(Ketch)
Five things to get us started...
1. Just as follow-up on the report from earlier about growing confidence that wide receiver Jordan Whittington will return to Texas for the 2023 season, I get the sense that Texas has been working pretty hard behind the scenes to get his situation ready to go, from a future NIL outlook and role within next year's offense. Nothing is done yet, but I would contend that both Whittington and T'Vondre Sweat are perfect examples of the new NIL world opening the door for key players to return that might have not done so before this new universe that exists. For all the concern about where Texas stands inside of the larger national NIL world, I would contend a successful enticement of keeping Whittington and Sweat would be a sign having of a very good NIL plan in place.
2. I still haven't heard anything final on offensive lineman Junior Angilau. It's a tough spot for him to be in when you consider he's coming off of a major injury. It's going to be tough to win a job on this emerging Texas offensive line, but it'll be no walk-in-the-park to rehab at another school in the search for more playing time. It sounds like the ball is totally in Angilau's court.
3. Don't freak out because the Longhorns haven't thrown out a bunch of offers this week to the first batch of names to hit the Portal. There's a sense behind the scenes that there's going to be a lot of interest in UT's portal slots and the Texas staff wants to get a better read of what's available before it goes offer-crazy.
4. It feels like things continue to trend in the right direction for Denton Ryan five-star linebacker Anthony Hill. I've heard nothing all week other than incredibly positive burnt orange signs. We might simply be at the stage of the recruitment where Hill and his family are content to run out the clock until an announcement around NSD.
5. @Suchomel will have a little more on this below, but I'm pretty bullish on the Longhorns chances of landing Deandre Moore.
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(Anwar)
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian is aware of sophomore receiver Xavier Worthy’s frustrations.
Worthy had 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns as a true freshman. However, Worthy had 53 receptions for 676 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Worthy did not have a connection and missed deep plays throughout the year. Worthy was visibly frustrated during multiple games after incomplete passes. After the regular season finale, Worthy removed every mention of UT from his Instagram account, which fueled speculation that he might enter the transfer portal.
I asked Sarkisian on Monday about Worthy’s happiness at Texas, and the coach acknowledged the sophomore receiver was frustrated.
“Well, I think the one thing about Xavier is this … he's a highly competitive young man. From the moment he arrived on our campus, he came to work. He came to work to earn an opportunity to play came to work to become a starter. He came to work to be the best receiver he could be, whether that was in our conference or the country. I think the guy's got a high sense of competitiveness and drive to be the best and he works that way every day. So, sometimes when you don't get the actual result of it, that can become a sense of frustration. I would much rather have a receiver that's frustrated that he didn't contribute more to a win than a guy who's content going on the field and playing and the ball not coming his way because I think he values his ability to get open. I do, too. I get it.
“Again, addressing the passing game is going to be a critical component to what we do, but [it’d] be hard to find a guy in his first two years of college football at the Power Five level who's got 21 touchdown catches in two years. So, he's been off to a pretty good start, but I think his best days are ahead of him.”
Sarkisian is working behind the scenes to make sure those days occur in a Longhorn uniform.
According to multiple sources, Sarkisian is working to prevent Worthy from entering the transfer portal. I was told Sarkisian wants Worthy to remain on the team and expressed that desire to his receiver this week. It remains to be seen if Sarkisian’s pitch worked.
It is important to note that Sarkisian and Worthy have a close relationship. Worthy visits Sarkisian’s home and they have an off-the-field relationship. Worthy’s frustration has nothing to do with Sarkisian as a person. Instead, Worthy’s concerns center around a passing game that struggled this season, and questions about whether it could improve next season.
The good news, for Sarkisian, is he should have plenty of time to sway Worthy.
From what I was told, Worthy is committed to Texas for the remainder of this season. That means Worthy intends to participate in the bowl game. It is possible Worthy already knows his next move and has not told the Texas staff. However, it is also possible Worthy will use December to decide if he will stay or leave Texas.
