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  1. Jim Schlossnagle and the Longhorns begin their NCAA Tournament postseason run this afternoon at Disch-Falk Field. Texas takes on Houston Christian with LHP Ethan Walker getting his second start of the season.
  2. How Friday’s 7-1 win over Houston Christian in the opening game of the Austin Regional unfolded went a lot like the 2025 season has played out for Texas. The Longhorns didn’t win with style points en route to capturing the SEC regular-season championship and the No. 2 overall national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The way Texas (43-12) grounded out wins, surpassing the most optimistic expectations for Jim Schlossnagle’s first season on the Forty Acres, was how it advanced into the winner’s bracket for a Saturday tilt with either UTSA or Kansas State. Offensively, the Longhorns righted the ship with only four strikeouts after fanning 10 more times in seven of their last 10 games, a stretch in which the Texas bats racked up 128 strikeouts. At the same time, the lone extra-base the Longhorns recorded against the Southland Conference Tournament champion Huskies was Will Gasparino’s fifth-inning RBI double to left field, which capped a five-run, six-hit frame. Texas didn’t mash the ball all over UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Instead, it took advantage of three Houston Christian (32-24) errors and manufactured more than enough runs to put itself one step closer to the program hosting a Super Regional for the first time since 2021. "You've got to give Parker Edwards credit," Schlossnagle said of the Huskies' starting pitcher. Edwards did his job, holding the Longhorns to one hit before Texas finally created separation in the fifth. "Any time you look on the roster, and you see a guy is a No. 1 starter for a team that's in a regional, and he's a senior, that just tells you he's been around the block," Schlossnagle said. "He's not going to be spooked. He's running it up there 95 [mph]. He had a good cutter going today. "Sometimes," he added, "it's OK for the other team to be good." Gasparino drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the third inning, stole second base, advanced to third on an infield chopper freshman phenom Jonah Williams turned into a single and scored when Ethan Mendoza was retired on a 6-3 groundout. Second baseman Jeremy Rader, who left the game with an undisclosed upper body injury after a violent fifth-inning collision with Williams, couldn’t handle a ground ball off Max Belyeu’s bat, bringing Williams home and putting the Longhorns in front for good. "Somebody needed to come up with a big hit," said Kimble Schuessler, whose two-run single highlighted the productive Texas fifth. "We were able to get some guys on base, and then were able to come up with that big hit." Schuessler’s decisive blow brought Williams home and allowed Mendoza to score, even though a play at the plate had to be reviewed before the second run could be officially tallied. After a bullet from right fielder Tevis Payne nailed Mendoza at the plate in the first inning, a second issue sliding into home nearly brought another Texas inning to an abrupt end. Schlossnagle was visibly upset with Adrian Rodriguez, who contributed to the chaos as the lone man in a home uniform in Mendoza’s line of vision as he tried to cross the plate in both situations. "If the ball is coming from right field, you've got to tell him to not just slide, but to get to the back side of home plate," Schlossnagle said. "The same thing when the ball is coming from left field. "That was a pretty inexpensive experience," he added. "It can be expensive real quick this time of year, so we have to be better." Rodriguez made up for it, though, bringing Schuessler home from second with an RBI single up the middle. Jalin Flores and Casey Borba made it three consecutive Texas singles, the latter bringing Rodriguez home before Gasparino ended the scoring. Friday’s win felt like a typical midweek game. Thankfully, the Longhorns got a similar result to their 12-2 seven-inning run-rule win over Houston Christian on April 8 by playing an error-free game in the field behind three pitchers — lefty Ethan Walker, Grayson Saunier and hard-throwing righty Hudson Hamilton — who scattered eight hits over nine innings, struck out six and issued only two free passes (a hit batter charged to Saunier and a walk charged to Hamilton). As for the offense, an unspectacularly solid performance is one Schlossnagle wants the Longhorns to build on as they continue a road they hope takes them to Omaha for an NCAA-record 39th time. "We got on them pretty good the last five or six days," Schlossnagle said. "We challenged the offense. It wasn't meant to build pressure. It was meant to hold it to a little bit of a higher standard. If you're going to be gritty about anything, have it be the preparation. Then, when the game gets here, you need to do the opposite: you have fun. I think, early on, everybody feels it. You haven't played in a week, and you want to score nine runs, and your coaches have been onto you about being a better offensive team. We put together some good swings, and how we end up with a north wind and Austin, Texas, on May 30, I'll never know. "I think if we had those balls carry out of the ballpark or something like that, we maybe feel a little bit better," he added. "But, 7-1? We'll take it and keep moving on."
