Coach Baker gets active on the trail in Georgia with an offer, plus Gerry and I discuss stops on the road we made this morning  

This was my first time seeing Mays in person and I was thoroughly impressed. He stands right now around 275 pounds, but has plenty of room to go in his 6-foot-4 frame and has already begun gaining weight since the offseason. He mentioned this morning he hopes to get up to 290 pounds by the beginning of next season.

By all accounts, Mays is an interior guy at the next level. Plenty of schools project him as a guard while several have pitched center. Interestingly, he will be play left tackle next fall, but he has experience everywhere on the offensive line and even mentioned he enjoys playing center.

Mays wants to study computer science wherever he ends up and both of his parents are engineers – safe to say he is a smart kid. The coaching staff at Weiss mentioned that immediately upon my arrival as well.

But to Texas. Mays was most recently on campus for the January 20 Junior Day a month ago but has been firmly on the radar for Kyle Flood dating back to the summer of 2023 when he camped on campus. Early on, Coach Flood has made quite the impression on Mays.

"I got to Coach Flood at the end of the (Junior Day)," Mays told me this morning. "I really like it there in general. It is in a really nice area and it is always very welcoming. I have always really liked up there at Texas.  I love Coach Flood and the way that he coaches, he is so quick and efficient with it, and he is always an energetic person."

Mays also mentioned being invited to a spring practice and hopes to make the quick trip to the 40 Acres some time in March. 

"I feel like they are going to keep going on this upward path," Mays said about the Texas program. "Especially with all of the (recruits) that they have been gaining – I check on 247Sports a lot – they have a really good recruiting class. I think they are going to be really high up next year."

It is safe to say Mays is firmly on the radar of a number of programs in the region. He holds offers from Baylor, Houston, Texas State, UTSA and SMU at the moment and the SEC programs are lurking closely behind. Mays will be visiting Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M this spring and into the summer with Ole Miss and Kansas State also on the docket.

Still a long ways to go, but Texas will be heavily involved here and will get him back on campus in the near future.

OnTexasFootball caught up with Greene County Head Coach Terrance Banks within the hour. 

Here is everything to know about Wynn:

1. Wynn is 6-3 and around 320. He's currently playing on the varsity basketball team, which begins the playoffs this week. He will go to the track after hoops season concludes. He qualified for for state in the Class 1A shot put and discus as a sophomore. 

2. The offer was made by defensive line coach Kenny Baker. Running backs coach and area recruiter Tashard Choice has ties to the Greene County coaching staff, but did not have a role in the offer. It was Baker, a Peach State native. 

3. Wynn released a top 10 Monday. That top 10 consisted of Georgia, Florida State, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, N.C. State, South Carolina, Michigan and USC. 

4. Wynn made visits during the season to Florida State x2, Alabama x2 and January visits to Georgia, N.C. State and North Carolina. He had to cancel visits to Tennessee and Florida. 

5. His No. 1 interest outside of football is culinary. He wants to be a chef one day. His major could well be nutrition (natural sciences). 

Of course, with Texas sending 11 players to the NFL Combine, there were plenty of Longhorns that were mentioned during the availability and I wanted to share notable quotes and tidbits Miller shared in regards to Texas' Draft hopefuls.

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Where the Longhorns fell in Miller's latest Mock Draft:

• 16) DL Byron Murphy (SEA)
• 32) WR Xavier Worthy (KC)
• 38) WR Adonai Mitchell (TEN)
• 49) TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (CIN)
• 54) DL T'Vondre Sweat (CLE)
• 58) RB Jonathon Brooks (GB)

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Longhorn With Most to Gain at Combine

A: Byron Murphy + Xavier Worthy

"I think a lot of people aren't aware of (Byron Murphy), just because we did not see him in an All Star game and what Texas asked him to do – he was asked him to do, he played head-up on an offensive tackle in a 3-3-5 defense. So he was not asked to pin his ears back and rush the quarterback which is what he actually does very well.

"He is not the biggest guy, he is 6-1, we will see but 300-310 pounds. But his quickness and his raw strength are just jaw-droppingly good.

"I was a little surprised when he declared (for the Draft) because I had not originally heard a lot of buzz. But when guys declare, it is like, 'okay, now I need to watch them.' And as soon as I started watching him closely, it was like 'Okay, he is going to be in my top-40.' Then you watch more and now he is going to be in my top-30, then wait, now top-20 and sure enough he is now in my top-15.

"I think some of that is just getting caught up. When we watch so many games throughout the year, you are not always focused on individual players or trying to take a holistic view. Obviously you watch the quarterbacks because those guys are asked about a lot.

...

"I will throw one more name out there – Xavier Worthy. I don't know if it just because how much Texas Football I have watched, but I think he has been slept on just a little bit nationally when I see mock drafts or rankings from colleagues. I am always surprised with how low he is ranked. I think he has a great opportunity next week to come in and show, No. 1 just how fast he is. He is going to burn up the track with that vertical speed. But also to answer questions I think a lot of people labeled him as someone with drop issues because of the 2022 tape. A lot of the drop issues really went away in 2023."