Sarkisian recently said he would not ask players to remain at Texas but is making an exception in this instance.
“If this is somewhere you want to be and you're willing to put forth the effort and the energy needed to make that happen, come on,” Sarkisian recently said. “If you're wondering about it, if you got one foot in, it's probably better to take the other step and move on. That's just the nature of it. There's no ill will towards that but that's the environment of college football today. That's the reality that we're in. We can embrace it or we can continue to fight it. I'm of the mindset of you might as well embrace where we're at. I've referenced this line a lot, adapt or die. There’s a reason dinosaurs aren't here anymore, they couldn't adapt. We have to adapt with the times. The transfer portal is a real thing and you have to manage it accordingly, just like you do recruiting, NIL, or anything else that comes up.”
We will keep you posted.
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Regardless of Worthy’s decision, Texas is preparing to add receiving options through the transfer portal.
Longhorn fans need to keep a close eye on former Missouri receiver Dominic Lovett when college football’s free agency begins. One source told me Lovett is the top receiving target for Texas this offseason.
Lovett caught 56 passes for 846 yards and three touchdowns for Missouri this season. He established career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (148) against South Carolina this season. Lovett had at least 100 receiving yards four times in 2022.
During the summer, the NCAA Division I Council approved new transfer window dates that open the day after championship teams are selected (December 5) and close 45 days later on Jan. 18, 2023. There is also a 15-day spring period, May 1-15.
We will keep you posted.
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Here are a few housekeeping notes:
--- Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford is leaning toward staying in Austin for another season. Ford submitted his name to the College Advisory Committee and is waiting for the results. It would take a result Ford could not ignore for him to leave Texas.
--- Texas running back Bijan Robinson is finalizing his decision. I spoke to someone in Robinson’s camp and was told the running back is sorting out his short-term and long-term. There are people close to Robinson who are encouraging him to turn pro and skip the bowl game. However, I am waiting for his official decision.
*****
(Suchomel)
We’re keeping an eye on the recruitment of wide receiver Deandre Moore as we close in on the final few weeks before the early signing period kicks in. Moore, of course, remains committed to Louisville but did take official visits to both Georgia and Texas.
In checking a couple weeks ago, there was some though that Georgia might have surged in front as the team most likely to flip the Cali product (even schools out West felt that was the case as recently as this week). Georgia did land a WR commitment last week when it flipped Anthony Evans from Oklahoma, which could play into UT’s favor.
Sources close to Moore now have this one as trending well for Texas, but there are some moving parts behind the scenes that make it a bit tough to pin down. Moore has been committed to Louisville since May and the Cardinals are doing everything they can to keep the Rivals100 playmaker in the fold. Call it cautious optimism on the part of OB in the Horns’ chances of adding the talented wide receiver.
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Texas is determined to add another defensive tackle to this class, and the Longhorns have a few different lines in the water.
An offer to Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon DT Cameron Brandt went out this week and Brandt tells OB he’s going to try to schedule a visit to Texas after talking over his options with his family. A Stanford commitment, Brandt’s situation will be worth monitoring closely now that David Shaw has resigned. Cal and UCLA could also figure into the mix if Brandt does officially open things up.
One person we talked to this week thought the longer the Stanford coaching search goes on, the more it makes Texas appealing. But this person also said the academics at Stanford may be enough to keep Brandt in place despite the coaching change. We’ll keep a close eye on this one in case he does wind up making to Austin for a visit.
Trey Pierce decommitted from Wisconsin this week and while most feel that Michigan is now the team to beat, he’s schedule take a Texas official visit the weekend of December 16, so Texas will have a chance to move the needle during that trip.
West Virginia commitment Justin Benton will take his Texas official visit the weekend of December 10 and this feels like one the Longhorns can certainly win if the staff makes a strong push. Benton’s mother is a schoolteacher, he carries a 3.85 GPA so academics will be a big factor in his decision.
