Let’s start the Monday afternoon nuggets with an update on Texas 4-star defensive line commit Brandon Brown (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie). 

Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker and the 6-1.5, 285-pound explosive defender spoke on the phone for the first time late last week. 

According to Brown, the conversation lasted “about ten minutes”.

“He was letting me know that he was trying to get his family situated in Austin,” Brown told OnTexasFootball Monday. “He said he wanted to get me out in the spring to visit. He was talking about my twitch and the way I get off the ball - he liked that." 

The news of Baker and Brown beginning the relationship building process is key with Brown and the California Power 7v7 team headed to Austin March 22-24 for a tournament in the Austin area. Brown will also be in Texas April 5th weekend for a 7v7 tournament. 

The Texas commitment lists Texas A&M, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, USC and Ohio State as programs that are coming after him with an all in approach. 

Texas commitment set to visit
Calhoun (Ga.) High tight end and 4-star Emaree Winston told OnTexasFootball Monday that he plans to visit for the Spring Game April 20. 

Winston, 6-2 and 230’ish, received a visit from Steve Sarkisian, Jeff Banks and Tashard Choice in January. Winston did not attend Texas Junior Day January 20, but did make a UCF visit when in the Orlando area. 

Spring Game visitor list:
Emaree Winston, TE, Calhoun (Ga.) High #AllGasNoBrakes 
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Michael Terry, ATH, San Antonio (Texas) Alamo Heights
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas, TCU and Texas Tech the top 3 currently. 

Rickey Stewart, RB, Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas leads large over Baylor, SMU and Oklahoma State.

Gus Cordova, DL, Austin (Texas) Lake Travis
Texas, Texas A&M and Oregon are the three schools mentioned the most. 

More April visits

April 6 visitor list:
John Mills, IOL, San Francisco (Calif.) St. Ignatius
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas will also receive an official visit June 14-16

April 13 visitor list:
Faheem Delane, S, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Major Preston, CB/DB, Hopewell (Va.) IMG Academy
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas offered January 30. Blake Gideon is in consistent communication. 

Told OnTexasFootball they plan to visit in April, but don't have date yet:
Kaliq Lockett, WR, Sachse (Texas) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Steve Sarkisian and Chris Jackson visited Lockett in late January. Texas, USC, LSU, Ohio State and TCU mentioned the most. 

Carmello Brooks, DL, Katy (Texas) Paetow
Defensive line coach Kenny Baker was by Paetow High in January. Barker has told Brooks he wants him to visit in April. Brooks, 6-3 and 270, may also make visits to Duke and California this spring. 

Ethan Utley, DL, Nashville (Tn.) Endsworth
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas was in top 2 prior to Bo Davis departing for LSU. Tennessee, LSU and Michigan serious players. 

Jaedon Harmon, LB, Rome (Ga.) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Steve Sarkisian, Tashard Choice were by Rome High to see the 6-1, 215-pound Peach State linebacker in January. 

Troy Huhn, QB, San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills - 2026
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

March visitor list

March 22-24 7v7 tournament in the Austin area:

Brandon Brown, DL, Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie #AllGasNoBrakes
Will make a first visit to Texas while in town for 7v7 with California Power program/team.

Members the Texas Nightrydas team that are expected to stop and visit Texas while in the area for 7v7 tournament...

Kiotti Armstrong, TE, Jasper (Texas) High - 2025
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas and Texas A&M remain top 2 with Longhorns slightly trending as of late last week. 

Kade Phillips, S/DB, Missouri City (Texas) Hightower
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
LSU, Texas and Texas A&M the three to know moving forward after the Texas offer Sunday evening. 

Javar Thomas, LB, Aldine (Texas) Nimitz - 2025
Texas offered February 2.

Kosi Okpala, LB, Houston (Texas) Mayde Creek - 2026
Texas offered January 22, and leads early. Mayde Creek defensive coordinator is former Texas National Campion linebacker Rashad Bobino.

Tai'Yion King, LB, Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial - 2026
Has 14 offers with Texas A&M standing out early on.

Noriel Dominguez, LB, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall - 2026
Has 14 offers. Will visit Oklahoma March 9.

Grant Smith, QB, Spring (Texas) Grand Oaks - 2026
Texas QB coach A.J. Milwee is watching Smith throw in person during spring evaluation period. 

