OTF Premium Texas is 'fighting for the right guys' in recruiting under Steve Sarkisian

[Jeff Howe]

OTF four-star+EDGE Dre Quinn (Buford, Ga.) is expected to make the call on Thursday in a recruitment that’s come down to a battle between Texas and Clemson.

Quinn’s decision is the first of many scheduled to be made in the coming weeks by Longhorn targets. The group of blue-chip recruits planning to pull the trigger includes defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland (Birmingham, Ala./Parker) on Saturday, running back Ezavier Crowell (Jackson, Ala.) next Thursday, offensive tackle Malakai Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha) next Friday, linebacker Xavier Griffin (Gainesville, Ga.) next Saturday and Frisco Panther Creek wide receiver Jalen Lott on July 8.

Texas has some margin for error within most position groups ahead of the remaining summer decisions. The staff can withstand a loss or two, and the conditions could still be ripe to secure elite, difference-making positional hauls.

Not all recruiting losses are created equal. Some will hurt more than others.

There’s no way, for instance, to cushion the blow the Longhorns were dealt on Tuesday, when Carthage running back KJ Edwards committed to Texas A&M. If Crowell picks Alabama, Auburn or Georgia over the Longhorns, Chad Scott's running back board would reset heading into the fall.

An uncertain running back outlook aside, CJ Vogel recently hit the nail on the head regarding the current state of recruiting on the Forty Acres.

“You’re fighting for the right guys,” he said during last Wednesday’s “Longhorn Livestream” during a discussion regarding the possibility of the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class being the program’s third in a row to finish ranked among the top three in the country.

I’ve been employed in the Texas market covering recruiting since 2008. Never has the hunt for talent been more widespread, with the Longhorns battling against perennial SEC and College Football Playoff contenders for prospects.

The staff’s efforts in the Northeast have Texas in the mix for offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh (Wyndmoor, Pa./La Salle College), defensive lineman Damari Simeon (Richland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) and EDGE Luke Wafle (Princeton, N.J./The Hun School). The Longhorns are scheduled to welcome two California visitors to campus this weekend, tight end Keawe Brown (Corona, Calif./Centennial) and EDGE Richard Wesley (Chatsworth, Calif./Sierra Canyon).

The Longhorns haven’t been shy about mixing it up for recruits within the SEC footprint, either. They’ve made their presence felt from Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and into Florida. Two of the biggest prospects left on the board are defensive lineman Kendall Guervil (Fort Myers, Fla.) and EDGE Trenton Henderson (Pensacola, Fla./Catholic), who will begin their official visits to Texas on Friday.

Steve Sarkisian’s organization didn’t suddenly decide to ramp up its recruiting efforts throughout the Southeast. It’s a benefit to joining the SEC that Sarkisian and the Longhorns have tried to maximize, particularly with consecutive trips to the CFP semifinals, allowing Texas to conduct business from a position of strength.

“I think the move into the SEC has probably been more beneficial for us,” Sarkisian said at a Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon in May. "A lot of people are changing conferences right now, but this one really resonated with us.”

He mentioned how the program’s ability to recruit from within the Lone Star State and head eastbound along the Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 corridors changed the staff’s approach.

“It's easy for those kids, it's natural for those kids to want to come to Texas,” he said. “There's a ton of players, so as much as we value recruiting the state of Texas, which is critical for our success, this made sense for us to work directly east, as opposed to the Big 12.”

The Longhorns won’t win every cutthroat recruiting battle for the top talent from a part of the country that’s buoyed almost every national championship-winning roster over the last 25 years. Still, Texas has won enough to claim a place at the top of college football’s talent acquisition food chain.

And with a stomach strong enough to withstand the ebbs and flows, Sarkisian has everything he needs to keep the Longhorns there for the foreseeable future.

“I love the competitiveness of the SEC, but also love the recruiting aspect of the SEC,” he said. “We're able to go into Georgia and sign three or four players a year. We're able to go into Louisiana, we're able to go into Florida — very talent-rich areas to go along with what we have here in the state of Texas.

“It’s been a win-win for us on those two things.”

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[tommym]

What would be new names at running back, we should know?

[Jeff Howe]

I've had CJ's statement on my mind since he made it almost a week ago. It's a great place to be because the wins mean you're adding blue-chip talent that can help you win a championship, but the losses mean that one of the opponents standing between you and a championship just got better.