  3. There was a horrific storm cell that tan through Austin on Wednesday evening and as a result, the Disch is going to need some quick repairs ahead of the Regional this weekend. These pictures were posted by x/TheJoeyBarnett quickly after the storm hit. Texas is set to host Houston Christian at 1pm on Friday afternoon.
  4. Benton (La.) QB Malachi Zeigler to Visit Texas Texas will host 2027 Benton, Louisiana QB Malachi Zeigler for an unofficial visit on June 1. Zeigler was most recently in Austin for the Elite 11 in March, but told me following the camp that he was still waiting to hear more from the Longhorn staff. In the month of May alone, Zeigler has picked up offers from Auburn, Wisconsin, Miami, Florida and Tennessee. Texas sits with just one offer out to an uncommitted 2027 quarterback at the moment. Zeigler will be one to monitor for the first weekend of June.
  5. 2026 OT Grayson McKeogh has named a three school finalist group which included the Longhorns. Notre Dame and Penn State rounded out the top three. The 6-foot-7-inch offensive tackle prospect was visited by Kyle Flood on Monday while he was up in the northeast on his way to see Hun School (N.J.) EDGE Luke Wafle. Flood extended the offer while on the school visit. Almost instantly, an official visit has been set up for the weekend of June 20-22. Interesting weekend of note on the OV front – the Longhorns are currently set to host five of their current commitments on that June 20 weekend when McKeogh comes to town.
  6. Texas extended an offer to 2026 Cy Springs WR/ATH Paris Melvin Jr. Friday afternoon. Melvin, a 5-foot-11-inch and 170-pound playmaker, now holds 35 offers in his recruitment with the Longhorns joining the race. Speaking of races, Melvin was a member of the Cy Springs state qualifying 4x1 relay earlier this spring. Melvin was also named the 16–6A District MVP in 2024. Worth monitoring this offer with one true athlete in the boat with Jermaine Bishop Jr., and Texas right in the hunt for another in Jalen Lott.
  7. There has been a hot topic in the NFL world in regards to the 2028 Summer Olympics which will include Flag Football for the first time in the history of the Olympiad. Of course, the overwhelming consensus is that the United States will be the heavy favorite when it is time for competition. However, I want to look at it with burnt orange glasses on. Build your dream flag football (7 on 7) roster using Longhorns you've watched over your lifetime. I was going to put a timeframe on this one but I think the conversation will be more fun with limitless options. I'll drop my roster here: *** Offense QB: Colt McCoy RB: Bijan Robinson WR: Xavier Worthy WR: Jordan Shipley WR: Roy Williams TE: Gunnar Helm RB Alternate: Jamaal Charles WR Alternate: Matthew Golden Should be some fun conversations about tight end with Helm, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Jermichael Finley all earning some looks. Wide receiver is very much the same. Who gives Limas Sweed and Quan Cosby some love on their rosters? Defense For defense, go with a combination of a middle linebacker and two STARs (nickels), or two linebackers and one STAR. That is up to you and how you choose to construct your defense. MLB: DeMarvion Overshown STAR: Quandre Diggs STAR: Jahdae Barron S: Earl Thomas S: Andrew Mukuba CB: Quentin Jammer CB: Aaron Ross The defensive side of the ball allows for much more roster flexibility. So many different combinations. I opted for ballhawks across the board and specifically near the football with Diggs and Barron playing the middle of the field in the second level. The range of Earl Thomas and Andrew Mukuba in the backend ensure that no one is beating me deep as well.
  8. OV note on 4-star+ RB K.J. Edwards OnTexasFootball has learned that Carthage High 4-star+ running back K.J. Edwards has changed his Texas OV date to June 20-22. He was originally scheduled to OV June 6-8. Texas leads for Edwards.
