In one of the bigger surprises of the 2023 recruiting cycle, the Longhorns have added a commitment from offensive lineman Payton Kirkland.
A Rivals250 member out of Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips, Kirkland recently released a top five that didn’t even include Texas, only to see the Longhorns surge at the finish line to land the four-star product. As recently as late last week, Kirkland had insisted that he was focused on five schools – Oklahoma, Michigan State, Miami, Alabama and Florida. In the end, Kirkland’s recruitment took an unexpected turn and it was the Longhorns as the only team left standing.
At 6-7 and 325 pounds, Kirkland gives Texas assistant coach Kyle Flood another massive offensive line prospect with which to work as Flood continues to retool the UT offensive line. Texas signed seven offensive linemen in the 2022 class and Kirkland now becomes the Longhorns’ fifth offensive line pledge in the 2023 cycle.
The addition of Kirkland is surprising on several levels, mostly because there hadn’t been a ton of Texas talk in his recruitment prior to his commitment and Kirkland has never even visited the UT campus. That will almost certainly change in the fall when Kirkland is able to take a Texas official visit.
Prior to his decision, Kirkland took four official visits in the month of June to Oklahoma, Miami, Florida and Michigan State. At various points throughout his recruitment, different teams from that group seemed to have momentum in Kirkland’s recruitment, but it was actually Texas working quietly behind the scenes that ultimately won the race.
Kirkland was one of the stars of the Rivals Camp Series in the spring, dominating whichever defensive lineman was put in front of him.
“If you like watching an offensive lineman enjoying whipping the butts of defensive ends, Kirkland is your guy,” Rivals.com wrote following the Miami Rivals Camp. “Kirkland is that mix of big and powerful with a wanted dog mentality. The state of Florida is full of elite speedy weakside pass rushers and strongside ends that have made a name for themselves putting the hurt on linemen and quarterbacks. Kirkland wasn’t having it, dominating his reps throughout the 1-on-1s.”
A four-star prospect, Kirkland ranks No. 226 on the Rivals250. He becomes Texas’ 20th commitment in the 2023 class.
