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    Gerry Hamilton
    Wednesday morning recruiting nuggets 
    If Texas fans are wondering who could be the next prospect to receive and offer from the Longhorns, time to take a look toward the Golden Triangle. OnTexasFootball was informed Tuesday night that the Texas staff is close to offering Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial 2026 LB Tai'yion "Tank" King. 
    King, 6-1.5 and 210'ish, is an instinctive downhill linebacker that has been a force for the Titans since his freshman year on varsity. King has 15 offers with Notre Dame being the most recent. Texas A&M is considered the team to beat headed into the spring. 
    King is expected to visit Texas Saturday prior to a 7v7 tournament in Round Rock. An offer could be made Saturday, or even prior. 
    Nightrydas 7v7 players visiting Saturday 
    P.A. Memorial LB Tai'yion King will be on hand, as mentioned above. He will be joined by 2026 Texas linebacker target Kosi Okpala. Okpala is a Texas lean at this time.
    Aldine (Texas) Nimitz 2025 LB Javar Thomas and Spring (Texas) Grand Oaks 2026 QB Grant Smith are two other names expected to visit from ther 7v7 team. 
    California Power 7v7 team visiting Friday
    OnTexasFootball has reported the details of visits Friday for Texas pledge Brandon Brown (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie) and 2025 4-star offensive tackle Josh Petty (Roswell, Ga./Fellowship Christian School). 
    A former teammate of Ryan Wingo has also confirmed he will be visiting with California Power. Keenan Harris, 2026 safety, with 16 offers will be among those making the Texas visit Friday. The 6-2 and 190 pound safety/hybrid LB has not been offered by the Longhorns to date. 
    Top three Texas linebacker target Matai Tagoa'i (San Clemente, Calif./High) is a possibility to visit as well. 
    CJ Vogel
    Texas has extended an offer to 2026 American Heritage (FL) quarterback Dia Bell after an unofficial visit to campus Tuesday morning.
    Bell was on campus and attended the first practice of spring ball for the Longhorns this morning.
    It is certainly worth mentioning that Dia is the son of former NBA All-Defensive honoree Raja Bell who spent 12 seasons in the Association.
    With 25 offers under his belt now, Bell is touted as one of the most sought after recruits at the quarterback position in the 2026 class.
     
    Gerry Hamilton
    Two visits to Texas for 4-star out of state OT 
    When Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood stopped by John F. Kennedy High in Cedar Rapids, Ia. in January it went without any fanfare. 
    That's because the name Nick Brooks was just a very talented prospect in the 2025 class that Texas offered March 1, 2023.
    Brooks, 6-7 and 345 pounds, had not been on campus and was seen as a true long shot. Brooks then committed to Iowa the in early September before backing off that pledge November 7. At the time, Georgia was considered the main competition. And while the Bulldogs remain the in the top 2 with Iowa, Texas has officially entered the race. 
    Brooks told OnTexasFootball Tuesday afternoon that he has two visits planned to Texas.
    "I'm going to visit Texas in April," Brooks told OTF. That visit is scheduled for the Spring Game April 20. 
    That will be the first of two visits with an official visit in June very likely.
    "I have an official visit scheduled to Texas, but I think I have to change it to another date."
    Texas was looking to lock in the June 21-23 visit weekend, but that is when Brooks is scheduled to be at Iowa. With Georgia scheduled for May 31-June 2, that leaves June 14-16 as the likely date for the Texas official visit. 
    The one-time Iowa pledge currently sports 31 offers. The offer list includes SEC teams Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State and South Carolina. 
    CJ Vogel
    Texas took to the field Tuesday morning for the first practice of the spring window. While the media window concluded with the team mostly undergoing special team and individual drills, Steve Sarkisian peeled back the curtain just a bit in his press conference following practice.
    The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee proposed three new rules for the upcoming 2024 season – with helmet communication being the No. 1 talking point of the bunch.
    During the post-practice press conference, Sarkisian mentioned how that rule change impacted the first spring practice window with a look ahead to how it might trickle down to the field in the fall.
    "A little different for Quinn and I this year is my ability to talk to him through the mic," Sarkisian said. "We were practicing that today. Having two years of experience and working together and now having that dialogue through the headset is going to be beneficial for us."
    The change to helmet communication has yet to be approved, however Sarkisian says he is preparing for the fall as if it will be green-lit. The rules committee will meet April 18 for possible approval.
