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Posted
27 minutes ago, RockyMountainHighHorn said:

I say we pull out the stops and go for Henry. We need a true 1. He could be it. Up the offer. Get him to sign!

I’m trying to relay your thoughts to the staff but I’m afraid it might be too late. 

Posted
2 hours ago, Teryor said:

 

247 prediction where are they now:

Quarterback
Dia Bell Texas

 

Running Back

Derrek Cooper (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports) Texas
Carthage (Tex.) four-star KJ Edwards committed to aggy in June and stuck with it

 

Wide Reciever
Pearland (Tex.) Shadow Creek three-star Chris Stewart Texas

Aledo (Tex.) four-star Kaydon Finley just never really seemed like a match, ended up at Notre Dame

Frisco (Tex.) Panther Creek four-star Jalen Lott we wanted this guy the whole cycle it seemed, circled back one last time late but he stuck with Oregon

Norman (Okla.) North four-star Mason James I don't remember this guy ever being on our radar. Signed with Washington

 

Tight End
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star Mark Bowman got an insane NIL deal from USC

Brunswick (Ga.) four-star Heze Kent seemed like we decided we weren't that interested. signed with Florida

 

Offensive Line
Mansfield (Tex.) Lake Ridge five-star Felix Ojo signed with Tech for huge NIL

Klein (Tex.) three-star Nicolas Robertson Texas

Melissa (Tex.) three-star Max Wright flipped to SMU like a week ago

Clearwater (Fla.) four-star Samuel Roseborough A&M

Fort Worth (Tex.) North Crowley four-star John Turntine III Texas

 

Defensive Line
Fort Myers (Fla.) four-star Kendall Guervil we tried a lot with this guy but never could pry him off his Florida commitment

Tupelo (Miss.) three-star JaReylan McCoy I don't remember much contact with this guy. signed with Florida

Monroe (La.) Ouachita Parish four-star Dylan Berymon seems like we might have cut him loose. 247 doesn't show him as signed with anyone

Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep three-star Damari Simeon don't remember this guy. signed with Ohio State

 

EDGE
Temple (Tex.) four-star Jamarion Carlton flipped to Texas like a week ago after being committed to Baylor forever

Prineceton (N.J.) Hun School four-star Luke Wafle we were a finalist but USC came in with big NIL supposedly

Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School three-star Dre Quinn there was a little late smoke with this guy but he ended up signing with Ohio State

 

Linebacker
Defensive Back
New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr three-star CB Hayward Howard Jr. — Texas

Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian four-star S Davon Benjamin we really wanted this guy but Oregon beat everyone

Houston (Tex.) North Shore four-star S Chace Calicut Georgia/prison

Cornelius (N.C.) Hough four-star CB Samari Matthews,  Texas

Willis (Tex.) four-star ATH Jermaine Bishop Texas

Austin (Tex.) Anderson three-star S Yaheim Riley Texas

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted

Scruggs Signing day storylines to look back on in 3-5 years

Quote

Early Signing Day is cranking down, and there's just a few power four prospects left unsigned across the country as we near the end of the day. 

After what was an uneventful day for Texas outside of losing two long time Top247 defensive line commits to North Carolina and Auburn, the Longhorns are currently pushing for some fireworks as we enter the evening hours.

While we wait to see what the future holds, here's eight fun storylines to look back on in three to five years when the 2026 class has exhausted its collegiate eligibility. 

The Dia Bell vs. Keisean Henderson discussion 

Somewhat like the KJ Lacey vs. Keelon Russell discussion from last cycle, though Henderson nor Russell were never really pursued by the Longhorns. Russell was never offered while Henderson was, but it was early in Henderson's process where he was fielding offers as an athlete (WR/S) prospect. By the time Henderson decided he wanted to play QB in college, Texas was already closing in on Bell. Henderson ended up committing to Houston within the month before Bell committed to Texas, and the rest was history. 

However, because Henderson is the No. 1 overall prospect that's expected to take the Houston program to new heights, this debate on who Texas should've targeted at QB in 2026 will likely be brought up several times in the coming years regardless of the situation being laid out above and fairly understandable. 

Does Felix Ojo win big by betting on himself?

It's well documented what happened in this recruitment. Ojo was at the top of the Longhorns board and so much so that Steve Sarkisian called him a "franchise player" on a spring unofficial visit, but Texas Tech made the bigger push on the financial side of the recruitment and were willing to sign Ojo to a three year deal where Texas didn't want to go longer than two years on a deal. 