March 16-17 (subject to change since spring break for Texas team):
Peter Langi, IOL, San Francisco (Calif.) Archbishop Rirordan - 2025
May reschedule for when team is practicing. This is spring break weekend. 38 offers, including the Horns. 

Our Lady of Good Counsel 4-star Faheem Delane tells OnTexasFootball he will make an unofficial visit to Texas April 13th weekend. 

Delane, 6-2.5 and 195 pounds, sports 30 offers currently. The Longhorns will be looking to ascend into the conversation with Oregon, Ohio State, Maryland and Tennessee as strong contenders. 

The SEC programs that have offered are Tennessee, Texas, Georgia (January 5) Auburn (late January), Alabama, LSU, Florida, Ole miss and Texas A&M. 

Texas offered Delane January 6 of 2024. Since that time, safeties coach Blake Gideon has remained in consistent communication. 

April 13 visitor list:
Faheem Delane, S, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Major Preston, CB/DB, Hopewell (Va.) IMG Academy
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Texas offered January 30. Blake Gideon is in consistent communication. 

Over the next four weeks, I will be taking a look at some of the biggest team needs going into spring ball based off conversations I have had with folks around the program. Today, we begin in the secondary.

***

It was seven weeks ago when Michael Penix threw for 430 yards in the College Football Playoff against the Texas defense. A night where it felt like he could do no wrong, Penix torched a Texas secondary who had been suspect seemingly all season long. 

Texas has seen some attrition from the secondary room in those past seven weeks, and while the nucleus of the rotation remains the same, an influx of talent with fresh faces arriving this semester was needed.

I had a conversation with someone close to the program last week who mentioned there was not enough swagger in the Texas secondary last year. It is a topic that Rod and I have explored on Longhorn Livestreams over the past month, however, now I am hearing it from the inside.

There is a lot of confidence with this unit and it has been showing thus far in organized throwing sessions and offseason workouts. I don't think anyone will find it surprising that defensive backs like to talk. It is part of the position to have that confidence and approach to the game that results in jawing a bit during practice. 

That conversation about the DB room left me with the impression the on-field play will be much improved in large part because of the mindset in the room now. The return of Terrance Brooks and Malik Muhammad starts this conversation. I would be remiss if I did not include Gavin Holmes here in this conversation as well. I have also heard that adding Andrew Mukuba to the room has also brought an extra gear out of Jahdae Barron.

I expect to see a different and unrestrained Derek Williams. Despite a great freshman campaign, no spring ball kept Williams from really playing as loose and free as he would have with an extra 15 practices under his belt. 

This room is confident. There is more chirping from their side of the ball and an aura to return to the illustrious Defensive Back U title to the Texas defense which has seemingly been tossed to the wayside over the last decade. As we head closer to spring ball, expect to hear about this topic as a goal for the secondary in future updates.

The Texas One Fund continues to put its best foot forward to raise NIL funds for Texas student-athletes.

I'm told the group is working on a major charity gala set for mid-May.

And the venue will be...

DKR. The actual field itself.

Chris Del Conte began reaching out to major donors late last week.

**

Speaking of the One Fund, the group is beginning to attract the interest of a few companies for sponsorships, among them Benchmark Bank, Covert Auto Group and Ticket City. Hat tip to those companies for their sponsorships.

One Fund is doing a nice job of reaching out to multiple levels of fandom IMO.

Whether it's corporate sponsorships, tailgates at the Sugar Bowl like the one at Manning's (thanks Rick!), or cultivating large donors in unique ways like the gala mentioned above, it's nice to see all Texas fans pulling in one direction when it comes to creating better teams.

**

At the town hall last week, Chris Del Conte was asked about whether or not he would be scheduling Big 12 opponents for football in the future.

Del Conte stopped short of saying no.

But he articulated the theory that it's unlikely the Horns will play any Big 12 teams unless those teams are willing to only play in DKR.

The Horns would be unlikely to play any home-and-home series with any Big 12 team. And therein lies the rub.

Texas won't be playing any Big 12 teams, unless it's in a bowl game or the CFP.

**

His prerogative not to schedule Big 12 opponents should not be taken as a desire to lighten the non-conference schedule overall.