When you're big-game hunting in the NIL/revenue sharing era of college football, last-second losses can happen. Sure, Sark might need to adjust some things as time goes on, but I'm giving the staff the benefit of the doubt, even on tough days like today.

I've got faith in them continuing to get the players Texas needs to remain in the title hunt in the SEC and the CFP.

The bottom line is I'd much rather Texas be battling Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon in high-stakes recruitments than trying to poach from Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech to field a competitive roster.

Texas has a head coach with the stomach for the fight, which hasn't always been the case in my time covering recruiting.

 

[Jeff Howe]

5 minutes ago, tommym said:

What would be new names at running back, we should know?

It remains to be seen. CJ mentioned in the KJ Edwards threat that Texas hasn't had any contact with Jett Walker recently.

I don't expect them to give up on Edwards or Crowell.

Having the stomach for the fight in these battles also means a willingness to recruit through the whistle.

The main thing the staff can't do is panic, and I don't expect they will. Maybe it's just a one-back class, or Texas will lean on the portal, depending on what the roster looks like as the season progresses.

[NothinButDaHorns34]

December will be glorious as usual under sark. I don’t panic at all with who we don’t land during the summer. I am not convinced heze kent will be a tight end two years from now, But i fully trust sark & staff to cook us up another top 5 class. 

[Quinncent McManning, Jr.]

What I like is that the staff have prioritized the lines. We are losing nil battles at skill positions but the trenches are where games are won 

[SuperDave0805]

Its June and we lost (Maybe) a recruit so of course we should look logically and FIRE EVERYBODY!!

[Brho]

I’m ready for the games to start. Going to be a long couple of months. 

[tommym]

They will adapt like they do a year ago in defensive linemen, next year they will bring 6 or more running backs for visits.

[Shane]

Sark said he doesn’t panic in June or July. No reason for me to either then. I trust Sark and his staff. 

[Jarveaux]

I wouldn’t completely give up on KJ Edwards. I can’t believe he’s going to A&M .Sark wants him , if he’s a fit for our team he will wind up a Longhorn.

[GoHorns1]

1 hour ago, tommym said:

What would be new names at running back, we should know?

TBD

[horns96]

Was CJ even born when "RC didn't offer..." ?

Edited 17 hours ago by horns96

[tommym]

Well sounds like we night get Krempin or turntine. Ojo, we'll get a big bag from Ohio st. Lee is taking another unofficial visit to Georgia. The sky is falling.

[Drunk randoke]

Disappointed but my faith in the staff is strong.  Let’s roll. 

[Jeff Howe]

11 minutes ago, Drunk randoke said:

Disappointed but my faith in the staff is strong.  Let’s roll. 

I read your post as Capt. Andrew Luck. Let's hope Sark's resolve is strong and his sidearm remains true.

[AceHorn23]

4 hours ago, tommym said:

What would be new names at running back, we should know?

Al Bundy and Doug Heffernon.

[JMarquette]

15 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

I read your post as Capt. Andrew Luck. Let's hope Sark's resolve is strong and his sidearm remains true.

“You can kill a man but you can’t defeat him”

-Captain Dakota Prescott

[Drunk randoke]

17 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

I read your post as Capt. Andrew Luck. Let's hope Sark's resolve is strong and his sidearm remains true.

Well sir.  I am a civil war nut. Just spent a week touring the battlefields of the Eastern US. 
 

[Drunk randoke]

18 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

I read your post as Capt. Andrew Luck. Let's hope Sark's resolve is strong and his sidearm remains true.

Think Lonesome Dove.  Sark is Captain Call. Elko is the Buffalo Heifer. 

[JMarquette]

Just now, Drunk randoke said:

Think Lonesome Dove.  Sark is Captain Call. Elko is the Buffalo Heifer. 

I’m reading that book right now and it’s magnificant

[SuperDave0805]

55 minutes ago, AceHorn23 said:

Al Bundy and Doug Heffernon.

Did you know Bundy scored 4 TDs in a game?

[Jeff Howe]

14 hours ago, horns96 said:

Was CJ even born when "RC didn't offer..." ?

If he starts discussing the size of a recruit’s forearms, you know he’s an old soul.