  9. DFW WR Looking to Finalize OV Plans Texas WR coach Chris Jackson stopped by Waxahachie (TX) late last weekend to see 2026 WR Kohen Brown for the second time this spring. Additionally, Texas had a staff member stop by once more on Monday. I spoke briefly with Brown this morning who said an official to Texas would be likely, though he was unsure on the date at the moment. The former USC verbal earned his Texas offer last Thursday during his meeting with Jackson. The 6-foot, 185-pound wide receiver has been a hot topic on the recruiting trail as of late and now sits north of 40 total offers for his recruitment. Notre Dame has been a school trending after the decommitment from USC. Texas working to get involved here just before the official visit month of June. Official Visit Slate June 13 – Notre Dame June 20 – Baylor
  10. 5-star LB Tyler Atkinson visit note OnTexasFootball exchanged messages with a source very close to 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson (Loganville, Ga./Grayson). The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder is currently planning to make a visit to Texas again prior to making a decision. When will that visit happen, OTF is waiting to hear exactly. Texas has been by the school this month. Georgia is considered the favorite with Ohio State, Clemson, Auburn and Alabama also mentioned frequently. OTF considers this recruitment a long shot, as of today.
  11. 2026 OK. WR Mason James Includes Texas is Final Five 2026 Norman North (Ok.) Mason James has cut his recruitment down to five – Texas, Washington, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas State. James also set a commitment date for June 25. Texas WR coach Chris Jackson is expected in Norman later this evening for an in-home with the four-star wide receiver. James is scheduled to officially visit the Longhorns the weekend of June 13. Official Visit Schedule: May 30 – Missouri June 6 – Washington June 13 – Texas June 20 – Oklahoma
  12. The rubber match in Norman begins at 2:00 p.m. Texas and Oklahoma battle it out for series bragging rights in the final SEC conference game of the season.
  13. UPDATE: Wednesday AM Made a quick stop over at CE King High School, a familiar stop for anyone who has followed me for a bit. This was my second time this semester to stop by as well. King has some very intriguing young talent. Headlined by 2028 WR/RB Dillon Mitchell who ran 10.1 flat at the Texas Stare UIL track meet in April. 2028 DL Oswald Jacques threw shot 57’ and disc 163’ as a freshman as well. Both are nationally elite as a freshman. He stands 6’2”+ and 290 pounds. *** First stop this week is at Wacahachie High a bit south of Dallas. Plenty of talent, headlined by 2026 WR Kohen Brown, who just decomitted from USC. 2027 QB Jerry Meyer III is a really interesting quarterback prospect to keep tabs on. Texas visited a week ago and is set to return on Thursday for one final look. 2027 DB JayQuan Snell is a huge DB prospect next cycle. He reminds me a ton of Jelani McDonald from a physicality and measurables perspective. He visited in early April.
  14. 2026 University Lab (La.) OT/DL Lamar Brown teased a trip to Austin Thursday evening on Twitter. Brown is considered a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana. I mention both lines of scrimmage above because early on in Brown's recruitment, there was a mix of both sides early on in his recruitment. I would expect him to be an offensive lineman on the interior at the next level. I spoke with Brown around this time last year where he said he would have plenty of interest in visiting the Longhorns, but did not have anything in place to make the trip a reality. Since then, Brown has not visited Texas. But, LaAllen Clark did stop by University Lab this afternoon, a part of his recruiting territory, and thus the tweet was sent by Brown. Brown's Official Visits: May 30 – Miami June 6 – Florida State June 13 – Texas A&M June 20 – LSU
  15. Texas RB Coach Chad Scott had an in-home visit Monday night with Chaminade Madonna College Prep 2026 RB Derrek Cooper. The Longhorns are starting to really make things interesting with the former Georgia commit.