Ojo spoke about how his decision revolved around betting on himself, because that's exactly what he's doing. Texas Tech has produced a whopping five NFL Draft picks at offensive tackle over the last 45 years. Texas has produced three OTs that have been drafted into the NFL in the Sarkisian era alone (since the 2022 draft), and that number will rise to four when Trevor Goosby decides it's time to leave Austin.

That said, Ojo's college career will be fascinating to track. Ojo has all the tools and traits of a first round offensive tackle selection, but he still needs development and significant time in a strength and conditioning program just like the majority of five-star OL. Can Texas Tech get him to his ceiling? That's what everyone will be watching, and it will be used against the Red Raiders by competing schools if he does not get developed into a draft pick. If he does get developed, Tech will have a helluva pitch on their hands to make to other five-star prospects. 

Did the legacies successfully blaze their own trail?

Two of the Longhorns longest tenured targets were Aledo Top247 WR and Notre Dame signee Kaydon Finley and Oregon Top247 WR and Oregon commit Jalen Lott. (Lott has not signed with the Ducks at the time of publishing)

Finley, the son of former Texas TE Jermichael Finley, was offered before he ever attended a day of high school. Texas tried their hardest and did a great job in the Finley recruitment, but Finley was in love with Notre Dame and liked the faster path to the field in South Bend. The Fighting Irish just did a really good job and I'm not sure Texas could've done anything different as the Longhorns were competitive on the NIL front and put a lot of effort into the recruitment. 

Lott, the son of former defensive back and track athlete James Lott and former women's basketball player Fey Lott, was offered later than Finley but was still a priority target from the jump. The Longhorns originally liked Lott at cornerback, but he eventually made up his mind and went from being cool with either side of the ball to receiver. Oregon, USC, and Ohio State beat Texas to pitching Lott at receiver, but the Longhorns ultimately lost out to Oregon. USC was also ahead of Texas but they eventually filled up and didn't have room at receiver after taking Boobie Feaster, so the Trojans weren't really in it the final days. Oregon offered a higher financial package than the Longhorns, but even if that wasn't the case, I'm not sure if Lott wanted to follow in parents footsteps. As we got later in the spring, he began to strike me as a kid who wanted to blaze his own trail, and that's exactly what he did by heading to Oregon. 

Both legacy prospects will be fascinating to track going forward. 

Will Jermaine Bishop Jr. succeed playing on offense, defense, or both ways?

Bishop is one of the best prospects I've ever covered and might be the easiest selection to my Mount Rushmore of best TXHSFB players I've ever seen play in person. After starting at cornerback on varsity as a freshman, Bishop became a full-time threephaser as a sophomore and never looked back. 

At Willis, he's done essentially everything but drive the bus: Ran the ball, caught the ball, threw the ball, made tackles, interceptions, forced fumbles, tackles for loss, punted, returned punts, returned kicks, you name it. 

Currently No. 5 all-time on the TXHSFB career receptions and receiving yards list, Bishop is an all-time TXHSFB great. As of now, the plan is for Bishop to show on campus with his long term position to be determined in winter workouts and spring ball. While Horns247 believes Bishop will end up as a slot receiver, he can very well play cornerback or safety and can provide help in the return game as well. 

Bishop nor the Longhorns haven't ruled out a two-way role either, and while I'm not really expecting it, it wouldn't totally shock me if Bishop made it work. While people have compared him to Travis Hunter or called him the "Texas Travis Hunter", I do believe Hunter is a 1 of 1 and something that we'll never really see again. However, Bishop is the closest thing I've ever seen to Hunter, so take that for what it's worth. 

Regardless, it'll be interesting to see where Bishop ends up, as there's a variety of ways he can help Texas whether in the short term or long term. 

Does Texas get a good ROI on the big money recruitments? (Tyler Atkinson, Richard Wesley, Derrek Cooper, James Johnson)

It's well known by now, but Texas is one of the better equipped NIL/Rev Share operations in the sport and gives the Longhorns the ability to financially do what it takes when hunting for top prospects. All four of the names above required significant financial investment from the Longhorns, and Texas got it done, landed commitments, and signed all four players on Wednesday.  

While ROI doesn't really exist in college football, the questions I'm asking is will Texas be able to get impact snaps by all four in year one? Will Texas be able to get starting-level snaps from all four by year two and potentially all-conference level play by year three? Those are the questions to ask when tracking the big dollar players. If two of them can turn into day one or two NFL Draft picks, I'd say that's good. If three can turn into draft picks, I'd say that's high success. If you can really hit on four of them, well you hit a grand slam. And to be clear, these aren't the only recruits in the class with big financial packages. 

