey Owens added their names to the growing list set for the final weekend of June. While Myles Davis, former commit Aeryn Hampton, and Melvin Hills all said that they'd be back in Austin for an OV from June 16th to June 18th.

Of the names listed above one prospect that's continued to improve over the offseason and seems like a major stock-up candidate is Converse Judson safety Myles Davis. Davis is a big-bodied safety that impressed at UA Dallas and during his junior campaign for the Rockets. One interesting tidbit about Davis though is that he primarily played wide receiver growing up and last season was his first time playing defensive back since middle school. In addition to Davis growing as a player over the offseason, Blake Gideon is helping Texas significantly grow in his recruitment as well. Before UA Dallas and a recent visit to Texas sources close to Davis believed that the Horns were on the outside looking in, but after talking to the same source yesterday Texas is just as likely to land Davis as any other contender in his recruitment.

— One player on campus for the spring game that continues to trend favorably for the Horns is Copperas Cove OT Michael Uini. I asked a source what priority target on campus last weekend had the biggest positive reaction from the visit and the massive CenTex OT was the quick answer, which partially shocked me considering Uini has always been high on the Longhorns. I'm getting closer to submitting a crystal ball for Uini to end up at Texas but want to double check with a few more sources before firing it in. 

While Uini, Daniel Cruz, and a number of other priority O-Lineman are trending positively for Kyle Flood, one OT target that has been trending away from Texas recently is Fort Bend Christian's Bennett Warren.  The buzz around the 6-foot-7, 315-pounder lately has been Oregon, but unfortunately after talking with a source it doesn't seem like Texas is even in a spot to jump into the lead if Oregon fades.

— The biggest story today is that TCU wide receiver Jordan Hudson submitted paperwork to enter the transfer portal per 247Sports' Chris Hummer. Hudson was a major target for Steve Sarkisian and Texas in the 2022 cycle out of Garland High School and put up 14 passes for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns during his true freshman season for the Horned Frogs.

I haven't been able to confirm if Texas will have interest in the former top 100 prospect once he officially enters the portal considering the vast upgrade they've made in the WR room over the last six months. One school that a source said will definitely be tough to beat out for Hudson is Arizona State. Former TCU staffers Ra'Shaad Samples and Bryan Carrington were major reasons Hudson flipped from SMU to TCU, and both are now in on-field roles in Tempe.

 

 

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25 minutes ago, Getafix said:

 

The Huddle: Tuesday recruiting notes

Hudson Standish

 

(This should thrill Tex Pete) "I'm getting closer to submitting a crystal ball for Uini to end up at Texas but want to double check with a few more sources before firing it in."

 

  Hide contents

 

The Huddle: Tuesday recruiting notes

Hudson Standish
 

— A number of priority targets confirmed official visit dates to Texas over the last few days as the Horns' staff looks to lock in dates as we get closer to OV season. TyAnthony Smith, Parker Livingstone, Landyn Cleveland, and QB commit Trey Owens added their names to the growing list set for the final weekend of June. While Myles Davis, former commit Aeryn Hampton, and Melvin Hills all said that they'd be back in Austin for an OV from June 16th to June 18th.

Of the names listed above one prospect that's continued to improve over the offseason and seems like a major stock-up candidate is Converse Judson safety Myles Davis. Davis is a big-bodied safety that impressed at UA Dallas and during his junior campaign for the Rockets. One interesting tidbit about Davis though is that he primarily played wide receiver growing up and last season was his first time playing defensive back since middle school. In addition to Davis growing as a player over the offseason, Blake Gideon is helping Texas significantly grow in his recruitment as well. Before UA Dallas and a recent visit to Texas sources close to Davis believed that the Horns were on the outside looking in, but after talking to the same source yesterday Texas is just as likely to land Davis as any other contender in his recruitment.

— One player on campus for the spring game that continues to trend favorably for the Horns is Copperas Cove OT Michael Uini. I asked a source what priority target on campus last weekend had the biggest positive reaction from the visit and the massive CenTex OT was the quick answer, which partially shocked me considering Uini has always been high on the Longhorns. I'm getting closer to submitting a crystal ball for Uini to end up at Texas but want to double check with a few more sources before firing it in. 

While Uini, Daniel Cruz, and a number of other priority O-Lineman are trending positively for Kyle Flood, one OT target that has been trending away from Texas recently is Fort Bend Christian's Bennett Warren.  The buzz around the 6-foot-7, 315-pounder lately has been Oregon, but unfortunately after talking with a source it doesn't seem like Texas is even in a spot to jump into the lead if Oregon fades.

— The biggest story today is that TCU wide receiver Jordan Hudson submitted paperwork to enter the transfer portal per 247Sports' Chris Hummer. Hudson was a major target for Steve Sarkisian and Texas in the 2022 cycle out of Garland High School and put up 14 passes for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns during his true freshman season for the Horned Frogs.

I haven't been able to confirm if Texas will have interest in the former top 100 prospect once he officially enters the portal considering the vast upgrade they've made in the WR room over the last six months. One school that a source said will definitely be tough to beat out for Hudson is Arizona State. Former TCU staffers Ra'Shaad Samples and Bryan Carrington were major reasons Hudson flipped from SMU to TCU, and both are now in on-field roles in Tempe.

 

 

Unless something has changed recently, Texas isn't prioritizing Warren. They're looking for a couple of difference makers like Cruz and then long term projects from the state. I think they're going to wind up with Cruz and 1-2 projects from Texas plus 1-2 legit guys from OOS.

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8 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Unless something has changed recently, Texas isn't prioritizing Warren. They're looking for a couple of difference makers like Cruz and then long term projects from the state. I think they're going to wind up with Cruz and 1-2 projects from Texas plus 1-2 legit guys from OOS.

You think there is a legit shot with either of those Mater Dei guys?

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Just now, BurntOrange&White said:

You think there is a legit shot with either of those Mater Dei guys?

Give me the names. I don't usually pay much attention to the high schools. That said, Sarkisian is only going to pursue Mater Dei guys that he would happily sign and who he's been given a head nod that Texas has a chance.

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1 hour ago, Getafix said:

 

The Huddle: Tuesday recruiting notes

 

 

(This should thrill Tex Pete) "I'm getting closer to submitting a crystal ball for Uini to end up at Texas but want to double check with a few more sources before firing it in."

 

I don't hate the kid. I don't even know him, but I know people who do and they like him as a person. And unlike another lineman I gave my accurate assessment of a few years back, I don't believe Uini is lazy. I just don't think he is a particularly good football player at this point.

He's huge and his feet aren't bad, but he doesn't dominate anyone. I am sure that could change. I also understand that you can't coach size. Just saying this isn't a kid likely to come in and push for playing time anytime soon.

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

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