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    CJ Vogel
    Catch up on the latest recruiting news in the 2025 and 2026 cycles with a little Recruiting Breakdown with Gerry Hamilton and I this morning.
    Plenty of updates on top targets and a breakdown of the March and April unofficial visit dates, as well as June officials.
     
    CJ Vogel
    We have heard all offseason about the new wide receivers and gadgets at the disposal of Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns on offense. However, there have been some mighty important pieces added to Pete Kwiatkowski’s side of the ball as well. Several veteran portalers and a freshman class with plenty of talent as well.
    Texas finished the 2023 season ranked as the No. 12 ranked scoring defense (18.9 PPG). Having to replace Jaylan Ford, Byron Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat and Ryan Watts won’t be easy, but there is promise here.
    One sentence summary of the offense: Plenty of opportunities for folks in the front seven to carve out snap share of their own in 2024, it starts this spring.
    ***
    Defense Line
    Replacing T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Muprhy and even Trill Carter will prove to be a large task for new Texas DL coach Kenny Baker in year one. Luckily, there are bodies here, the question becomes how much will you be able to rely on each individual body? Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton have the most run time of any in the room. The addition of Tiaoalii Savea is big as well in terms of getting bodies who can defend the run.
    Texas must see Jaray Bledsoe and Aaron Bryant turn into rotational pieces this fall – Bryant was at the end of the year to be fair. Can Alex January impress the staff in his first spring? And for Sydir Mitchell, the question is at 372 pounds, can he play at that weight. I am holding out hope but am not entirely encouraged.
    Last Note: What was the biggest strength of the Texas defense in 2023 is now its biggest question mark.
    Defensive End
    Returning Ethan Burke, Barryn Sorrell and Justice Finkley is very encouraging. But adding UTSA transfer Trey Moore and five-star Colin Simmons can turn this room from a solid department to a strength of the team. This is five-man rotation I am expecting to see in the spring make most of the noise.
    Other questions include what does J’Mond Tapp turn into heading into year three? Is Colton Vasek finally healthy enough to see a full two months of ball? Zina Umeozulu and Billy Walton serve as great depth and developmental pieces as well.
    Last Note: I love the makeup of this room, but now it is about turning pressures into sacks and creating those negative plays off the edge.
    Linebacker
    I won’t lie to you, this is a position that has seen an increase in skepticism since the end of the season for me. Yes, Anthony Hill Jr. has the tools and makings of an eventual All-SEC player, but who else will join him as reliable pieces in this room? I don’t quite know right now.
    David Gbenda had plenty of encouraging moments in 2023 but there is vulnerability in the passing game and teams already targeted him when he had extended snaps a year ago. The Longhorns added Kendrick Blackshire out of the portal, but again, he has his limitations at 263 pounds when dropping into coverage.
    Out of this group, I am the most bullish on Liona Lefau and believe by the end of fall camp we could see him as the second linebacker on the field next to Hill come week one.
    Last Note: I don’t want to overlook S’Maje Burrell or Derion Gullette either. But right now, there are questions marks at the LB spot that I think stretch beyond the depth side of things.
    Nickel
    Jahdae Barron put together a masterclass at the position a year ago and returns for what should be one final go-round as a Longhorn. Luckily for Texas, this position has plenty of depth and could allow for some movement for Barron to other spots on the field. Both Barron and Jaylon Guilbeau have cross-trained at outside. Austin Jordan is back for year three in the system as well and if worse comes to worst you could potentially see Andrew Mukuba spun down from the safety spot.
    True freshman Wardell Mack has been receiving some run here in offseason workouts.
    Last Note: At the end of the day, this spot was a strength on the field with Barron’s intelligence in 2023 and should continue to be reliable for PK’s scheme in 2024 and beyond.
    Cornerback
    Count me in as a huge believer in the Texas cornerback room for 2024. This spring should be very fun for all involved, though most specifically for guys like Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks who will be going against an elite WR group. Gavin Holmes will certainly benefit from this as well. Holmes had a solid 2023, and I have been told this offseason he has brought an incredible mindset to offseason workouts to take an extra leap in the spring.
    I am very curious to see how Warren Roberson performs this spring. Roberson is incredibly twitchy and has enough length to be problematic at the line of scrimmage. That then leads me to freshmen bunch of Kobe Black and Wardell Mack and what kind of run they get early. Not expecting a whole lot this early, but I do believe they will benefit from the level of talent they will face on a day to day in camp.
    Last Note: Plenty of talent on to be optimistic about the future of this unit. Big leaps are in order for the two returning starters.
    Safety
    What was probably the most concerning part of the 2023 roster has had a completely face-lift and is now in a position to be the most improved position on the team headed into the SEC. Led by Andrew Mukuba out of the transfer portal and a second year Derek Williams, this unit has significantly more athleticism than a year ago. Add in the ever-so important Michael Taaffe, and I am once again a believer in this position group.