Let's see how these guys develop and what players they turn into over the next few years before looking back 

How do the value adds (three-stars) in the class pan out?

I don't want to call them value adds because it's kinda mean, but this is how college front offices view the bottom end of each recruiting class so it is what it is. On Early Signing Day, Texas signed nine total three-stars (according to the Top247 rankings) that aren't specialists:

ATH(CB/S) Toray Davis, WR Chris Stewart, LB Rocky Cummings, IOL Nicolas Robertson, WR Kohen Brown, RB Jett Walker, S Yaheim Riley, TE Charlie Jilek, IOL Kaden Scherer

Outside of Davis and Cummings, this group likely isn't fielding much rev share or NIL money in year one given that early numbers in negotiations are largely based on recruiting rankings, and well, the entire group is currently three-stars according to 247Sports. In turn, those players likely won't play much in year one outside of special teams. 

Figuring it out and hitting on the low-cost players has made recruiting and landing three-stars more important than it's ever been, and you have to have the right guys in the building that hit on enough evaluations for the roster to be efficiently managed. If five of the nine players can become starters one day, I'd say that's great and anything above that is awesome.

How the local/CenTex prospects Texas never seriously recruited panned out

Texas never offered, or offered and didn't seriously recruit most of these players: 

Liberty Hill Top247 DL Alister Vallejo — Michigan signee — The Longhorns hosted Vallejo for a visit but never extended an offer to the Top247 Michigan commit, who chose the Wolverines over Notre Dame and Kansas. 

San Antonio Madison Top247 WR Jordan Clay — Washington signee — Texas offered Clay and I firmly believe Clay would have signed with the Longhorns today had Texas not backed off during Clay's junior season. Clay ended up committing to Baylor but flipped to Washington late in the process. 

Waco Connally Top247 CB Jamarion Vincent — Michigan signee — Terry Joseph and Blake Gideon offered him and felt good about eventually landing Vincent after a string of visits, but he committed to Baylor out of nowhere shortly after a junior day visit and the Longhorns never reengaged after the change in Texas' secondary staff. Vincent ended up flipping to Michigan late in the process.  

Lake Travis Top247 EDGE Carter Buck — TCU signee — Texas hosted Buck for an unofficial visit but never offered or seriously recruited him. Buck is the Lake Travis football program's all-time leader in sacks and TFLs and led the 6A classification in sacks several times throughout the year and basically beat Dripping Springs and Westlake by himself as a senior. He will be fascinating to track in Fort Worth as he's the highest-ranked prospect in TCU's class and should make an early impact for the Horned Frogs. 

Seguin Top247 QB Corey Dailey — Pitt signee — Dailey is a developmental prospect that rose late in the process after Texas already landed Dia Bell. Dailey camped at Texas at the same camp Dia Bell worked out at and silently committed to Texas at, but the Longhorns never engaged. Dailey would've been the perfect 2027 QB for Texas, but he's a year early for that scenario. 

Temple 4-star S Jason Bradford — TCU signee — Texas never offered but hosted Bradford at camp going into his junior year and never circled back. Bradford's dream school is Texas and pretty much would've committed on the spot had he landed an offer, but it never came. He's a jumbo DB prospect with a lot of versatility that will be interesting to track in Fort Worth as he has all the tools but needs long term development. 

Waco University 4-star WR London Smith — Baylor signee — Texas offered Smith early in the process but wanted him at safety so when Smith made up on his mind on playing receiver the two sides went separate ways. I think Smith's ceiling is highest at safety, but he wanted to catch touchdowns so he'll be interesting to watch at his hometown school that his parents went to. 

Willis (originally at Pflugerville) 3-star TE Jaivion Martin — Houston signee — Martin was at Pflugerville before moving to Willis where he played his senior season. The Longhorns hosted Martin nearly half a dozen times early in the process but never offered and eventually dropped off all contact. Martin is the highest ranked tight end in the state and is someone I expect to be quite successful at Houston with the potential to be drafted in a few years. With all due respect to Charlie Jilek, Martin is the better prospect in my eyes and is someone I banged on the table to get an offer for a long time so he'll be quite interesting to track for the Cougars. 