  16. Texas corners coach Mark Orphey extended an offer late Monday evening to 2026 Louisville cornerback commit Jaydin Broadnax. The 6-foot-2.5-inch cornerback out of Boca Raton, Florida has been committed to Louisville since March 8. According to the consensus rankings, he is a top-30 cornerback in the country. Broadnax is up to 40 offers in his recruitment after the Horns officially jumped into the race Monday evening. Broadnax currently has four official visits set up for the month of June: OVs: May 30 – Auburn June 6 – Syracuse June 13 – Maryland June 20 – Louisville
  17. 2027 RB Tranard Roberts Reports Texas Offer Chad Scott and the Texas Longhorns have extended an offer to 2027 IMG Academy RB Tranard Roberts as of Tuesday evening. Roberts also reported offers from Wofford, Sacramento State and South Carolina all in the span of about 15 minutes. Roberts is ranked as a top-100 player in the country and the No. 6 running back in the country per the Composite. Notable Offers: Arkansas Auburn Colorado Florida Florida State Louisiville Michigan South Carolina Tennessee Texas Washington
  18. Texas makes the final four for 2026 Hough (N.C.) CB Samari Matthews. Joining the Longhorns is Clemson, South Carolina and Florida State. Matthews had a great 4-day visit with his parents in April where he was able to take in a Saturday scrimmage and a Monday practice. Longhorns are trending here.
  19. The next step for the historic group of Longhorns who accounted for a school-record 12 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft is coming to terms on their rookie contracts. Six of the 12 rookies were signed, sealed and delivered to their respective franchises as of Sunday. Gunnar Helm was the most recent Texas draftee to sign, agreeing to terms with the Tennessee Titans, although the terms of the fourth-round pick’s (No. 120 overall) deal have yet to be made public. With that said, the following are the reported terms for which the other five former Longhorns have signed. Kelvin Banks Jr., New Orleans Saints (Round 1, No. 9 overall pick): Banks, Jahdae Barron and Matthew Golden stand to make more money than the reported figures if their fifth-year options are picked up. Banks signed a four-year deal with a signing bonus of more than $6.93 million, but the total value of his contract ($27.7 million) is fully guaranteed. Barryn Sorrell, Green Bay Packers (Round 4, No. 124 overall pick): Sorrell’s four-year, $5.14 million deal includes a signing bonus of $941,852. The signing bonus is the only portion of Sorrell’s contract guaranteed to be paid out. Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys (Round 5, No. 149 overall pick): Blue’s deal is for four years with a total value of $4.63 million. His signing bonus ($427,068) is the only guaranteed portion of the contract. Hayden Conner, Arizona Cardinals (Round 6, No. 211 overall pick): Conner’s signing bonus ($174,280) is the only guaranteed money headed his way on the four-year, $4.37 million deal he signed. Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins (Round 7, No. 231 overall pick): Ewers signed a four-year deal worth $4.33 million. The only guaranteed money Ewers has coming to him is his signing bonus ($131,576). The five Texas products have signed NFL rookie contracts worth $46,206,022. Of that money, $27,406,022 is fully guaranteed, with $8,607,588 in signing bonuses. The projected contract values based on the rookie wage scale, which changes every year based on the salary cap increasing or decreasing, aren’t far off from the money for which the remaining draftees will sign. The biggest issues preventing rookie contracts from getting done include language (some teams will look to put various classes in the contract that protect them from shelling out money they don’t believe they should be on the hook for) and when certain portions of the guaranteed money will be paid out. According to Spotrac, the following dollar figures are the total value of the contracts that the seven (including Helm) remaining Longhorns are projected to earn: Jahdae Barron, Denver Broncos (Round 1, No. 20 overall pick): $18,048,198 Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers (Round 1, No. 23 overall pick): $17,551,274 Alfred Collins, San Francisco 49ers (Round 2, No. 43 overall pick): $10,296,326 Andrew Mukuba Philadelphia Eagles (Round 2, No. 64 overall pick): $7,155,826 Vernon Broughton, New Orleans Saints (Round 3, No. 71 overall pick): $6,634,052 Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans (Round 4, No. 120 overall pick): $5,171,100 Cameron Williams, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 6, No. 207 overall pick): $4,401,198 When the remaining unsigned contracts are official, the Texas draft class will be worth an estimated $115,463,996. View full news story