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WR AD Mitchell

Mentioned being in the WR group of Roman Wilson, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey right around the end of round one and getting into round two.

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RB Jonathon Brooks

Miller has Brooks as his first RB taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Added that there will be some movement following the Combine and wants to see how Brooks interviews and updates in his recovery.

In this year's draft, will be two categories of running backs: the bully, downhill runners and the out-of-the backfield guys. Brooks falls into a bit of both. 

High praise heading Brooks' direction even while recovering from the ACL injury. Interestingly, Miller added it is a strong running back class in this Draft, despite the potential of a back not being taken in the first 50 picks. 

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TE Perspective + Bijan Robinson

"Every time that I do a mock draft exercise, (Brock Bowers) is coming off of the board at 13, 14 or 15 because those teams in the top ten have so many needs and they are going to go most likely big positional value - QB, LT, WR or CB. Those are the top ten picks this year it feels like.

"So for a guy like Bowers, despite the fact that he might be one of the five most talented players in the draft, because he is a tight end he tends to slip a little bit in mock drafts. Honestly it is a lot like Bijan Robinson last year.

"Where it was like, we knew how talented he was as a player. But it was really hard to find a natural fit for him. The Falcons were obviously okay with taking a running back very early and they got a great player."

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On Thinner Draft Crop in 2024

"I mean (the draft has) changed tremendously just off of that number alone. I think this will be one of the shallowest draft pools that I've ever covered because so many players are going back to school. We have to remember this, there's the COVID year, I think this is the final year where players are potentially benefiting from that 2020 season.

"But NIL is is huge and I personally think is a good thing for players. Instead of having to make a financial decision and going to the NFL early and maybe being a late round pick, you don't have the opportunity to go back to school you support yourself, maybe support your family if you are taking care of them and improve your draft stock. LSU QB Jayden Daniels is a fantastic example of that. Had he left college last year, he would have been a day-three pick, probably a middle of day three pick because that was a pretty good quarterback last year. He was able to go back to school thanks to NIL and now he's in line to be top three overall pick. So there are a lot of success stories – Bo Nix being another one.

"From the GM side of things, I don't want to say it's a weak draft or bad draft, but just the actual pool of players compared to last year which was probably the deepest draft ever, this will be a pretty shallow one. It is something that kind of goes in waves. Last year was incredibly deep, next year will probably be incredibly deep. I think smart general managers are always looking at least a year ahead at each position group and at the draft as a whole."

Dickinson, Texas - One of the top offensive line targets for the Texas Longhorns in the 2025 cycle is Tyler Thomas (Dickinson, Texas/High). 

Thomas, 6-5 and 320, was offered by Texas June 3, 2023 following the Longhorns Elite Camp. Since that time, offensive line coach Kyle Flood has made the Galveston County area standout a priority. And Thomas has reciprocated the Texas heavy interest with at least four visits to Texas for games and camps. 

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Flood stopped by Dickinson High in January to meet with Thomas. 

Thomas didn't hold back his thoughts on Texas headed into the spring. 

"I really like Texas," Thomas told OnTexasFootball Tuesday. "They have been recruiting me the hardest for the longest. They have always been a special place for me. I just feel different with Texas. Coach Sark just wants me to fall in love with the culture and the thought of being a Longhorn."

Offensive line coach Kyle Flood's resume and consistency with Sarkisian stand out. 

"He's a great O-line coach. Him and Coach Sark have been together for nine years, I think they said. They are a really great duo. Coach Flood can really coach O-line."

Thomas has two April visits locked in to get back to Texas, with a third to come in June. 

"I'm going up there April 6th, and I'm getting back for the Spring Game (April 20)."

Texas A&M and LSU spring visits scheduled
Before Thomas steps foot on campus in Austin in April, he will make March visits to the two teams that are likely the biggest competition for the Longhorns. Thomas is scheduled to be at LSU March 9 and Texas A&M March 30.

Texas A&M: "Biggest takeaway (January 27 Junior Day) was how much family means to them. A lot of them were at Duke together, so they are already a family. I could feel it the second I walked in. Coach Elko said they need me. He said my class is going to be the first class because they have a lot of senior graduate. So my class is going to come in and compete early."

LSU: "Coach (Brad) Davis came to the school (in January). His message was how much he loves his players. He said he may not be the perfect coach, but one thing that never fails is how much he loves his players every day. He wants me to come be part of the brotherhood."

Texas A&M, Texas, LSU and Oklahoma are the four schools that will receive official visits. Texas A&M is locked in for June 14-16, and Texas is likely June 28-30. 

One of the late January offers made by the Texas Longhorns was 2025 versatile defensive back Major Preston (Hopewell, Va./IMG Academy). 

Preston, 6-1 and 185 pounds, was offered by safeties coach Blake Gideon on a school visit to IMG Academy January 30. 

"I kind of knew it was coming," Preston told OnTexasFootball Monday afternoon. "Three weeks before they offered, Blake Gideon was in the DMV and reached out to my family. Coach Gideon gave me a good, strong impression when he came to IMG. He coaches hard and develops. We definitely had a great conversation when he came to see me." 