Bastrop 3-star DL Tiki Hola — Notre Dame signee — Hola was one of the first 2026 prospects to pick up a Texas offer and the Longhorns hosted him what felt like a dozen times early in the process. However, he never returned after making it to a junior day and the two sides went separate ways before Hola chose Notre Dame over USC and SMU. 

Lake Travis 3-star DL Ben Duncum — Kentucky signee — A Texas legacy, Duncum is a long term developmental upside prospect with great measurements and track and field data. If he can get developed, he has all-SEC potential. The Lake Travis product now has former Lake Travis offensive coordinator Will Stein as his college head coach. 

Now, some of these players could always end up back in the Austin area playing for the Longhorns via the Drew Mukuba route, but regardless, it'll be fun to track these 512 area natives at their new homes. 

As of Dec. 3, 2025, I think Texas made mistakes by not recruiting Vallejo, Clay, Vincent, Buck, and Martin. We'll see how that take ages. 

Did Texas make the right move deciding not to offer or not seriously recruit top 20 ranked in-state talents Davian Groce, Ethan Feaster, Chase Campbell, Bowe Bentley, Landon Barnes, Alister Vallejo, Bryce Gilmore, Paris Melvin Jr., Jordan Clay, Zion Robinson, and John Hebert?

I won't comment on every kid, but of the group above, I do think Texas should've put more effort into the Landon Barnes and Paris Melvin Jr. recruitments by not offering as late. I think Texas should've continued recruiting Jordan Clay instead of completely backing out like they did. I think Chase Campbell and Allister Vallejo both should've received offers and been recruited as well. Not recruiting Gilmore is a bit of a head scratcher considering what the needs on the offensive line were in 2026, but like the rest of the guys in this section, we'll see who was right in a few years.

 

Posted
2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I don’t even remember making a prediction list for this cycle. 5 is the lowest number, by far, that I’ve ever gotten. This was a fucked up cycle. Might be that way going forward as a new norm?

Hopefully the staff learned lessons about what kind of talent they can expect to lock down and how to juggle priorities because we got hammered this cycle with what feels like a lot of bad intel and reads. Evolve or die.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted

Scipio Tex: How 2026 SEC Conference Recruiting Fared & The Elite Recruiting Loser Phenomenon

Quote

The hay is largely in the barn and it’s time to take a look at how the SEC fared nationally and examine the conference hierarchy. The Longhorns finished with a strong class, but in the SEC, it’s hard to find separation at the top.

TWO CONFERENCES MATTER

The SEC boasts 11 of the top 25 national recruiting classes and 7 of the Top 14. The Big 10 is the only league in view with 7 of the Top 25 national recruiting classes, 5 of the Top 14. The Big 10’s top heavy nature applies to recruiting as well. Or, more precisely, is because of that. Meanwhile, the SEC has quality at the top, but an irritating middle class that boasts numerous future NFL players. Two leagues account for 18 of the Top 25 and 12 of the Top 14.

Notre Dame and Miami are the only two elite exceptions, checking in at #2 and #8, respectively. Notre Dame is thriving under a charismatic head coach in a new world of paying players above board(ish). It doesn’t hurt to play a de facto ACC schedule and still make the playoff with an 0-2 record against teams that can fog a mirror. The Hurricanes recruit their asses off and don’t lack for (pending RICO statute) NIL, but they’ve also benefitted from a horrific FSU and Florida. How long will that persist? Has anyone ever told you that there are only two conferences that matter? Because right now, there are two that matter.

THE SEC CONTEXT

Here’s how the recruiting classes fared within the league. The separation in the top 7-8 isn’t vast and class size also plays a role. Pound for pound, South Carolina signed an amazing, but small class.
    1. Georgia
    2. Alabama
    3. Texas
    4. Texas A&M
    5. LSU
    6. Tennessee
    7. Florida
    8. Oklahoma
    9. South Carolina
    10. Ole Miss
    11. Missouri
    12. Mississippi St.
    13. Vanderbilt
    14. Auburn
    15. Arkansas
    16. Kentucky

Tennessee finished with a terrific recruiting class, landing two 5 stars and eleven 4 star recruits. That earned them a near Top 10 class, checking in at #11 nationally. That translates to the 6th best class in the conference. Behind Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M and LSU. Missouri finished 11th in the SEC – comfortably in the bottom half of the league – and would have the 2nd best recruiting class in the Big 12. Missouri’s 11th in the SEC class is still a Top 25 class nationally.

South Carolina limped to a 4-8 regular season record and a 1-7 SEC mark and signed only 14 recruits. They finished #18 nationally because 9 of those 14 recruits are 4 stars, including four national Top 100 recruits. It’s a unique ecosystem.