“Really, it’s just about how I fit,” Benton said when asked what will separate one school from the rest. “Just finding the perfect fit for me, me and my family. The school has to be great, the system that they run has to fit me schematically. And the people.”
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2024 wide receiver target Parker Livingstone is a maybe to visit Texas this weekend with the dead period lifting on Friday, but the weekend of December 10 is more likely. Livingstone has always been high on Texas after picking up an offer this summer but he raised some eyes this week with a tweet of him in a Texas uniform, even tagging Steve Sarkisian. Texas remains in a good spot, but Livingstone says he’s not likely to make a decision before taking his official visits next year.
“I still have to get down there, see everything like the campus and things like that. I’m taking this one day at a time but obviously I think Texas fans should be excited,” Livingstone said. “I’ll be down there soon.”
We’re not completely ruling out the idea of an early commitment from the Lucas Lovejoy standout because there’s always a chance Livingstone could get caught up in the excitement of his upcoming visit, but the plan right now is to get out to see places like Tennessee, Florida State and Oregon before deciding. As for what has Texas so high on his list …
“Coach Sark does a great job. I like the style of offense they run,” Livingstone said. “The program is in great hands. I love coach marion. He was the first coach who offered me when he was at Pittsburgh.”
Livingstone finished his junior year with 52 catches for 908 yards and 12 touchdowns, and feels he improved in several areas.
“I think I got better obviously with my separation being a big thing, my speed in the offseason. Getting stronger and faster were big things for me,” Livingstone said. “I think I improved on all of those. Catching the ball – I think I improved on a lot of things this year.”
With possible visits to out-of-state colleges on the horizon, staying close to home isn’t going to be the biggest of factors but Livingstone understands there are some benefits to being close to family.
“It would obviously be a lot closer travel for my parents to come see my games. I don’t know where I’m going to end up, if it’s Oregon, ‘Sorry mom and dad, you’re going to have to make that travel.’”
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A quick update on wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, who took a Texas official visit in November …
In talking to a source this week, there’s some thought that Lane might be tough to pull from USC because he feels a sense of loyalty to the Trojan coaches for them sticking by him while he tries to iron out some academic issues. This one feels like a longshot that it’ll work out with Texas based on the things I heard this week.
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A bit more background on new LB/EDGE target, Rylan Kennedy, who picked up a UT offer last Friday.
Kennedy’s d-coordinator and recruiting coordinator A.J. Sheppard worked with UT assistant Jeff Choate when Choate was at UTEP, so there is a bit of a connection there for Texas to lean on. Kennedy was supposed to get together with his family and coaches this week to start mapping out official visits and the thought was that Texas would almost certainly receive one of those trips.
Having played only one year of high school ball, Kennedy is still working on his craft but his athleticism is off the charts.
“He plays some outside linebacker for us (in the 3-4), or we can get in a 4-man front with him,” Sheppard said. “One thing he learned throughout the course of this year is putting his hand on the ground and rushing from a defensive end. You talk about being a sponge, learning on the go. He only had last spring, only got so many practices. Colleges are looking at him as an outside linebacker or edge guy. He’s 6-4, almost a 40-inch vertical.”
*****
(Cole)
Cedric Baxter told Orangebloods this week that he is planning to only visit Texas ahead of the Early Signing Period. He is locked in with the Longhorns, thanks in large part to Tashard Choice.
There’re still a couple of weeks until pen hits the paper, but Texas seems to be set to hold onto the blue chip back, something that sources have been telling OB the past few months. Baxter is an instant-impact type of back and is expected to contribute early after enrolling in January. He sees the opportunity to carve out a key role with Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson off to the NFL.
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David Kabongo is a name on the Texas board for the 2024 class. He was offered in the summer and is a target for Blake Gideon at the safety position. Kabongo put together a strong junior season for Byron Nelson, who fell to Denton Guyer this past weekend in the 6A DII playoffs.