Del Conte is telling folks that the Horns should be playing the Ohio States, Michigans and Notre Dames in non-conference play moving forward and will look to schedule such teams well into the future.

Spring practice for Texas is officially less than a month away. While the Longhorns on the field will be the focus in March and April, the staff is beginning to make a push to get top targets in 2025 back on campus around spring practices and the spring game. 

The visitor lists are beginning to build with many of the top targets yet to finalize plans or release their spring visit dates. 

With that said, it’s time to start your Monday morning off with some OnTexasFootball recruiting notes and nuggets.

Elijah Barnes and Texas
OnTexasFootball continues to feel good about where the Longhorns sit with the Dallas (Texas) Skyline linebacker. 

Barnes, 6-2 and nearing 230 pounds, has a March 22 visit planned to Ohio State. He’s also looking at March/April visits to Texas, Oklahoma, LSU and possibly Texas A&M. 

Nebraska and Oregon are potential June OV’s, along with Texas for sure. The Longhorns June visit weekend hasn’t been locked down. Look for the last weekend in June to be that date targeted by the staff. 

On the Texas side, it’s both Johnny Nansen and Jeff Banks that the DFW area star communicates with. 

“We haven’t really gotten into that (June OV date) yet,” Barnes told OnTexasFootball Sunday. “I will be back in April.” 

Barnes is on the track for this spring for Skyline High competing in the 4x100, 4x200 and open 100 meter. Barnes sports a 77-inch wingspan and 9.5 inch hands. 

Jacorey Watson spring visits
The Shadow Creek High 2025 wide receiver has four schools he plans to visit in the spring. 

“I’m going to get to Texas A&M, Texas and LSU again and probably Missouri,” Watson told OnTexasFootball. 

Watson, 6-1 and near 180, has been in communication with receiver’s coach Chris Jackson within the last week.

“We chopped it up a little bit last week. He wants to see me in the spring (spring practice) at receiver. He’s never really seen me play receiver since I played QB last season, He said he can’t wait to see me play receiver (in person).” 

Watson is scheduled to be fully released in the next couple of weeks after a foot injury mid-way through the 2023 season, and surgery that followed. He will not participate in track this season, but instead focus on spring football. 

Watson has one tentative official visit set up in June as well. He’s scheduled to make an OV down the road to Houston June 14-16. 

April visits scheduled 

April 6:
John Mills, IOL, San Francisco (Calif.) St. Ignatius
Attended Texas Junior Day January 20, and will make official visit June 14-16. The April trip will be his fourth since June of 2023. Michigan and Washington are the main competition right now. 

April 13-14:
Major Preston, CB/DB, Hopewell (Va.) IMG Academy
Texas offered January 30. Blake Gideon is in consistent communication. 

Spring Game April 20:
Michael Terry, ATH, San Antonio (Texas) Alamo Heights
Texas, TCU and Texas Tech the top 3 currently. 

Rickey Stewart, RB, Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill
Texas leads large over Baylor, SMU and Oklahoma State.

Gus Cordova, DL, Austin (Texas) Lake Travis 
Texas, Texas A&M and Oregon the three talked about the most. 

Hightower (Texas) High's Kade Phillips was offered by the Longhorns Sunday. 

Phillips, 6-1.5 and 178 pounds, attended Texas Junior day January 20. The Longhorns didn't offer at the time, but was a name OnTexasFootball continued to hear the defensive staff was high on. 

"I was very excited when he offered me," Phillips told OnTexasFootball Sunday night. "I had kind of seen it coming, but at the same I didn't. Coach Gideon offered me. We were talking and he told me that he had gone back and watched my film again. And he wanted to offer me. He thanked for me being patient."

The offer to Phillips is his 27th, including nine since January. The January offer list included Stanford, LSU, TCU, SMU and California. Arizona and Texas have offered in February. 

Phillips was considered a battle between LSU and Texas A&M prior to the Longhorns offer. The Tigers were considered the trending team according to one source close to the recruitment. Texas is now considered a threat. 

"Texas is up there, too."

Phillips told OTF he plans to make a visit to Texas in the spring, but doesn't have a date yet. 

We’ll talk Horns, recruiting, and more.

https://youtube.com/live/MNaYMpsnB6Q

OnTexasFootball.com takes a look at two mock drafts already published. 