FIVE STAR SPREAD

Seven different SEC teams signed a 5 star recruit. Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt. One of these is not like the other.

ELITE RECRUITNG LOSERS

One unique SEC phenomenon that persists from year to year? The elite recruiting loser. No conference better peddles hope and sells program upside in a moribund program. LSU endured a miserable year, fired Brian Kelly midseason, proved to be an administrative shit show, ran out of children’s hospitals to rob, and just signed a Top 10 national class. Their two in-state five star commits never really blinked. South Carolina went 4-8, 1-7 in league play, and secured the greatest choke in SEC history at Texas A&M. Beaten at home by the worst Clemson team in 15 years. A win over Coastal Carolina is the only thing that broke up a six game losing streak to end the year. Oh well. We’ll just sign a #18 national class.

Florida fired their head coach in Octber, went 4-8, 2-6 in league play. Their QB busted, they underachieved their talent, several players opted out, and their AD is embattled. They’ve lost 5 or more games for 5 years in a row. Cool, cool. They’ll just sign the #13 class in the country. There’s no comp to this phenomenon in any other league. For heaven’s sakes, Arkansas still signed two 4 star recruits. Even the most pathetic SEC program in the greatest possible disarray still has home state appeal. The elite recruiting loser phenomenon is just not a persistent thing anywhere but the SEC.

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Teryor said:

what feels like a lot of bad intel and reads

Hmmmm...., I do wonder who might be most responsible for collecting intel and advising the coaching staff on this....

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Posted
6 minutes ago, runthebone said:

A lot of controversy about that, actually.  Some scholars translate it:  "should have hit the portal for offensive line."

I have heard whispers from some scholars saying it reads "Sark should havs sold his soul for Justice Haynes"

  • Fuck Around and Find Out 1
Posted
12 hours ago, tokamak said:

247 prediction where are they now:

 

Defensive Line
Fort Myers (Fla.) four-star Kendall Guervil we tried a lot with this guy but never could pry him off his Florida commitment

Tupelo (Miss.) three-star JaReylan McCoy I don't remember much contact with this guy. signed with Florida

Monroe (La.) Ouachita Parish four-star Dylan Berymon seems like we might have cut him loose. 247 doesn't show him as signed with anyone

Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep three-star Damari Simeon don't remember this guy. signed with Ohio State

 

EDGE
Temple (Tex.) four-star Jamarion Carlton flipped to Texas like a week ago after being committed to Baylor forever

Prineceton (N.J.) Hun School four-star Luke Wafle we were a finalist but USC came in with big NIL supposedly

Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School three-star Dre Quinn there was a little late smoke with this guy but he ended up signing with Ohio State

 

 

According to the reports back in the summer of this year Texas very much wanted McCoy but Florida locked him down on an UV and got him to cancel his Texas visit. Simeon was a Texas lean, but got a bigger NIL offer from Ohio St. He decided right after Berymon, Cleveland and Wells committed to UT which might have played a part. Texas finished second for Quinn in his commitment to Clemson and to Ohio St.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted (edited)
15 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

I've got $20 and a Bucees car wash code for Richard Anderson. Let's close this one out. 

Anderson ended up signing with lsu yesterday. 
 

Edit: I was wrong. He’s still unsigned. 
 

 

Edited by TXRed
Posted
4 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Wiltfong says no.

Oh nice! I stand corrected. This has been the weirdest signing period I can remember. 

Posted

Steve Wiltfong: Chris Henry Jr. update, LSU moving and shaking, blue-chip buzz

Quote

Day two of the three-day National Signing Day period is upon us and there are still a lot of things we’re tracking over the next 48 hours. Rivals has the latest.

LSU looking to sign its prized DL class

The Rivals Industry’s No. 1 overall prospect in five-star Lamar Brown has yet to ink his letter-of-intent as dialogue continues with Lane Kiffin and the new Tigers staff. Brown is not a mid-year enrollee so he doesn’t have to rush to put pen to paper. LSU’s No. 10-ranked class also includes five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson, the No. 3 defensive lineman in America Deuce Geralds and No. 12 edge and Top100 recruit Trenton Henderson. None have signed with the Tigers yet.