    Sarkisian added Texas has been working with the NCAA and the SEC to get hands on helmet communication in the spring.
    For Sarkisian, experience with calling in plays through the headset at the NFL level allows for this transition to occur a bit smoother. While there is a learning curve for Ewers to overcome with the headset, Sarkisian says it is a two-way road when it comes to getting him up to speed.
    "I think it is just hearing (the call) as opposed to the signals. I still think he is going to look towards the sideline, yet hearing the call and communicating that with the pertinent information needed. I think the challenge for me is how much information is quality, good information and when does it cross the threshold of too much where it is a little paralysis by analysis."
    Sarkisian was the playcaller for the Atlanta Falcons in the 2017-18 where he was responsible for the play call communication getting to Matt Ryan and the offense. Of course there will be months of prep leading up to the fall with Ewers and Sarkisian through the helmet, but according to the Texas Head Coach, the two got off to a strong start.
    "I thought it felt really comfortable for him today in his first time out doing it," Sarkisian said.
    For folks who lean one way or the other when it comes to tempo with the helmet communication, Sarkisan says he believes it will enable offensive coordinators to do both.
    "I think you can do both, quite frankly," Sarkisian said. "It is a lot easier to say five words than signal five words, but yet you can give more information and have real dialogue to speed up and slow down. Hopefully I can give him some more information that allows him to play faster within plays as well."
    Gerry Hamilton
    Spring Practice No. 1 Observations
    Some random notes and thoughts from the 30 minute media viewing window...
    1. The talent level at Texas is that of a program with a consistent chance to be a contender. A lot of likely and potential future NFL draft picks on the field today, spread in all classes. 
    2. Ryan Wingo is a dude. That's all. The rest will play out. 
    3. Sarkisian really praised Trey Moore in post practice presser. More isn't the guy that wows physically on first look, but he has compact twitch and power in his frame. Much stronger in lower body than a year ago playing at UTSA.
    4. Just good to see Colton Vasek on the field again. Looks good physically. Tough for a young guy that was turning some heads early on to be shut down for nearly an entire year. 
    5. Jaray Bledsoe's 293-295 pounds is legit. Sark mentioned him after practice in PC.
    6. Quinn Ewers looks like a stronger guy. Behind the neck, in the legs. Confident third year starting QB was his look throwing the ball today.
    7. Terrance Brooks is really 209 pounds, as listed. Very thick lower body for a corner. He's just about physically tapped out. 
    8. Malik Muhammad looks like streamlined second year corner. Very, very good natural build for a corner. He's the guy that is showing Kobe Black the ropes. 
    9. Christian Clark has the lower body of an NFL vet at the RB position. That dude is a very powerfully put together 5-11, 210
    10. Cedric Baxter Jr. is the same weight as last year - 218. But it's a different 218 now. More cut in upper body, and looks stronger on a longer RB frame.
    11. Malik Agbo was third team left guard. Obviously, the jumbo package TE. 
    12. Brandon Baker was third team RT ... Daniel Cruz third team center.
    13. Kelvin Banks looks like a 1st or 2nd team All-American.
    14. Trevor Goosby 2nd at LT with Jaydon Chatman 3rd.
    15. If Amari Niblack doesn't run low 4.5 at the NFL Combine I will be surprised. 
    16. Jelani McDonald is among the best looking pound for pound athletes in the program, and he's a safety. Looks tremendous physically, especially at that spot. 
    17. Savion Red may be closer to 230 than 240, but he's in the area code. 
    18. Trey Owens showed quick feet than one would think. Quicker moving feet vs. Maalik Murphy. 
    19. Payton Kirkland on the field going through full workout at 4th team left guard. 
    20. Freddie Dubose was not going through full workout. 
    21. Sydir Mitchell is 370-372. 
    22. Jahdae Barron is carrying very good weight. 
    23. Jordan Washington is a keeper at TE. All reported measeurables are legit. And he has the flexibility to come off a three-point stance with winning leverage. 
    24. T'Vondre Sweat and Johnathan Brooks were on hand. NIL good!
    25. DJ Campbell definitely looks 10-12 pounds lighter. Neto Umeozulu and DJ Campbell the quickest/most explosive movers at guard. 
    26. I stand by what I have said on the OnTexasFootball YouTube channel... Texas should be a batter team in 2024. Does that mean more W's with the move to the SEC? Can't say that. But a spring portal addition or two away from solidifying the Horns as a top 4 team preseason. 
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