    Early enrollee Xavier Filsaime has arguably made the most noise of anyone who made it to campus at the turn of the semester. There is a lot of promise from the McKinney native. Jordon Johnson-Rubell is up to 190 pounds already. He has a tremendous football IQ which leads me to think he will be a viable option at either the centerfield S spot, or a potential move to nickel later on.
    Gerry Hamilton
    Tuesday Morning Recruiting Nuggets 
    OnTexasFootball touched base with a number of Texas offers and targets in the 2025 cycle Monday. We get Tuesday started with some nuggets and notes from the various conversations. 
    Dorian Brew, CB, Conroe (Texas) High
    The 6-2, 197 pound cornerback with 10.7 FAT 100 meter speed told OnTexasFootball last night that he has an official visit locked in to Ohio State June 21-23. He also said he believes his Texas visit date is locked in, but a family member has those details. That date is likely to be June 14-16. 
    Brew will be on the road this weekend with a trip to Oregon. He also plans to attend the LSU Spring Game April 13, and will be on campus at Ohio State this spring as well. A visit to Texas in April is also likely. The Longhorns Spring Game date of April 20 is a possibility.
    Ohio State, Texas and LSU continue to be the three schools that are consistently talked about with a pari of sources close to the recruitment. Brew's father was an All-American sprinter at LSU, and an Olympian. His mother is in the Ohio State Hall of Fame (track and field). 
    John Mills, IOL, San Francisco (Calif.) St. Ignatius 
    The OnTexasFootball 4-star offensive lineman remains a top target for Texas at guard in the 2025 cycle. Mills, 6-6 and 325 pounds, has added two more official visits to his calendar. OnTexasFootball broke the news a while back that Mills would visit Texas June 14-16, as well as Washington May 31-June 2. 
    Mills told OTF Monday night that he will officially visit California May 23-26, and USC June 21-23. Florida, Nebraska, Michigan and a couple of others are also in play for official visits. 
    Mills will also be at Texas April 6 for the Longhorns big visit weekend around spring practice. His spring unofficial visit schedule is packed with Nebraska March 23, California March 30, Texas April 5-6, Michigan April 7-8 and Washington April 13. 
    Jarquez Carter, DL, Newberry (Fla.) High
    One of the first week in March offers by Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker made a visit to Miami (Fla) last weekend. Carter, 6-2 and 280 pounds, will be at UCF March 15, and plans to visit Florida State, Tennessee and Ohio State in March. He also has Alabama and Colorado Spring Game (April 27) in April. 
    Carter didn't rule out a visit to Texas, but there is not a date being targeted as of Monday afternoon. 
    Derry Norris Jr., DL, Port Orange (Fla.) Spruce Creek
    OnTexasFootball continues to hear that a spring visit to Texas is likely by the 6-3, 270 pound versatile defensive lineman. This is a recruitment to watch for the Longhorns if they make a big spring push. 
    The current April 6 visitors list on the defensive line includes Chace Sims (Richmond, Texas/Randle), Floyd Guidry (Spring, Texas/High) and Xavier Ukponu (Denton, Texas/Guyer). 
    Gerry Hamilton
    Houston area 4-star EDGE locks in Texas visit
    Alief (Texas) Hastings EDGE Smith Orogbo was offered by area recruiter Jeff Banks January 22, 2024. Since that time, he has built a relationship with the Texas staff - Banks, Pete Kwiatkowksi and Steve Sarkisian. 
    Orogbo, 6-5 and 215 pounds, told OnTexasFootball Monday night that he has locked in a visit to Texas April 6. That will be one of two big visit weekends around spring practice next month. 
    Orogbo has one official visit scheduled, SMU May 17-19. He also plans to make unofficial visits to Oklahoma state and Nebraska for the Cornhuskers Spring Game. USC is another likely visit destination. 
    The Houston area fast riser enter his junior season with one offer - Arkansas State. Since that time, he has added 29 offers. That offer list includes 21 Power 5 offers. SEC programs that have offered are Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Florida, Missouri and Arkansas. USC and Miami have also offered.
    CJ Vogel
    Officially eight days away from the beginning of spring football here in Austin. Our Gerry Hamilton has repeatedly echoed the sentiment that this spring season will be the most anticipated in Texas history and there is very little reason for me to not agree at the moment.
    Today, we will start with the offensive side of the ball when it comes to previewing spring football.
    One sentence summary of the offense: There are plenty of new toys around Quinn Ewers who returns for year three behind loaded, veteran offensive line.
    ***
    Quarterback
    Quinn Ewers is headed back up the weight roller coaster after a strong winter in the weight room. He returns to Texas for year three in the system and will enter the upcoming season as one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy. For Quinn this fall, the key for me is to hear about his total control of the offense. Take true leadership of the new faces at the WR spot and continue the path of development.
    As for Arch Manning, this will be the most we will get to see from the former five-star prospect in a Texas uniform. Manning will no longer have to wait for third team reps as we saw his freshman season. I am fully of the belief Manning would be able to succeed in the Texas offense should he be asked to this season. Should be another opportunity for development this offseason.
    Last Note: I have been told several times this offseason Ewers' command/leadership of the team has improved significantly since the conclusion of the season.
     