Anderson is a mid-year enrollee looking to get this thing done with LSU. “Billy (Glasscock) is really impressive,” agent Jordan Arcement said of the Tigers’ new General Manager. Arcement indicated Anderson is just buttoning things up. “For Rich all seems to be well,” Arcement said. “This is where Richard wants to be. We’re hopeful Blake is still going to be there. Hopefully they’re going to bring the best defensive line coach in the country. And hopeful Frank Wilson is going to be part of it.”

While Brown can take his time and see it settle, the feeling is he’ll still be a Tiger regardless of how long it takes and he is feeling confident in the direction of LSU. Rivals’ Chad Simmons says keep an eye on Ole Miss for Geralds with Georgia Tech also in play. He will announce his decision on Friday. Simmons also reports that Miami and Florida State are threats for Henderson.

The latest on Rivals No. 1 WR Chris Henry Jr.

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. was set to sign with Ohio State on National Signing Day before the news broke that long-time position coach and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline was taking the head coach job at USF. A source said that “shook” Henry who obviously didn’t sign. 

Oregon gained the momentum after that because of the relationship with Dan Lanning and the exciting opportunity on and off the field. Lanning is personally recruiting Henry and relationships are important. Texas is making a late charge and made an NIL offer that certainly resonated. Ohio State definitely remains in the picture. And nobody would be surprised if USC would continue to shoot its shot even if they are downplaying it to all the other suitors.

Several other WRs are still on the board

Rivals’ No. 2 ranked athlete and No. 16 prospect overall in five-star Jalen Lott did not sign with Oregon on National Signing Day after saying his recruitment was shut down at the end of November following a visit to Eugene. LSU, Miami and Texas are two programs that would certainly love add Lott. Another Rivals five-star that won’t sign until Friday is Auburn commit Jase Mathews. The Tigers may still be tough to beat but he said LSU and Ole Miss are really pushing.

Sources around Syracuse commit Calvin Russell believed the four-star would still sign with Fran Brown and the Orange, just that he needed more time to think about it. Ohio State looked to be closing in on a signature from the No. 1 recruit in Indiana in four-star wide out Jerquaden Guilford. LSU is the other contender. Michigan is trending to flip four-star receiver Brady Marchese from Georgia. For more on that, click here.

The Wolverines are likely going to lose four-star receiver Zion Robinson. Texas and Stanford have been mentioned.

LSU and South Carolina battling over a QB

Jackson (Ala.) High Rivals300 quarterback Landon Duckworth has been a verbal to South Carolina since July and was supposed to sign on National Signing Day. He didn’t and it’s because LSU is grabbing the momentum. Rivals is hearing that the Duckworth has still been responsive with the Gamecocks so we’ll see if Shane Beamer and his staff can get the momentum back in their favor.

Ranked by Rivals as the nation’s No. 10 quarterback and No. 144 prospect overall, Duckworth has always liked Kiffin, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr, new quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens during his recruitment and strongly considered attending Ole Miss. While the intel Thursday morning still favors the Tigers, Duckworth has a lot of love for the Gamecocks and Beamer as well so him sticking can’t be ruled out.

Quick Hitters

+ Michigan commit Julian Walker is expected to make a final decision this morning. The intel makes it seem like he’s trending away from the Wolverines but Sherrone Moore and company are still battling. South Carolina is in the thick of it and been viewed the biggest challenger if not the emerging favorite and North Carolina had dialogue with Walker as well.

+ Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes Rivals300 running back Carsyn Baker will announce his commitment on Thursday and it’s Texas A&M trending for the former Florida commit. 

+ Keep an eye on Purdue for unsigned quarterback Cole Bergeron.

 

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted

I can't get a boner over the Chris Henry, Jr. talk because I think it's all driving up his NIL number for his eventual signing with Ohio State.  Or maybe I need to get a prescription from my doctor for the little blue pill.

Posted
13 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I can't get a boner over the Chris Henry, Jr. talk because I think it's all driving up his NIL number for his eventual signing with Ohio State.  Or maybe I need to get a prescription from my doctor for the little blue pill.

I can get a boner over making OSU pay to hoard #1 WRs. Plus it fucks with Lott/Oregon. Win, win.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
I can't get a boner over the Chris Henry, Jr. talk because I think it's all driving up his NIL number for his eventual signing with Ohio State.  Or maybe I need to get a prescription from my doctor for the little blue pill.

Or Oregon
Posted
12 minutes ago, Yuk said:

I can get a boner over making OSU pay to hoard #1 WRs. Plus it fucks with Lott/Oregon. Win, win.

Why exactly? Ohio State doesn’t seem to be scaling back their spending any time soon.

