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THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. This week’s recruiting decisions still hold some mystery
It’s still early in the week and we’re still in the information-gathering process, but both of this week’s scheduled commitment announcements (defensive tackle D’antre Robinson on July 20 and defensive back Corian Gipson on July 22) are still a bit murky.
With Robinson, the big Rivals250 member officially has 10 schools on his radar, but most signs point to this one coming down to either Texas or Florida. Robinson isn’t saying much publicly and I don’t believe he’s told any of the coaching staffs of his decision. It could be that he’s still sorting things out, but that’s unlikely. Usually when a kid sets a firm commitment date, he knows where he’s going.
Interestingly, two weeks ago, I had a Florida source indicate that he didn’t think UF would be the pick. That same person has now changed his tune and indicated there’s confidence inside the Florida program that the Gators will be the pick. For what it’s worth, a coaching source at one of the schools on Robinson’s top 10 believes Texas will be the pick, but he too is trying to read the tea leaves and hasn’t heard anything directly.
Gipson, the Rivals100 DB out of Lancaster, is equally puzzling. Early in the spring, shortly after Clemson offered, all signs pointed towards an early commitment to the Tigers. That obviously didn’t happen and Gipson continues to play things very close to the vest leading up to his Saturday announcement. Clemson was the proverbial “dream school,” which shot Dabo Swinney and company out in front early but there are enough signs pointing UT’s direction that this one’s tough to decipher.
Texas landing Gipson’s close friend, Jordon Johnson-Rubell, has me leaning UT in this one but it’s a fairly low-confidence pick (there was grapevine talk at one point in June of Gipson and Johnson-Rubell announcing together). Multiple recruits in the Texas class are expecting UT to be the pick, but prospects can be somewhat unreliable for recruiting intel … they’re usually completely dialed in, or the last to know, with very little middle ground.
In communicating with a Clemson media source this week, it sounds like the Tigers are as confused as the rest of us. Gipson is described as a “wildcard” by people tied to the Clemson program and while he and his family have given continued indication of how much they like Clemson, he hasn’t ever given them firm indication that the Tigers will be the choice.
We’ll continue to check on these two recruitments throughout the week, but buckle for what could be a couple of exciting announcements.
2. Michael Riles will be a top UT target in the 2025 class
Port Arthur Memorial defensive lineman Michael Riles is one of the country’s top prospects in the 2025 cycle, checking in at No. 53 on the Rivals100. The 6-5, 235-pound standout took spring visits to places like LSU, Houston and Texas. The stop at UT made a good impression and Texas has an ally in one of the program’s current team members.
“It was good. I like coach (Pete Kwiatkowski),” Riles said. “He was a cool coach. I like how he coaches. I really like Texas. It’s a good school. My cousin goes there, Jaylon Guilbeau.”
Riles is still pretty new to the recruiting scene and this one is a long way from being settled. He admitted he doesn’t know a ton about the Texas program but said Guilbeau has told him UT will give him a great shot at getting to the NFL. Beyond that, he’s still doing his research, but did say his family is full of Longhorn fans.
Riles isn’t working on a firm timeline and said he’d like to decide next summer, but that date is very much up in the air. When he visited Texas in the spring, the coaches told him to just keep his head down and continue to work on his craft.
“Really, (Kwiatkowski’s message was) never stop working. Don’t get too big-headed thinking you’re the man,” Riles said. “Just never stop working.”
3. Texas is a strong contender for out-of-state defensive end Ethan Utley
File away the name of Ethan Utley.
A 2025 defensive lineman out of Nashville (TN) Ensworth, Utley and his mom made their way to Austin in the spring for UT’s Elite Camp, and both Utley and his mother raved about the experience. Utley, ranked No. 141 on the 2025 Rivals250, recently dropped a top 12 that included Texas, and the Longhorns have a chance to really make waves in this one if the staff continues to push.
Some comments from a recent conversation …
On his visit to Texas …
“I just like everything about Texas. The environment, when I went down there for my visit, just coach Sark seems like a real polite person. Just getting to know him for the first time, he connected with my mom really well. And then coach (Bo) Davis, he’s old school, traditional coach. He’s going to shoot it to you straightforward. I really liked that about coach Davis. He doesn't try to sugarcoat anything that you do. I actually got a chance to work out with him when I was down there. So that was fun, enjoyable. And being from Nashville, that Texas heat isn't too bad. Just being able to get that workout in, just like seeing how Texas, see how coach Davis coaches, a lot of the things that he does teach are a lot of things I'm learning in my high school right now. So if Texas were to be the place that I land, it wouldn't be a lot of new things I'd have to learn. Just like being able to get comfortable with that and just get a feel for that, Texas put a nice little footprint in my recruitment for sure.
Utley was offered prior to the visit. He was invited to the Elite Day by Blake Gideon and decided to go ahead and work out at the camp:
“He was like, might as well go ahead and work out. And I was like, ‘Why not? I’ve never been scared of competition.’ I'm always wanting to get some work in, especially to be able to be taught by coach Davis. That was something I was interested in. … Coach Sark said he was impressed.