A to Z Sports First Round Mock

3. Will Johnson, CB Michigan
It's rare that we see a cornerback go top three, but Will Johnson is a rare talent. Johnson allowed just a 29.1 NFL passer rating to opposing quarterbacks (via PFF) in 2023, absolutely shutting down passing offenses by himself. Receivers hauled in their target less than 45% of the time. Johnson is the clear CB1 for 2025 and the Giants could use an upgrade at corner.

4. Mason Graham, DL Michigan
Mason Graham was the most dominant second year player along the defensive line anywhere in the nation by a wide, wide margin. He posted the 8th best power conference pass rush pressure rate among defensive line players and stuffed 28 plays near the line of scrimmage that stopped opposing offenses in their tracks this season. Incredible talent to pair with Maxx Crosby on the Raiders defensive front.

8. New Orleans Saints: Quinn Ewers, QB Texas
2025 is the first year that it makes any sense for the Saints to move off Derek Carr's contract. Adding Quinn Ewers would finally give them a quarterback with upside again. Ewers destroys defenses in the intermediate game better than most any quarterback in the country to set up his selective shots downfield. One more year with Steve Sarkisian at Texas and he'll be ready for this kind of draft capital.

11. Malaki Starks, S Georgia
There aren't many players who lock in first round status before their first college season is through, but Malaki Starks certainly did. Here he is in the first quarter of his first college game making an absurd interception on a throw from Oregon QB, Bo Nix.

13. Carson Beck, QB Georgia
If the Vikings miss out on drafting their supposed favorite target at QB, J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft expect them to grab a signal caller in 2025. Beck showed unreal efficiency down the stretch last year against some of his toughest competition and should repeat or exceed his totals from a year ago.

14. Indianapolis Colts: Kelvin Banks, OT Texas
Kelvin Banks was a day one starter at left tackle for Texas and has been dominant ever since. His movement ability at nearly 325 pounds and strength to finish is quite the sight to behold. 

17. Deone Walker, DL Kentucky
Deone Walker may be 350 pounds, but he's not limited to just nose tackle. He can line up and bring pressure from just about anywhere, and if he gets his hands on the ball carrier at all the play is immediately over. The Bears already have a strong run defense, but Walker's disruptive value as a pass rusher would make them an elite defensive front.

22. Kenneth Grant, DL Michigan
Kenneth Grant was the other Michigan defensive lineman (besides Mason Graham) with a double digit pressure rate up the middle last fall. At 340 pounds he's a mauler against both the pass and run. The Texans will need an age reset in the middle of their defense by 2025.

23. Dasan McCullough, DB/LB/EDGE Oklahoma
Dasan McCullough started out as an edge rusher for Indiana, but when he transferred to Oklahoma Brent Venables moved him to his famous hybrid "cheetah" role where he played a combination of off-ball linebacker and defensive back.

26. Colston Loveland, TE Michigan
Eventually the Dolphins will have to employ a real starting tight end and Colston Loveland is the clear TE1 for 2025. He has the best production profile among all returning power conference tight ends and wins with both speed and ball skills.

28. Tate Ratledge, iOL Georgia
Tate Ratledge could have been an early round selection in 2024 had he declared. He might be the best returning pass blocking guard in the nation. The Lions have could use interior offensive line help and Ratledge would help right away.

30. Baltimore Ravens: Isaiah Bond, WR Texas
If you look at Isaiah Bond's stats from his first two years at Alabama (just 888 yards and five touchdowns) one might think he isn't very special. Bond should immediately slot into the primary vertical threat role for Steve Sarkisian's Texas offense this fall and find himself drafted early. The Ravens get an explosive deep threat to pair with Zay Flowers.

Note: 16 of the 32 players in the mock first round are in the SEC.

Walter Football 2025 First Round Mock Draft

6. Mykel Williams, DL, Georgia

7. Mason Graham, DL, Michigan

8. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

9. Malachi Starks, S, Georgia

10. Kelvin Banks, LT, Texas

11. Ethan Burke, EDGE, Texas

16. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

18. Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma

21. Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia 

22. Earnest Green III, OT, Georgia 

23. Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas

25. Gentry Williams, CB, Oklahoma

26. Carson Beck, QB, Georgia

30. Trey Zuhn III, OT, Texas A&M