  20. The next step for the historic group of Longhorns who accounted for a school-record 12 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft is coming to terms on their rookie contracts. Six of the 12 rookies were signed, sealed and delivered to their respective franchises as of Sunday. Gunnar Helm was the most recent Texas draftee to sign, agreeing to terms with the Tennessee Titans, although the terms of the fourth-round pick’s (No. 120 overall) deal have yet to be made public. With that said, the following are the reported terms for which the other five former Longhorns have signed. Kelvin Banks Jr., New Orleans Saints (Round 1, No. 9 overall pick): Banks, Jahdae Barron and Matthew Golden stand to make more money than the reported figures if their fifth-year options are picked up. Banks signed a four-year deal with a signing bonus of more than $6.93 million, but the total value of his contract ($27.7 million) is fully guaranteed. Barryn Sorrell, Green Bay Packers (Round 4, No. 124 overall pick): Sorrell’s four-year, $5.14 million deal includes a signing bonus of $941,852. The signing bonus is the only portion of Sorrell’s contract guaranteed to be paid out. Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys (Round 5, No. 149 overall pick): Blue’s deal is for four years with a total value of $4.63 million. His signing bonus ($427,068) is the only guaranteed portion of the contract. Hayden Conner, Arizona Cardinals (Round 6, No. 211 overall pick): Conner’s signing bonus ($174,280) is the only guaranteed money headed his way on the four-year, $4.37 million deal he signed. Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins (Round 7, No. 231 overall pick): Ewers signed a four-year deal worth $4.33 million. The only guaranteed money Ewers has coming to him is his signing bonus ($131,576). The five Texas products have signed NFL rookie contracts worth $46,206,022. Of that money, $27,406,022 is fully guaranteed, with $8,607,588 in signing bonuses. The projected contract values based on the rookie wage scale, which changes every year based on the salary cap increasing or decreasing, aren’t far off from the money for which the remaining draftees will sign. The biggest issues preventing rookie contracts from getting done include language (some teams will look to put various classes in the contract that protect them from shelling out money they don’t believe they should be on the hook for) and when certain portions of the guaranteed money will be paid out. According to Spotrac, the following dollar figures are the total value of the contracts that the seven (including Helm) remaining Longhorns are projected to earn: Jahdae Barron, Denver Broncos (Round 1, No. 20 overall pick): $18,048,198 Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers (Round 1, No. 23 overall pick): $17,551,274 Alfred Collins, San Francisco 49ers (Round 2, No. 43 overall pick): $10,296,326 Andrew Mukuba Philadelphia Eagles (Round 2, No. 64 overall pick): $7,155,826 Vernon Broughton, New Orleans Saints (Round 3, No. 71 overall pick): $6,634,052 Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans (Round 4, No. 120 overall pick): $5,171,100 Cameron Williams, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 6, No. 207 overall pick): $4,401,198 When the remaining unsigned contracts are official, the Texas draft class will be worth an estimated $115,463,996.
  21. UPDATE: Friday (Noon) First stop is over in Fort Worth at Crowley High for their college testing day. Home to 2027 elite WR Antayvious Ellis and 27 OL Alexander Herrera — both visited in the spring. Ellis holds an offer. (Thursday 12:00 p.m.) OTF is at North Crowley High School for a Thursday practice to see 5-star OT John Turntine III in action *** OTF is on hand for a Tuesday afternoon practice at Temple High. Checking in on the status of 2026 EDGE Jamarion Carlton and whether or not an official visit has been scheduled for the month of June. Carlton visited Austin for the second scrimmage of the spring but arrived for the backend of the recruiting afternoon. Also at Temple is 2026 Oklahoma State DB commit Jason Bradford. Texas nickels coach Keynodo Hudson stopped by last week to check on both prospects.