Kabongo told Orangebloods that he talks with the staff pretty regularly. Gideon and Brandon Harris are among those that he speaks with. His interest in Texas is high and he plans to return to the 40 Acres “soon.” I’d have Texas as the leader in his recruitment and am curious to see if the Longhorns push to add him into their class.
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Texas OL commit Trevor Goosby is a player that is generating more and more interest leading up to the signing period. Alabama and Florida both have Goosby on their radar, but Goosby appears to be very solid with his commitment. He is excited to play for Kyle Flood and is tight with Connor Stroh, Andre Cojoe, Payton Kirkland, and Jaydon Chatman.
Goosby should be moving up a little bit in the rankings update and I think should be in the four-star conversation by the time the last update comes around. He has an intriguing athletic profile, a good sports bloodline, and is scratching the surface of his ceiling. He will be playing basketball this spring before enrolling at UT.
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Aeryn Hampton backed off his Texas commitment this week. Hampton had been flirting with other programs since the summer, so this was somewhat expected. He is high on Alabama and hasn’t been shy about wanting to play with Jalen Hale in college.
Still, I expect Texas to continue to be in the mix for Hampton. He told me that he still really likes Texas, and he has a great bond with Blake Gideon and Steve Sarkisian. I expect Hampton to be back on campus more than once over the next year. There will surely be some ebbs and flows in his process.
*****
(Ketch)
The 2019 recruiting class was a disaster for the Texas Longhorns.
That's not breaking news. It's failure is so massive that it's been impossible to ignore it for the last few years, as it felt like it was headed for a dumpster fire almost as soon as the class showed up on campus.
What I'm not sure has been crystal clear is just what a massive collective miss the class across the board. Oh, some of the 5 stars went boom. Some of the high 4 stars, too. Beyond that?
Let's put it this way... I had a heck of of a time in this remake of an updated Top 25. The Longhorns just didn't get enough of the few players that emerged into quality college players.
1. WR - Garrett Wilson
LSR: 5 stars and No.2 in Texas
Rivals: High 4 stars, No.32 overall nationally, No.7 in Texas
247: 5 stars, No.29 overall nationally, No.5 in Texas
ESPN: High 4 stars, No.18 overall nationally and No.2 in Texas
Thoughts: I'm kind of pissed at myself for not ranking Wilson at No.1. No one was higher on him in the industry earlier than I was, but in the end I only ranked him No.2. Still, I'm going to give myself a small win here. Even though ESPN ranked him No.2, which is the same as the LSR, they only ranked him as a high 4 star, while he was a no-doubt-about-it five -star for me.
2. OL - Kenyon Green
LSR: 5 stars and No.3 in Texas
Rivals: 5 stars, No.22 overall nationally, No.5 in Texas
247: High 4 stars, No.34 overall nationally, No.7 in Texas
ESPN: 5 stars, No.3 overall nationally and No.1 in Texas
Thoughts: A lot of Texas fans thought he was overrated as a prospect coming out, but his career in College Station and his first round draft pick status in the NFL cement his spot towards the top of this list. In this re-ranked, ESPN had him one spot too high and the LSR had him one spot too low.
3. DB - Lewis Cine
LSR: High 4 stars and No.12 in Texas
Rivals: High 4 stars, No.54 overall nationally, No.10 in Texas
247: Mid 4 stars, No.95 overall nationally, No.18 in Texas
ESPN: High 4 stars, No.35 overall nationally and No.5 in Texas
Thoughts: Three of the lists had him as a high four-star prospect, but ESPN had him ranked the highest by a considerable enough margin that they get the win.
4. DL DeMarvin Leal
LSR: 5 stars and No.1 in Texas
Rivals: 5 stars, No.10 overall nationally, No.1 in Texas
247: 5 stars, No.3 overall nationally, No.1 in Texas
ESPN: High 4 stars, No.60 overall nationally and No.9 in Texas
Thoughts: Is there a winner here? I'm not so sure.