    Running Back
    There is no hiding the talent in this Texas RB room – something we have said for several years now. CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue are expected to be the 1–2 punch though it is going to be very interesting to see how the rest of the room falls in place. What role does Savion Red carve out at 240 pounds? Can Tre Wisner increase some of his share in the room as well?  Plus, what happen with the two freshmen and do they create some noise this spring. Regardless, a very fun room to look at and plenty of big time talent.
    Last Note: The path for any of the backup RBs to carve out a role for themselves heading into the spring is to become a plus in pass protection. That is the biggest weakness in this room.
     
    Wide Receiver
    The talk of the offseason has been surrounding the portal additions of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden. While only Bond and Golden will be on campus for the spring season, this room is going to have plenty of competition in what was expected to be a wide open target share. Johntay Cook is the leading incumbent from the 2023 team and is one guy I have penciled into the starting 11 at the moment. 
    Of the early enrollees, there has been plenty of praise in direction of Ryan Wingo and should he get up to speed with the playbook and situational football in the spring, you can expect to see the new No. 5 on the field in the fall. One other Texas wide receiver I am keeping a close eye on is DeAndre Moore who will be entering his second year in the program.
    Matthew Golden was still receiving treatment on his foot as recently as the end of last week.
    Last Note: The speed in this room is going to be noticeable from the get-go. Question is now, which of these receivers will play unselfishly without the ball, something Texas has asked their WRs to do a lot under Sarkisian.
     
    Tight End
    You can expect to see Gunnar Helm as the first tight end used this spring. That goes for a number of reasons, but mostly the familiarity with the system. Helm has had a strong offseason and is up to 250 pounds currently. What is going to be very fun is the combination of Helm and Amari Niblack on the field together. There is an ideal balance of talent and skillsets between the two which will pose as a challenge for seemingly every defensive coordinator Texas faces this upcoming fall – first it will be Pete Kwiatkowski during the spring.
    Juan Davis is the slimmest of the bunch which gives me pause for a possible increase in his snaps this spring. Whereas, this will be a big spring in the development of Spencer Shannon.
    Niblack too was in a boot earlier this winter, though the belief is he will be good to go for the beginning of spring. 
    Last Note: Nice complementary aspect with this unit here. Question turns to if there will be too much a tipped hand with personnel usage.
     
    Offensive Line
    The makeup of this offensive line is ideal for not only Quinn Ewers, but for Steve Sarkisian as his program enters the SEC. With four of five returning, there is plenty of familiarity and talent with this bunch. It should not be out of the range of possibility to see this unit in the Joe Moore Award finalist group next fall. Though for the spring, the question turns to which of the guys in the 2nd group challenge for a starting spot.
    Texas has plenty of depth here at the moment. With guys like Cole Hutson and Neto Umeozulu eager to get into the starting five, what movement do we see on the interior? Will there be true movement from Hayden Conner to right tackle to push Cam Williams? What about Brandon Baker or Trevor Goosby? So many options and possibilities here.
    Kelvin Banks is up to 325 pounds and DJ Campbell is coming down a bit in his own right. 
    Last Note: On paper, this is the best Texas offensive line in the past 15 years. Should be a very strong spring season.
     
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