  22. Barryn Sorrell’s mind was grasping how close Texas had come to a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship while simultaneously processing the end of his Longhorn career when he reflected on the four seasons he spent in burnt orange. Experiencing a whirlwind of emotions after the 2024 season ended with a heartbreaking 28-14 Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, Sorrell’s response to a loaded question — if coming to Texas was everything he thought it would be — was detailed and purposeful. It appropriately summed up the four-year odyssey of the Longhorns’ recruiting class from the 2021 cycle. “It's just been a journey,” Sorrell said from within the bowels of AT&T Stadium. "There's so many great memories that I'll always have and I'm thankful for it. I'm just so blessed and happy to realize that walking away from this, I'm leaving it better than I found it.” Along with helping Texas improve from a 5-7 record in Steve Sarkisian’s first season to a team that won at a championship-caliber clip, including a Big 12 title, a berth in the SEC Championship and consecutive trips to the CFP semifinals, Sorrell was one of seven draft picks to emerge from a transition class. Of the 22 signees in the cycle, 20 committed to former coach Tom Herman’s staff. Sorrell was among the 19 recruits who signed with Texas before Herman was fired and replaced by Sarkisian on Jan. 2, 2021. Unlike his predecessors, Sarkisian didn’t go scorched earth when assessing what he inherited from the previous regime. Sarkisian’s organization carefully examined the cupboard, eventually learning the Longhorns had a group of newcomers long on football character and strong developmental traits. Sorrell was among the young Texas players who bought into Sarkisian’s vision from the jump, which laid the foundation of the juggernaut the current regime has built. “We got along from Day 1,” Sorrell said of his relationship with Sarkisian. “He wanted to win. I'd seen that from the first meeting. Throughout the first year, hearing what he was saying and guys not really picking it up, I wanted to put those things in place. I feel like that’s what I’ve done and that’s what we’ve done and it’s why we are where we are.” One of the first declarations Sarkisian made in his introductory press conference was that he wanted to oversee a program capable of developing talent at an elite level. Xavier Worthy is the first recruit Sarkisian plucked from the high school ranks who went on to become an NFL draft pick. With that said, the Longhorns won 25 games over the last two seasons because the Sarkisian regime did a magnificent job developing the players they inherited. A fourth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in last month’s draft, Sorrell’s recruiting class features two first-rounders (Worthy and Byron Murphy II), one second-round pick (Jonathon Brooks), three fourth-rounders (Sorrell, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Gunnar Helm) and one player drafted in the sixth round (Hayden Conner). While Worthy and Sanders were regarded as top-100 prospects by the recruiting industry, the same can’t be said for the rest of the class: Brooks and Murphy were unranked four-star prospects in the 247Sports Composite, and Conner snuck into the top 300 of the On3 Industry rankings, but 247Sports and On3 had Helm and Sorrell among the five lowest-rated non-specialists in the class. Along with the seven draft picks, two 2021 signees (Morice Blackwell Jr. and Juan Davis) completed their eligibility at Texas without entering the NCAA transfer portal. Charles Wright and Max Merril stayed in the program for multiple seasons and Casey Cain was a contributor on offense before transferring to UNLV. Sarkisian and company just assembled the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in the 2025 cycle, the most recent roster additions poised to help the Longhorns remain championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Texas will continue to recruit at an elite level and has a lot of unfinished business under Sarkisian, meaning the accomplishments of the 2021 class could eventually pale in comparison to future hauls. Nevertheless, there might not be a recruiting class more important to Sarkisian’s recent and future success than the group that’s been there every step of the way. “I came here and the culture was different,” said Sorrell, who added that there were “a lot of ups and downs” throughout his four seasons in the program. “I just focused on, 'How can I get better? How can I impact this team?' I feel like I've done that at a good level to get us to this point. Now, it's [time] for the guys behind me to take my lessons and things that I tried to teach the guys in my room and throughout this team, and, hopefully, they can exceed the standard that we set.” View full news story
  23. Barryn Sorrell’s mind was grasping how close Texas had come to a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship while simultaneously processing the end of his Longhorn career when he reflected on the four seasons he spent in burnt orange. Experiencing a whirlwind of emotions after the 2024 season ended with a heartbreaking 28-14 Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, Sorrell’s response to a loaded question — if coming to Texas was everything he thought it would be — was detailed and purposeful. It appropriately summed up the four-year odyssey of the Longhorns’ recruiting class from the 2021 cycle. “It's just been a journey,” Sorrell said from within the bowels of AT&T Stadium. "There's so many great memories that I'll always have and I'm thankful for it. I'm just so blessed and happy to realize that walking away from this, I'm leaving it better than I found it.” Along with helping Texas improve from a 5-7 record in Steve Sarkisian’s first season to