THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. Ryan Wingo is locked in with his Texas commitment
When five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo chose Texas over the in-state Missouri Tigers, the common thought was that Mizzou would continue to put the full-court press on Wingo in an effort to get him to stay home. In talking to Wingo following his multiple-day visit to Austin last weekend, it doesn’t sound like Texas has anything to be worried about.
“They really don’t reach out that much,” Wingo said of Missouri. “That’s fine with me because I’m committed.”
Wingo will sign with Texas in December and then play in the All-American Bowl before enrolling in January. He and his family arrived in Austin on Thursday of last week, he spent Friday in the football offices sitting in on team meetings and then enjoyed watching the Longhorns put it on Texas Tech on Friday night.
“It was pretty cool. On game day, that was obviously pretty cool. My granny got to come up with me, my uncle, my dad,” Wingo said. “We got to do the walk (Bevo Blvd), watch that with a lot of people, then just watch the game. They won 57-7. It was a good win. The offense was moving the ball well too. There were a lot of good signs. Arch got in the game. A lot of freshmen were out there, a lot of teammates I’ll be playing with, so that was cool.”
Manning, who could be Wingo’s quarterback during much of Wingo’s time in Austin, made a strong first impression.
“The stats don’t show, but he was slinging it. He was throwing it around. Had a few good balls, just being able to show the future,” Wingo said. “The moment really didn’t look too big for him. He looked like he was ready.”
The St. Louis University product gave Texas a little more than one month ago. Wingo said he’s as happy with his decision as he’s ever been.
“I feel great about it. I’m locked in with Texas,” he said. “I’m ready to get the show on the road.”
One final note … Wingo said he’s seen the projections that have Texas and Missouri meeting up in the Cotton Bowl. “That’s pretty cool,” he said.
2. Jerrick Gibson’s visit to Florida on Saturday puts his commitment on shaky ground
Texas running back commitment Jerrick Gibson made it in for the Longhorns’ game against Texas Tech and had a great time. But the story doesn’t end there. Gibson then hit the Florida game on Saturday night, for what is now his third (maybe fourth?) Gators home game he’s attended this season.
A one-time Florida commitment, we now wait to see if Gibson will take an official visit to Florida. There’s been talk for weeks that Gibson could take a Florida OV the weekend of December 8, but Gibson has been noncommittal when asked if that trip will happen.
As for the UT visit, Gibson told OB that things went very well.
“I liked how they ran the pall. They put it together, put a spanking on them,” Gibson said. “I liked seeing Arch Manning in there. It was just a dominant game. I liked that the team was celebrating with each other. It was like a brotherhood.”
It is important to note that Gibson did tell the Texas coaches that he was visiting Florida on Saturday. He’s been upfront every time he’s gone to Gainesville and he told us that the coaches gave him their blessing. On his UT visit, Gibson said Tashard Choice’s message was that he’s ready to coach him up in Austin.
“He was just saying he can’t wait for me to get there and we’re going to grind,” Gibson said.
When pressed on whether or not Texas had anything to worry about with the Florida visit, Gibson said he’d prefer not to discuss that storyline. Not the most encouraging response for Texas. His relationship with Tashard Choice is strong enough that this is one Texas might be able to hold onto if Choice continues to put the pedal to the metal over the next month. If he takes a Florida OV, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Texas pull back on this one. Stay tuned.
3. Texas still looks good for Kobe Black
When it came out on Monday that Kobe Black was postponing his commitment for roughly a week, there was a hint of worry from some Longhorn fans. Not surprisingly, there was also a sense of hope from some A&M fans hoping that new head coach Mike Elko might be able to get Black on campus for a visit. It was misguided worry/optimism from where I sit.
We mentioned last week that the November 29 announcement date was “tentative” for a few reasons, including a scheduling conflict with the auditorium at Waco Connally, where Black plans to have his ceremony. Add in the factor that Fields’ brother is playing (against Texas) this weekend in the Big 12 Championship Game, and it just makes sense to delay things a bit.
This one’s not hard to figure out. Texas A&M is pretty much out. I don’t see any way Black’s going to Oklahoma State (in fact, I have strong reason to believe his brother, Korie, might not be in Stillwater next year). That really leaves just one logical choice and that choice is draped in burnt orange.