5. RB - Isaiah Spiller
LSR: Mid 4 stars and No.18 in Texas
Rivals: Mid 4 stars, No.153 overall nationally, No.21 in Texas
247: Low 4 stars, No.232 overall nationally, No.27 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.123 overall nationally and No.19 in Texas
Thoughts: Three of the rankings had him rated the same, but the LSR had this Aggie ranked the highest, so I'll take a very baby win.
6. OL Layden Robinson
LSR: High 3 stars and No.54 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars and No.44 in Texas
247: High 3 stars, No.57 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.78 in Texas
Thoughts: You have to give Rivals the nod on this one, even if they only beat the LSR by 10 spots, because they had Robinson in a higher recruiting tier than anyone.
7. RB Roschon Johnson
LSR: Low 4 stars and No.32 in Texas
Rivals: High 3 stars, No.18 Dual Thread QB, No.88 in Texas
247: High 3 stars, No.6 Dual Threat, No.41 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.104 overall, No.3 Dual Threat and No.17 in Texas
Thoughts: ESPN gets this one. LSR has to settle for silver. Kind of crazy that a career back-up running back is able to check into The Top 10 and almost in the top five.
8. LB Anfernee Orji
LSR: High 3 stars and No.71 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars, and No.47 in Texas
247: High 3 stars No.84 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.58 in Texas
Thoughts: Very quietly, Orji has been one of the most underrated players in the SEC in the last few years, as he racked up 200 tackles (108 solo), 20.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and an interception in his last two seasons. I'll give the win to Rivals for being the only one to rank him as a 4-star.
9. WR Elijah Higgins
LSR: Low 4 stars and No.27 in Texas
Rivals: Mid 4 stars, No.119 overall and No.18 in Texas
247: Mid 4 stars, No.89 overall and No.15 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.112 overall, and No.18 in Texas
Thoughts: Had a career year with 59 receptions for 704 yards and 2 touchdowns as a senior in 2022 and is headed for the Senior Bowl. Yet, he was never really in conversations for being the best receiver in the Pac-12. I doubt in a national re-rank that he would be a national Top 100 player. It's close.
10. CBN - Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson
LSR: Mid 3 star
Rivals: 2 stars
247: Mid 3 stars and No.157 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.77 in Texas
Thoughts: ESPN gets the win here for having him in the state top 100. I'm not sure why Rivals ranked him as a two star.
11. TE Jalen Wydermyer
LSR: High 3 stars and No.59 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars and No.41 in Texas
247: High 3 stars and No.53 in Texas
ESPN: Low 4 stars and No.51 in Texas
Thoughts: The two-time, second-team-All SEC selection was a really good college player that went undrafted in the NFL. He's currently on the Colts' practice squad. In a re-rank, you'd have to Rivals the edge for ranking him the highest.
12. OL Beaux Limmer
LSR: NR
Rivals: Mid 3 stars and NR in Texas
247: High 3 stars and No.66 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.106 in Texas
Thoughts: Nice job, 237 for having this All-SEC limeman inside its Top 100 when no one else did.
13. DB Jalen Catalon
LSR: Mid 4 stars and No.24 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars, No.243 overall and No.31 in Texas
247: Low 4 stars and No.29 in Texas
ESPN: Low 4 stars and No.42 in Texas
Thoughts: Caralon was an All-SEC player as a sophomore and injuries have ravaged his last two seasons, but when he's been healthy, you could make a case that he's been a Top 10 player on this list.
14. Rashee Rice
LSR: Mid 3 stars
Rivals: Mid 3 stars and NR in Texas
247: High 3 stars No.85 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 3 stars and No.146 in Texas
Thoughts: A first-team All-American Conference selection this season after catching 95 passes for 1,355 yardd and 10 touchdowns. Man, talk about someone you'd want from the Portal as a grad student. Nice job by 247 to sneak him into the top 100.
