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.

California 4-star EDGE locks in Texas official visit The Texas Longhorns in the Steve Sarkisian era will have a strong recruiting footprint in the state of California. And the 2025 cycle may end up defining that more than any other since Sarkisian has been in Austin. On Monday, 4-star EDGE Hayden Lowe (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) told OnTexasFootball that he has a pair of visits to Texas set up, including an official visit in June. Lowe, 6-4 and 240, told OTF that he will be in Austin April 6 for the big visit weekend around Texas spring practice. And that will be the first of two visits. The Oaks Christian standout defender also informed OnTexasFootball that he has an official visit locked the weekend of June 14-16. Texas has been in contact with Lowe for months, and offered February 16 of 2023. Lowe enters the spring with 26 offers. That list includes SEC programs Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma. The offer list also includes USC, Oregon, Washington, UCLA, Michigan, Notre Dame and Miami (Fla.). The Los Angeles area prospect enters his senior season with 100 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He posted 29 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two interceptions in eight games in 2023.

A dozen Texas targets that will be national and rivalry battles The Texas Longhorns will compete in more national recruiting and regional rivalry battles in the 2025 cycle than ever before. Some of that is Texas continuing to expand the national recruiting footprint, and some of it is the top tier national talent in state at several positions. OnTexasFootball looks at a dozen recruiting battles in the 2025 cycle that will cover both scenarios. Michael Fasusi, OT, Lewisville (Texas) High The OnTexasFootball 5-star left tackle will be one of the key recruiting battles for Texas in the cycle. Is Fasusi a "must win"? Nope, not with John Turntine III right behind him in the 2026 cycle at the same position. Make no mistake though, Texas wants Fasusi badly. And so does Oklahoma and Texas A&M. And that alone makes for a tremendous recruitment to follow. Texas and Oklahoma is where the decision will likely come from ultimately. They have been the top two for months. The Aggies have ample pressure in the 2025 cycle to win key in-state battles on the offensive line as it's the position in need of the most help in the program. Brandon Brown, DL, Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie The OnTexasFootball 4-star and Texas pledge will make the visit rounds nationally with California Power 7v7 program. That includes a Texas visit March 22 prior to a June official visit (14-16). The Longhorns will have to play keep away against powerful recruiting programs in USC, Tennessee, Florida (multiple family members played at UF), Miami and others. These are the battles one signs up for on the defensive line in SEC land. Dakorien Moore, WR, Duncanville (Texas) High The OnTexasFootball 5-star and LSU pledge will be back in Austin April 20 for the Texas Spring Game. The day that the news hit that Keelon Russell was planning to attend the Spring Game with Jeff Banks making the invitation, it was expected that Moore would also be in Austin. There will be visits and flirting with Ohio State, USC and a couple of others, but make no mistake this is a Texas vs. LSU recruiting throw down. Dorian Brew, CB, Conroe (Texas) High Dorian Brew has all the makings of a true national recruiting battle. His father ran track at LSU, and was an Olympian. His mother is in the Ohio State Hall of Fame (track). He has Texas all in on wanting to keep him home. USC is in it. Texas A&M is working to be truly in the hunt. He was expected to commit to Ohio State January 24 before backing off that date and slowing the process down. All the makings of a big time national recruitment. And Texas fully understands it. Jordon Davison, RB, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei Texas has been in a good position for the SoCal running back for about a year. With that said, this is a national battle with Alabama, Ohio State and Oregon taking mighty swings. Steve Sarkisian and Tashard Choice will have Texas in position to ultimately win, but the spring and June visits will very much be a national recruiting battle. Jaime Ffrench, WR, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin Texas has won some key and big recruiting battles in Central Florida and at IMG Academy in the last two classes. The 2025 cycle and Jaime Ffrench is something different, however. This is an area, Jacksonville, where Texas hasn't had success to date in the Sunshine State. And Ffrench is a Sunshine State receiver with Ohio State trying to beat out Florida State and Miami, with Texas trying to pull the upset. This is a gird up your loins type recruitment for fan bases locked into Ffrench. Zion Williams, DL, Lufkin (Texas) High A Lufkin High/East Texas recruiting battle for a defensive lineman with SEC size. That means Texas and Texas A&M will swing away at each other. And then there is LSU, having former Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis adding more intrigue. This is a stick the chest out recruitment, without question. And what is the role of Jamarkus McFarland at TCU. He's distantly related to Williams, and was one of the most memorable Texas vs. Oklahoma recruitments of the Mack Brown/Bob Stoops era. Riley Pettijohn and Elijah Barnes, LB's from DFW Riley Pettijohn putting a 10.98 FAT 100 meters on the board at 210'ish pounds amped up his recruitment even more. All the national players will battle it out. Texas vs. USC vs. Ohio State vs. FSU vs. Texas A&M for Pettijohn. Barnes will be Texas vs. Alabama vs. Ohio State vs. LSU vs. Texas A&M vs. FSU. Texas enters the spring in a pretty good position for both. If Texas won both, that would be a serious DFW recruiting flex by Sarkisian and staff. Jonte Newman, Jackson Christian and Tyler Thomas Texas is locked in a trio of offensive line battles that are very key in the region. As mentioned above, Texas A&M has little margin for error in the 2025 cycle on the offensive line. The Aggies need to walk away with two of the three mentioned above. Texas would like to do the same, as of today. Oklahoma has serious interest in in Jonte Newman, and LSU is going to make a run at Tyler Thomas.