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TWO QUESTIONS
1. How have coaching changes impacted some potential UT flips?
We hear Steve Sarkisian speak often about the importance of coaching continuity among his assistants, usually as it relates to on-the-field performance. That’s certainly true, but it also helps in the recruiting realm, especially late in the process when relationships really matter in helping keep guys in the fold.
We’re seeing some ripple effects that are working out in UT’s favor after coaching shake-ups at other programs. Let’s take a look …
- On Monday night, it was announced that Florida had parted ways with defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, who just happens to be the primary recruiter for Rivals100 safety Xavier Filsaime. This one was already on shaky ground after Filsaime took a visit to Texas last week, but he was reportedly actively recruiting for Florida while in Tallahassee last weekend. A source close to Filsaime said on Monday night, shortly after the Raymond news was announced, that Filsaime and his family will probably wait to see who is hired to “see how this impacts him.”
- Texas was close to getting Texas A&M commitment Tyanthony Smith on campus for a visit, but Jasper’s ongoing playoff schedule has made things difficult. Smith has stayed silent of late but the guess here is that the hiring of Mike Elko might solidify his commitment a bit. Elko’s a defensive-minded head coach so Smith will probably like that, and Elko will have ample time before NSD1 to work on keeping Smith in the fold. Of note, Jasper plays an undefeated Bellville team this week so Smith’s weekends will likely free up soon. Don’t be surprised to see Texas A&M work to get him on campus for a second official visit.
- Mississippi State defensive tackle commitment Terrance Hibbler has been in touch with Texas so that one remains alive and was rethinking his position prior to a coaching shake-up in Starkville. There was some scuttlebutt over the weekend that Hibbler could be looking to get back to Austin for another visit, but we’ve been unable to confirm that. An Alabama visit is likely, per a source close to Hibbler.
2. How do the Big 12 teams rank after last week’s slate of games?
1. Texas (last ranking: 1) – The easy choice for the top spot, now the Horns need to back it up on Saturday.
2. Oklahoma (last ranking: 4) – I know, Oklahoma State beat them … but OU is playing better and would probably win seven times if they played 10 times.
3. Oklahoma State (last ranking: 5) – This team can be pretty good at times, awful at others.
4. Iowa State (last ranking: 4) – Impressive win by ISU over K-State last weekend.
5. Kansas State (last ranking: 2) – Wild game in Manhattan last weekend.
6. West Virginia (last ranking: 7) – I’m not impressed with the Mountaineers but they are 6-3 in league play.
7. Kansas (last ranking: 8) – Tough team to figure out from week to week.
8. Texas Tech (last ranking: 6) – So much for that three-game win streak.
9. UCF (last ranking: 10) – They won three of their last four.
10. TCU (last ranking: 9) – That is not a good Horned Frog team.
11. BYU (last ranking: 14) – Valiant effort last week against Oklahoma State.
12. Houston (last ranking: 12) – Lost five of its last six.
13. Baylor (last ranking: 13) – Arranda given one more year despite finishing the year on a five-game losing streak.
14. Cincinnati (last ranking: 11) – One conference win after starting the year 2-0.
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ONE PREDICTION – Texas and Florida swap commitments
Nothing is finalized in either recruitment just yet, but with the developments in Florida’s coaching staff, it sure fees like Xavier Filsaime is suddenly trending UT’s direction. It just makes sense for the McKinney product to stay in-state with UT’s stability, the upward trajectory of the program and all of the opportunities the University of Texas provides.
On the flipside, Jerrick Gibson feels like he’s trending the other direction. The IMG Academy running back keeps coming back to Austin for visits, but he also keeps showing up on Florida’s campus. Plans are not locked in for an official visit to Florida, but if Gibson has visited UF unofficially a few times, it sure feels like an official visit is likely to happen. Gibson’s a terrific prospect but Texas has talent and depth in the running back room so it would be a loss that Tashard Choice could absorb, especially with some big fish in the pond for the 2025 class.
Interested in sponsoring the 3-2-1 and the Recruiting Q&A, shoot me an email at jason@orangebloods.com!
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