“They say Texas has the best competition and I just wanted to see what it was like. That was fun, just being able to see that. Then I was when I was there they had a little pool party, so the vibes and everything were cool.”
On what has Texas on his list:
“Texas. I mean, it’s the University of Texas so I just like everything about the program. Them now going into the SEC, that makes it even bigger. It really doesn't matter to me what conference a team is in, but them going into the SEC, now they’ll be playing teams like Georgia, the Alabamas of the world.”
On his strengths and weaknesses:
“The majority of the time when I pass rush I can get away with simply just doing one thing and just sticking to that one thing because of the competition I'm playing against. But at the next level, you can't do that. You have to know how to think really fast, just like how to go from one thing to another.
“If you want to be all around player, you want to be one of the best in the country, you’ve got to be able to do everything. That's what most schools wanted to see after my freshman year was my run stopping so I run stopped last year. Now my junior year, I want to put it all together.”
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TWO QUESTIONS
1. IMG OL update No. 1 – What are UT’s chances with 2026 OL Breck Kolojay?
IMG Academy in Florida is always going to be loaded with talent, and the Longhorns already have their eyes on a couple of the program’s underclassmen offensive linemen.
2025 standout Breck Kolojay attended UT’s Elite Camp and picked up an offer shortly after.
“I had a good camp. They didn’t offer me right exactly at the camp because I had to leave early for a flight,” Kolojay explained. “About a week later I got a text and one thing led to another and coach Flood offered me.”
Originally from Denver, Kolojay said once he got the camp invitation, he made quick plans to get to Austin.
“It’s the University of Texas. It’s something I can’t really say no to,” Kolojay said. “That’s a huge school I’ve been watching ever since I was a younger kid. It’s a great school. To get the opportunity to go out there and camp at the Elite Camp, it was a really good and fun opportunity to show the coaches what I’m about.”
It’s too early for the 6-5, 294-pound Kolojay to have a firm list of favorites, but he did say that the Longhorns are in a good spot early on.
“Right now, it’s really early, but Texas is definitely going to be up there on my list,” Kolojay said. “I’m not trying to focus on it too much, just trying to focus on our upcoming season at IMG. But it’s a blessing, it’s an opportunity and they’re going to be up there on my list.
“It’s just the culture. Austin, Texas is one of the coolest college cities that I’ve visited. The culture that they have - it’s not entrusted to the timid or the week. Just being mentally strong, I really like how they quote that through the program.”
2. IMG OL update No. 2 – What are UT’s chances with 2026 OL Keenyi Pepe?
Keenyi Pepe, at 6-7 and 277 pounds, definitely passes the eyeball test. As in he looks like a guy that should eventually contend for five-star status. Texas got on him early.
“They actually offered me in eighth grade. It was a really fun process going through Texas,” Pepe said. “I went with his group called Next Level Prospects with St. John Boscoe. I was supposed to go to Boscoe but I ended up going to IMG.
“I like everything (about Texas). I like coach Flood a lot. He’s a really good dude. I like coach Sark. They’re really cool dudes over there and I think they’re really good at what they do. As far as offers, I think Texas is going to be up there.”
Like Kolojay, it’s way too early to name any favorites for Pepe but he did mention Oklahoma as another school that has his attention. Programs like Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Oregon and USC are among those that have already offered, along with Texas.
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ONE PREDICTION – I’m going to need therapy after last week’s family vacation
Last week, the Suchomel clan took our annual summer vacation. Our itinerary …
Day 1 – Flew to Phoenix, drove from Phoenix to Sedona for a very quick stop and appetizers. Then, drove from Sedona to Flagstaff to spend the night. Hit downtown Flagstaff for a couple of hours and then enjoyed a really cool pizza place in Flagstaff (Fat Olives).
Day 2 – Drove from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. Explored the Grand Canyon for a couple of hours (amazing!). Then hit the road for a 4 ½ hour drive to La Verkin, Utah, making a couple of pit stops outside of the Grand Canyon so the wife/kids could shop for some hand-made souvenirs from some American Indians that had set up booths at various scenic viewpoints.
Day 3 – 4:30 a.m. alarm to be at Zion National Park by 6 a.m. The entire crew hiked Angel’s Landing. My wife, son and his friend had a permit and went all the way to the top. Those of us who actually value our lives and have sense enough to not want to fall off of a cliff turned around about halfway up.
Day 4 – Hiked The Narrows in Zion National Park, where you spend a lot of time actually hiking in the Virgin River, which carved out the Canyons of the park. Made it all the way to “Wall Street,” taking us about 5 hours round-trip.
Day 5 – Drove to Las Vegas, walked 30,000 steps in the blistering heat showing the kids all the amazing architecture in the different casinos. Dinner at Carmine’s (thanks for the suggestion OB fam!).
Day 6 – More of the same as day 5, although I did find about 20 minutes while the kids were resting to get in some blackjack, before flying home that evening.
All in all, it was a very productive, if not exhausting trip. I’m sure in time I’ll appreciate the memories that were made, particularly at Zion National Park, but I (jokingly???) told my wife midway through this trip that it may be our last family vacation for a while. I’m sure those of you with (multiple) teenage daughters can commiserate with me.
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