a team that won at a championship-caliber clip, including a Big 12 title, a berth in the SEC Championship and consecutive trips to the CFP semifinals, Sorrell was one of seven draft picks to emerge from a transition class. Of the 22 signees in the cycle, 20 committed to former coach Tom Herman’s staff. Sorrell was among the 19 recruits who signed with Texas before Herman was fired and replaced by Sarkisian on Jan. 2, 2021. Unlike his predecessors, Sarkisian didn’t go scorched earth when assessing what he inherited from the previous regime. Sarkisian’s organization carefully examined the cupboard, eventually learning the Longhorns had a group of newcomers long on football character and strong developmental traits. Sorrell was among the young Texas players who bought into Sarkisian’s vision from the jump, which laid the foundation of the juggernaut the current regime has built. “We got along from Day 1,” Sorrell said of his relationship with Sarkisian. “He wanted to win. I'd seen that from the first meeting. Throughout the first year, hearing what he was saying and guys not really picking it up, I wanted to put those things in place. I feel like that’s what I’ve done and that’s what we’ve done and it’s why we are where we are.” One of the first declarations Sarkisian made in his introductory press conference was that he wanted to oversee a program capable of developing talent at an elite level. Xavier Worthy is the first recruit Sarkisian plucked from the high school ranks who went on to become an NFL draft pick. With that said, the Longhorns won 25 games over the last two seasons because the Sarkisian regime did a magnificent job developing the players they inherited. A fourth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in last month’s draft, Sorrell’s recruiting class features two first-rounders (Worthy and Byron Murphy II), one second-round pick (Jonathon Brooks), three fourth-rounders (Sorrell, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Gunnar Helm) and one player drafted in the sixth round (Hayden Conner). While Worthy and Sanders were regarded as top-100 prospects by the recruiting industry, the same can’t be said for the rest of the class: Brooks and Murphy were unranked four-star prospects in the 247Sports Composite, and Conner snuck into the top 300 of the On3 Industry rankings, but 247Sports and On3 had Helm and Sorrell among the five lowest-rated non-specialists in the class. Along with the seven draft picks, two 2021 signees (Morice Blackwell Jr. and Juan Davis) completed their eligibility at Texas without entering the NCAA transfer portal. Charles Wright and Max Merril stayed in the program for multiple seasons and Casey Cain was a contributor on offense before transferring to UNLV. Sarkisian and company just assembled the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in the 2025 cycle, the most recent roster additions poised to help the Longhorns remain championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Texas will continue to recruit at an elite level and has a lot of unfinished business under Sarkisian, meaning the accomplishments of the 2021 class could eventually pale in comparison to future hauls. Nevertheless, there might not be a recruiting class more important to Sarkisian’s recent and future success than the group that’s been there every step of the way. “I came here and the culture was different,” said Sorrell, who added that there were “a lot of ups and downs” throughout his four seasons in the program. “I just focused on, 'How can I get better? How can I impact this team?' I feel like I've done that at a good level to get us to this point. Now, it's [time] for the guys behind me to take my lessons and things that I tried to teach the guys in my room and throughout this team, and, hopefully, they can exceed the standard that we set.”
  24. The Texas staff answered a lot of questions about the 2025 roster in the spring. Several impactful transfer portal additions were made at key positions – both specialist positions, wide receiver, tight end, line backer, defensive line x5 and even quarterback. With those moves, the Texas roster holds depth at just about every position on the field. But one position remains answerless – the return game. In the spring, there were a few names that popped up immediately on day one: Aaron Butler, Daylan McCutcheon and Ryan Wingo. Though, as the spring continued, more options started to arise. By the end of the 15 practices, OTF had heard the names of Ryan Niblett and Warren Roberson on the defensive side of the ball getting looks. As well as Jaime Ffrench joining the race as well. Of course we need to mention DeAndre Moore who was sidelined in the spring with a toe injury, as well as new Stanford WR transfer Emmett Mosley V. In 2024, only Silas Bolden recorded a return in the punt game, while Matthew Golden held all but one of the kickoff returns, the other going to Bolden as well. I don't think it is beyond having your best WR at the position of returnman if the payoff is worth the risk. Xavier Worthy in 2023 was one of the country's best at fielding punts and though the kickoff return game never quite materialized last fall, Texas never wavered on having Golden back deep. So, with the position seemingly up in the air, call your shot on who you would like to see at both kickoff and punt return in 2025. *** My best guess is this: Kickoff – DeAndre Moore Punt – Ryan Niblett or Emmett Mosley
  25. Stopped by Georgetown East View this AM to check on 4-star LB Tieson Ejiakowo. Ejiakowo had successful meniscus surgery on Monday and has been sidelined this spring. I was told Texas has yet to make a trip through East View this spring. Johnny Nansen did stop by in January but so far no visit from anyone on the staff in the spring.
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