Breaking: SEC Rivals Set to Flip Five-Star from Gators

December 15 The Texas Longhorns could be getting involved in some early “Flipmas” festivities this holiday season.

During what’s been a busy month of recruiting for coach Steve Sarkisian and staff as they also prepare for the College Football Playoff, the Longhorns are predicted to flip 2024 five-star McKinney (Texas) safety Xavier Filsaime from the Florida Gators, per an expert prediction submitted by On3’s Corey Bender, who also happens to be a Florida recruiting analyst.

Per 247Sports’ rankings, Filsaime is the second-highest rated safety in the 2024 recruiting class. The Longhorns just landed a commitment from Connally (Waco, Texas) safety Kobe Black on Wednesday, who is the No. 4 safety in the state per the rankings.

Filsaime made an unofficial visit to Austin on Nov. 21 and is set to arrive to the Forty Acres again on Friday (today) for his official visit. He originally committed to Florida back on April 13.

December 13 The Texas Longhorns got a massive commitment from four-star Connally (Waco, TX) defensive back Kobe Black on Wednesday, continuing their recruiting hot streak.

Black now ranks as Texas’ highest-rated defensive back commit in the 2024 class, ranking as the No. 4 corner in the country, the No. 44 player in the nation, and the No. 10 player in the state of Texas per On3’s industry ranking.

And as a result, Black has rocketed the Longhorns up the national team rankings across the board, with the Horns now ranking No. 6 in the country per On3, No. 3 per Rivals.com, and No. 6 per 247Sports.

The Longhorns are not done, either, with many top names still on the board, including five-star safety Xavier Filsaime, five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, four-star linebacker Tyanthony Smith, four-star defensive lineman Solomon Williams and DeAndre Carter, among others.

December 13 Per a report from On3’s Gerry Hamilton, the Texas Longhorns are set to receive a visit from four-star Texas A&M Aggies linebacker commit, Tyanthony Smith.

Smith, who will head to Austin this weekend, received an in-home visit from the Longhorns and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski last week.

Smith ranks as the No. 37 linebacker in the nation and the No. 62 player in Texas per the On3 Industry ranking.

He also ranks as a four-star recruit per On3 and Rivals.com and a three-star per 247Sport and ESPN.

December 10 According to On3’s Eric Nahlin, the Texas Longhorns are in the driver’s seat to flip five-star safety and Florida Gators commit, Xavier Filsaime.

Filsaime is set to visit Austin from December 15-17 but also received an in-home visit from Texas during the week.

The Horns are in big need of some safety help heading into 2024, with three players at the position entering the NCAA Transfer Portal after the regular season.

Filsaime, a McKinney (TX) native, is ranked as the No. 29 player in the country, the No. 2 safety, and the No. 7 player in Texas by On3’s Industry Ranking. The early signing period begins December 20.

December 5 Per On3’s Gerry Hamilton, the Texas Longhorns are set to receive an official visit from five-star safety and Florida commit, Xavier Filsaime.

The Mckinney (TX) star defensive back will head to Austin from December 15-17, just a week before the early signing period begins.

Filsaime is ranked as the No. 29 player in the country, the No. 2 safety, and the No. 7 player in Texas by On3’s Industry Ranking.

November 29 Per On3’s Hayes Fawcett, the Texas Longhorns are going to have to wait an extra couple of weeks before finding out if five-star Connolly (Waco, TX) CB Kobe Black is Austin-bound.

Per the report, Black is now set to announce his commitment on Dec. 13 – after the Early Signing Period. He was originally set to make his decision on Nov. 29.

Black will pick between the Longhorns, Texas A&M, Oregon Ducks, LSU Tigers and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

November 17 According to a report from 247Sports recruiting insider Mike Roach, five-star Texas Longhorns cornerback target Kobe Black has set his commitment date for Nov. 29. Black will pick between the Longhorns, Texas A&M, Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys. October 28 Per a report from Inside Texas, the Longhorns have invited five-star defensive line commitment Dominick McKinley to visit the program for this weekend’s matchup with the Kansas State Wildcats. McKinley first committed to the Aggies on September 1, picking Texas A&M over Ohio State and LSU. October 27 Per a report from HookEm Headlines, the Texas Longhorns are set to receive an impressive list of visitors from the 2025 class this weekend, including Horns QB commit, KJ Lacey.

Also among the visitor list are 5-Star 2025 WR Andrew Marsh, 5-Star 2025 CB Jaboree Antoine, elite 2025 Texas EDGE Chad Woodfork, and 5-Star 2026 DL Kevin Ford Jr.