If Ohio State keeps winning big with Biletnikoff WRs it’s a pretty hollow consolation that Texas potentially made them pay more for the guy than they otherwise would have. Not my money, who cares 

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
2 minutes ago, UncleSonny said:

Why exactly? Ohio State doesn’t seem to be scaling back their spending any time soon.

If Ohio State keeps winning big with Biletnikoff WRs it’s a pretty hollow consolation that Texas potentially made them pay more for the guy than they otherwise would have. Not my money, who cares 

It's the same thing we've done to UGA. Make them pay for what they expect is theirs. And if we claw one away (i.e. Terry) all the better.

Nobody that wants to win will be "scaling back". Everyone is just figuring out ways to circumvent the cap and some are farther along. If we don't also, we don't want to win.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
3 minutes ago, Yuk said:

It's the same thing we've done to UGA. Make them pay for what they expect is theirs. And if we claw one away (i.e. Terry) all the better.

Nobody that wants to win will be "scaling back". Everyone is just figuring out ways to circumvent the cap and some are farther along. If we don't also, we don't want to win.

That’s fine. Guess we just have a different standard of “boner worthy”

Posted (edited)

Thursday - Bobby

2026 unsigned news and portal info:

Spoiler

Thursday

 

Bobby Burton

By Bobby Burton

  • 2 hours ago
 

As I wrote last night, there remain several players who Texas has recruited whose paperwork had either not been signed or not been appropriately filed with their schools of choice as of late yesterday.

Those players include:

WR Jalen Lott - Lott has communicated to Oregon that it’s a paperwork issue (lol, okay...) and not something to be concerned about. Yet he officially remains unsigned.

WR Chris Henry - Henry was originally committed to Ohio State but decided not to move forward with that pledge on Tuesday because of Buckeye WR coach Bryan Hartline’s acceptance of the HC job at South Florida. Oregon is under consideration as is Texas who have made a “significant” NIL offer, according to multiple published reports.

DL Richard Anderson - Anderson announced publicly his intention to sign with LSU. But as of late last night, the paperwork had not been filed.

DL Trenton Henderson - the Pensacola native has long been committed to LSU but is now announcing on Friday. Texas and Florida have both given chase in recents months and days.

DL Lamar Brown - Brown met new LSU coach Lane Kiffin on the day of his arrival in Baton Rouge. Yet, like Anderson, his paperwork has yet to be filed.

**

Henry is represented by one of football’s foremost agents, David Mulugheta.

Texas has multiple players who are represented by Mulugheta, including incoming linebacker Tyler Atkinson.

I only mention this because Henry is not a typical high school recruitment. Texas, and every other team, has a clear line of communication to Mulugheta and therefore to the nation’s no. 1 receiver.

Ohio State, Oregon and Texas appear to all be possibilities.

I can’t handicap the race. And I think those doing so are likely not doing it with all of the information necessary.

It should also be mentioned that the offensive coordinators at both Ohio State and Oregon have taken other jobs in the last two days (Hartline to USF, Stein to Kentucky).

**

Sark was adamant that he and his personnel team would be addressing needs in the portal at these positions:

- OL (he mentioned it three times in the press conference)

- RB

- DL

- LB

- DB

- Specialists (plural)

**

If I have a favorite player in this class, it’s Derrek Cooper, the running back from Miami.

I’m not saying he’ll be the highest drafted player in this class. But I think great running backs can have an overweighted value in college football and I think they can contribute particularly early.

I think Cooper could be that guy for the Horns.

 

Edited by MuellerHorn
  • Hook 'Em 5
Posted (edited)

IT with additional updates on Lott and Henry (USC is doing some wild things this cycle)

Spoiler

Texas target Jalen Lott remains committed to Oregon, but the situation around his recruitment has shifted dramatically since he did not sign on the first day of the early signing period. Inside Texas spoke with sources out West for the latest on Lott, his recruitment’s crossover with the pursuit of Chris Henry, and other five-star details as the early signing window remains open.

Multiple sources indicate that Lott is intentionally holding off until Oregon finalizes its offensive direction. Former OC Will Stein accepted the head coaching job at Kentucky, and the Ducks’ search for a new coordinator has become a pivotal domino.

Lott is extremely close with Rashaad Samples, who is vying for the OC job. Lott also has strong ties to Drew Mehringer, the former Texas receivers coach who is on staff in Eugene. Depending on who Dan Lanning picks to replace Stein, Lott’s commitment could solidify or the door could open even wider.