Preston is scheduled to make a first trip to Austin the weekend of April 13. He will be joined by his mother and father. 

"I have never been to Austin before. I really don't know too much about Austin. One of my family members played with Texas strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton, so that's how Texas found out about me. My boy is Jordon Johnson-Rubell (teammates at IMG in 2023). He said he likes it a lot at Texas. He made the right decision. He said the workouts are tough."

Like many other top prospects, Preston watched the Longhorns on TV more than once in 2023.

"I watched Texas play a couple of times last season. I feel like they are a great team. Strong and fast. Texas is building something strong for the future." 

Gideon told Preston the Texas staff likes his versatility at defensive back being a player that could play any position in the secondary scheme. 

Preston popped onto the national scene in January

Major Preston is up to 22 offers, but it was the day after Christmas that his recruitment began to change. 

The Texas offer was one of eight since December 26. Florida got the run started the day after Christmas. The Gators were joined by Michigan, Indiana, Duke, Louisville, Oklahoma, Boston College, Texas A&M and Texas. Colorado quickly followed with a February 1 offer. 

One of the schools that is making a strong run of late is the Oklahoma Sooners. Preston is scheduled to visit Oklahoma March 9th weekend. He lists Virginia Tech (June 28-30 OV date likely), Florida, Colorado and Michigan as schools he also plans to visit this spring. 

Preston plans to make June official visits, and announce a decision prior to his senior season. 

But not necessarily in a typical way.

There’s not a single back expected to carry the load. There’s no Bijan Robinson expected to be RB1 off the board in the NFL draft.

Rather, it’s the cumulative nature of the RB room that has folks hopeful.

So I wanted to take a deeper dive on what those aspects, those strengths, are and perhaps take a look at perceived shortfalls, too.

Cedric Baxter

Relative Strengths: strong inside runner, good hands, willing blocker, one cut quickness, can run through arm tackles

Question Marks: could add even more strength, patience, can he make people miss?, durability

Jaydon Blue

Relative Strengths: acceleration, speed, excellent hands, feel for outside run

Question Marks: pass protection, ball security, tackle breaking, short-yardage

Tre Wisner

Relative Strengths: acceleration, quickness, darter, can make people miss, excellent hands

Question Marks: size, blocker?, can he handle every-down responsibilities?

Savion Red

Relative Strengths: quick feet, decisive runner, tough, can make people miss, well-rounded

Question Marks: what is he great at?, not a breakaway guy, consistency, size

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That leaves the two newcomers to consider.

We have little info about Jerrick Gibson and Christian Clark beyond their high school film.

And high school strengths don’t always translate. However, we know they have some specific traits.

Jerrick Gibson

Traits: Excellent size and strength; downhill runner

Christian Clark

Traits: Very tough, excellent feet in the hole; good quickness

With both Gibson and Clark, it’s about what else they can add to the room in Year One.

Can one of them become a short-yardage or goal-line back? That seems to be a possible opening for either to contribute early.

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As we talk about the RBs this off-season, let’s do so in the context of what they bring to the table and what roles they can fill based on their strengths. Because that’s what Steve Sarkisian is going to try to showcase.

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I traded messages earlier with 2026 five-star DL Jahkeem Stewart out of New Orleans (LA) about his communication levels with Texas. Stewart has been on campus multiple times since popping up on the recruiting scene as an eighth grader back in San Antonio during the All American Bowl combine. 

Stewart said that his communication with Texas is up in the air at the moment. Texas did stop by in January when Brandon Harris was asked to assume a coaching role while Sarkisian was filling the DL spot. I have heard from the Texas side of things here that communication is expected to ramp up as spring ball nears.

The 6-foot-6 lineman also mentioned Texas as school he was hoping to visit during the spring practice season. Stewart is currently ranked as the No. 3 player in the country for the 2026 class.

One thing that could be helping the Horns a bit here is Stewart's relationship with Barryn Sorrell, the two train together in the New Orleans area.

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Texas extended an offer to 2025 Cedar Hill OL Devin Coleman. There were some questions yesterday in regards to which position this offer was extended for as Coleman has also earned plenty of interest on the defensive side of the ball.

Coleman told me last night Coach Kyle Flood extended the offer on the offensive line and added Coach Flood is pitching an interior spot at the next level – most likely guard.

Plans to visit Austin have yet to be finalized, but Coleman does expect to make it down to Austin at some point near spring football.

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Texas added a few pieces to their Player Personnel department last night. The first being Jackson Gleeson, who I have heard has a great mind for identifying talent at early stages. Eager to see what kind of impact he has inside of Moncrief now, but there was some really positive early returns here.

The other being Jordan Mitchell, a former graduate of The University of Texas who is beginning to take the next steps behind the scenes. I have a couple of messages out to learn more about him and will update further when I do.

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Riley Pettijohn, LB, McKinney (Texas) High

Plus, which NFL Departure will the Longhorns miss the most in 2024.

The 6-foot-5 and 315-pound offensive lineman has four offers so far in his recruitment; Texas Tech, SMU, Duke and Colorado.

Devin is the twin brother of 2025 OL Jordan Coleman who the Longhorns offered back in November of 2023.