15. WR Jordan Whittington
LSR: 5 stars and No.5 in Texas
Rivals: High 4 stars, No.33 overall and No.8 in Texas
247: Mid 4 stars, No.59 overall and No.10 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.40 overall and No.7 in Texas
Thoughts: If he comes back for another season in Austin, he still has a chance to climb into the Top 10.
16. DT T'Vondre Sweat
LSR: Low Four-star, No.51
Rivals: Mid 3 stars, No.110 in Texas
247: High 3 stars, No.27 DT, No.48 in Texas
ESPN: 3 stars, No.93 DT and No.94 in Texas
Thoughts: 247 had him ranked 3 spots higher than I did in the LSR, but I was the only one to rank Sweat as a four-star prospect. It's basically a tie, but we were both better than Rivals and ESPN on this one.
17. S Demani Richardson
LSR: Mid 4 stars and No.11 in Texas
Rivals: Mid 4 stars, No.109 nationally and No.15 in Texas
247: Mid 4 stars, No.56 overall and No.9 in Texas
ESPN: Low 4 stars, No.138 overall and No.22 in Texas
Thoughts: A rock solid defender for the Aggies, who has recorded 245 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 4 interceptions as a four-year starter. Rivals probably for the best ranking of him.
18. WR Tyler Hudson
LSR: NR
Rivals: 2 stars
247: Mid 3 stars and No.179 in Texas
ESPN: NR
Thoughts: Emerged as one of the best receivers in the ACC as a senior this year at Louisville after transferring from Central Arkansas. Caught 69 passes for 1,34 yards and 3 touchdowns this season. 247 gets the win by being the only rankings that made him a three-star.
19, LB David Ugwoebu
LSR: Low 4 stars and No.41 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars and No.36 in Texas
247: High 3 stars and No.47 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.55 in Texas
Thoughts: The second-leading tackler on OU's defense this season has been a very solid, but not truly outstanding player.
Rivals ended up ranking him the highest, but it's a virtual wash.
20. DB Jonathan McGill
LSR: High 3 stars and No.81 in Texas
Rivals: High 3 stars and No.60 in Texas
247: High 3 stars and No.60 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.124 in Texas
Thoughts:One of the Portal's top defensive backs, Rivals and 247 are exactly tied as the leaders.,
21. OL Sincere Haynesworth
LSR: NR
Rivals: Low 3 star
247: Low 3 stars and No.231 in Texas
ESPN: NR
Thoughts: Nobody wins on this one if the best ranking is No.231 in the state. Haynesworth is a three-year starter at Center for the Green Wave and wad a first-team All-AAC selection this season.
22. TB - Titus Sven
LSR: Mid 3 stars
Rivals: 2 stars
247: Low 3 stars and No.242 in Texas
ESPN: Low 3 stars and No.252 in Texas
Thoughts:No one really rated this kid high enough to get much credit.
23. WR Ainias Smith
LSR: Mid 3 stars
Rivals: Mid 3 stars and No.100 in Texas
247: High 3 stars and No.68 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars and No.126 in Texas
Thoughts:A solid player for the Aggies, you'd probably have to five 247 the edge.
24. TE Austin Stonger
LSR: Mid 4 stars and No.28 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars and No.36 in Texas
247: Mid 4 stars, No.93 overall and No.16 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.70 overall and No.11 in Texas
Thoughts:As a solid tight end at the college level, he probably overrated by a couple of services. The LSR ranking is probably the best.
25. RB Qualan Jones
LSR: High 3 stars and No.60 in Texas
Rivals: Low 4 stars and No.37 in Texas
247: High 3 stars and No.75 in Texas
ESPN: High 3 stars No.105 in Texas
Thoughts: Rivals get the final bouquet of flowers for rating him the highest.
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