The USC Factor

USC was very aggressive in its pursuit of Lott in June and July, ultimately finishing second when he committed to Oregon. With those relationships already in place, the Trojans were positioned to re-engage immediately once Lott delayed signing.

A source said the Trojans are pushing hard for both Lott and Henry. USC is prepared to match anything in NIL when it comes to Henry.

At the same time, the Trojans are being extremely aggressive both in terms of NIL and capitalizing on previous relationships with Lott as they look to close out their class with the Frisco (Texas) Panther Creek five-star.

One thing is becoming clear: Henry and Lott are unlikely to end up at Oregon together.

Other National Movers

LSU continues to try to wiggle into the Lott conversation, exploring ways to stay involved late in the process. NIL interest around Lott remains strong from their side as well.

Texas, meanwhile, is more locked in on Henry. If Henry chooses Texas, Lott becomes a more layered evaluation. But if Henry goes elsewhere, Texas would have every reason to shift its attention toward Lott, especially with his recruitment far more fluid than expected. Lott did make a gameday visit to Austin for the Sam Houston game.

Right now, Oregon’s OC hire is the biggest domino, but the interplay between Lott and Henry is influencing strategies for USC, Texas, LSU, and Oregon during day two of the late signing window.

 

Edited by Hookem2147
Posted (edited)

 

(Tl;dr - Texas and USC out as of late Wed;  likely Oregon.)

 

Latest Chris Henry Jr. intel:

Ohio State five-star WR commit remains unsigned amid Oregon, Texas, WVU pushes
Wednesday's National Signing Day came and went with Ohio State five-star wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. going unsigned. Here's the latest into Thursday.

Tom Loy

 

Spoiler

 

Latest Chris Henry Jr. intel:

Ohio State five-star WR commit remains unsigned amid Oregon, Texas, WVU pushes
Wednesday's National Signing Day came and went with Ohio State five-star wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. going unsigned. Here's the latest into Thursday.

Tom Loy
 

Wednesday's National Signing Day came and went, and one of the nation's top prospects remains unsigned. As of Thursday morning, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. had still not yet signed with Ohio State. The Buckeyes' longtime commit — Henry initially pledged July 28, 2023 — remains undecided about his future.

Henry is a prospect with elite traits, and his ranking reflects that. 247Sports lists him as the country's No. 32 overall prospect and No. 3 receiver recruit in addition to being the No. 2 player in California.

So, what's the latest? Here's what we're hearing at 247Sports.


Henry is "not sure" what his plans are, he told 247Sports Wednesday, as we relayed on our Signing Day show. That remains the case Thursday. Wednesday afternoon, he said that he "probably" would make a decision on Thursday. Will things wrap up Thursday? Stay tuned.

There is a lot of uncertainty, sources around several schools told 247Sports. Ohio State knows that offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline leaving to become South Florida's coach shook up Henry's recruitment. Henry, from what we're told, did not see this coming and was caught off guard.

Ohio State is still making a strong push to finish this recruitment. The Buckeyes love Henry and are not bowing out just because things got tough at the end. The staff, led by coach Ryan Day, continues to work the phones while also preparing for the Big Ten Championship Game. I do believe there is some frustration from Ohio State's side with how all of this is playing out, but they will continue to dig in.

Late Wednesday, 247Sports reported that USC was no longer involved with Henry. Could that be misdirection? Sure. However, that does not appear to be the case. The Trojans were interested but decided to focus on their 2026 class and turn attention to the transfer portal and the 2027 class.

There has also been chatter about Texas getting involved. However, we were told late Wednesday that the Longhorns were not in play and had also decided to focus elsewhere.

One school that is trying to make a run? West Virginia. The Mountaineers have a special place in Henry's heart. It's where his late father, Chris Henry, starred in college before heading to the NFL. However, even sources around this recruitment believe that they will likely come up short barring a pleasant surprise for them.

My best estimation?

I expect Henry to end up at Oregon. Multiple sources agree. While it's not a done deal, there is enough chatter from connected sources to make me think that he'll pick the Ducks.

For months, sources around Henry and those in Eugene, Oregon, made it clear that the Ducks' were more involved than most realized.

Despite Henry saying that he was locked in and had shut down his recruitment to Ohio State, he could make a late flip to Oregon, sources behind the scenes indicated.

As it stands, there is optimism on the Ducks' side about that happening.

However, until Henry makes a final decision, we're in wait-and-see mode with multiple schools still pushing to get this done.

 

 

 

Edited by Getafix

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