Texas recruiting weekend: Longhorns try to land top athlete, flip Florida State recruit
The Texas Longhorns hosted seven recruits this weekend, including top overall athlete Michael Terry III, and Florida State commit and 4-star EDGE Javion Hilson. Let's go over Texas' recruiting update as their 2025 class starts to come together. The month of June will continue to be important for Steve Sarkisian and his staff as June […]
The Texas Longhorns hosted seven recruits this weekend, including top overall athlete Michael Terry III, and Florida State commit and 4-star EDGE Javion Hilson. Let's go over Texas' recruiting update as their 2025 class starts to come together.
The month of June will continue to be important for Steve Sarkisian and his staff as June 14 brings a ton more talent to Austin. June 21 is then the final push with several 5-stars, and locking in several other current Texas commits.
Top Texas Flip Candidate: Javion Hilson
The 4-star EDGE rusher is slated to stay in Florida by going to Tallahassee, but the Longhorns have a chance here. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder is the nation's third-best pass-rusher and plans to visit FSU on June 21. Texas, with seven players at his position on the roster, has yet to earn a commitment from an EDGE defender in 2025.
Pete Kwiatkowski is looking to work his magic here. With 37 offers on the table and only two more visits left (UCF is the other), bringing in Hilson is a bit of a Hail Mary.
Potentially Near Texas Commit
Michael Terry III, ATH
This weekend, the University of Texas at Austin is welcoming the nation’s top-ranked athlete for the class of 2025, Michael Terry III of San Antonio (TX) Alamo Heights, a five-star recruit according to both the 247Sports Composite and On3 Industry Ranking. Terry's recruitment journey is particularly noteworthy between Texas and Texas A&M Aggies, as both are vying to see which position will best suit him at the college level.
The top three contenders in the race for Terry's commitment as summer visits begin are Texas, Texas A&M, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He recently completed his official visit to Nebraska in late April, where he met with head coach Matt Rhule and left with a strong impression of the program. Nebraska has made a compelling case to him, suggesting he could play as a wide receiver and see game time early on.
On the other hand, Texas and Texas A&M are considering Terry for a defensive position in their college teams. Should the Texas coaching team persuade Terry that his future lies on the defense, their chances of securing his commitment could dramatically increase.
Similarly, Texas A&M's prospects of convincing Terry to join their ranks would improve significantly if he decides to pursue a defensive role at the college level.
At this junction, with Terry still having two official visits left this summer, Nebraska appears to be leading the race, especially with their offer for immediate playtime at the wide receiver position.
Josiah Sharma, DL
The well-regarded four-star defensive lineman from Folsom, Sacramento, CA, Josiah Sharma, is a key target for the Longhorns' 2025 class, especially being an out-of-state prospect.
After decommitting from the Washington Huskies, Sharma is making his way back to Austin for the first time since his impactful unofficial visit in late March, during the spring football season. That visit significantly impressed both Sharma and his family.
Heading into the summer, Texas has a few advantages in Sharma's recruitment. There's talk that Sharma's mother might relocate from Northern California to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex soon. Such a move could notably boost Texas's chances of securing Sharma.
Another major point is the Longhorns' defensive line coach, Kenny Baker, along with the rest of the staff, who have made it clear how much they value Sharma. He's a major target for their 2025 defensive line, thanks to his size and agility. At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Sharma is exactly the kind of player the Texas program values for his ability to control the line of scrimmage and handle multiple gaps.
The positive impact of Sharma's visit on March 29, along with his mother's impression of the program, only strengthens the staff's optimism as they head into this official visit weekend.
Ultimately, Sharma's decision is likely to come down to a choice between Texas and the Alabama Crimson Tide, largely because of the relationship he built with head coach Kalen DeBoer during DeBoer's time at Washington.