October 25 The Texas Longhorns added a major commitment on Wednesday afternoon, with five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo committing to the program. Wingo picked the Longhorns over the Missouri Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, and Miami Hurricanes.

Wingo ranks as the No. 7 wide receiver and the No. 25 team nationally per the On3 industry ranking. As a result of that commitment, the Longhorns have now skyrocketed in On3’s team recruiting rankings, rising all the way up to the No. 9 spot ahead of Tennessee, Oklahoma, Penn State, Michigan, and Miami. They now have the No. 1 class in the Big 12. October 20 The Texas Longhorns are in the running for one of the top playmakers in the 2024 class in five-star wideout Ryan Wingo.

Battling the Longhorns for Wingo are the Missouri Tigers, who have seemingly emerged as the team beat in his recruitment. That said, things could still go either way.

Now, Wingo has set a commitment date and is set to make his decision on Oct. 25. Wingo ranks as the No. 7 wide receiver and the No. 25 team nationally per the On3 industry ranking. September 29 The Texas Longhorns may have missed out on Terry Bussey on Thursday afternoon, but that doesn’t hurt their recruiting momentum.

This weekend, the Longhorns are set to receive multiple five-star visitors, including defensive backs Jaboree Antoine and Kobe Black, and 2025 LSU wide receiver commit, Dakorien Moore. The Longhorns will also be getting visits from multiple four-star recruits, including offensive lineman Deandre Carter, and edge Soloman Williams from the 2024 class. Texas will also get visits from 2025 offensive linemen Lamont Rogers, Tyler Thomas, Dein Harper and Jackson Christian, defensive linemen Zion Williams, and Xavier Ukponu, defensive back Maliek Hawkins, and linebackers Jayden Shelton, Noah Mikhail, and Elijah Barnes. Longhorns Country has yet to confirm any 2026 or 2027 prospects making the visit weekend. To welcome the star-studded group, the Longhorns will host a slew of current commits as well, including five-star Colin Simmons and four-star Alex January – teammates of Dakorien Moore at Duncanville.

Also making the trip will be quarterback Trey Owens, wideouts Parker Livingstone and Freddie Dubose, offensive lineman Daniel Cruz, defensive backs Jordon Johnson-Rubell and Santana Wilson, and edge Zina Umeozulu. September 28 Five-star Timpson (TX) athlete Terry Bussey is one of the most hotly pursued prospects in the 2024 class. Now, Bussey has made his college choice and is taking his talents nearly three hours southeast to College Station, announcing his commitment to the Texas A&M Aggies Thursday. Bussey chose the Aggies over Texas, Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma.

Bussey is a five-star recruit, the No. 15 overall prospect and the top athlete in the class of 2024, trailing only wide receiver and Clemson commit Bryant Wesco for the top spot in the Lone Star State. September 27 Five-Star Duncanville (TX) wide receiver Dakorien Moore will take a visit to Austin this coming weekend for the Texas Longhorns Saturday matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks, according to a report from 247Sports. “I’m definitely there,” Moore said. Moore, an LSU commit, currently ranks as the No. 2 wide receiver and the No. 9 player overall per On3’s industry ranking. Moore is the teammate of current five-star Longhorns commit, Colin Simmons.

September 25 The Texas Longhorns are on fire on the recruiting trail, landing a commitment from Five-star No. 1 offensive tackle Brandon Baker.

And as a result, the Horns are making a swift rise up the ranks, vaulting to No. 11 in On3’s team rankings. Before the commitment of Baker, the Horns were ranked No. 16 in the country. Texas also still has plenty of top targets on the board, including five-star talents Kobe Black and Ryan Wingo – both of whom seem to be trending to the Horns.

September 24 The Texas Longhorns landed a huge commitment from the top offensive tackle in the class of 2024. Five-star Brandon Baker announced his commitment to Texas Sunday, choosing the Longhorns over Ohio State and Nebraska. “The trajectory they’re headed on for sure,” Baker told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “The development by one of the best OL Coaches in the nation, and an offensive mind at head coach. Can’t really beat that, they’re headed in the SEC, and you cannot beat blocking for my guy Arch Manning! Life after football is incredible, and the opportunity is endless.”

September 15 The Texas Longhorns scored a big upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the victory very well could have positive repercussions on their recruiting front. Five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo “loved” the Longhorns’ performance against Alabama and is now “trending towards” moving up his decision date, according to On3’s Chad Simmons, who said he had a “great official visit” June 16. “Sark has been involved with this one from the beginning,” Simmons said. “They’re up against the in-state school, Missouri — already have landed the top player in that state, top player for On3, Williams Nwaneri. Right now, Texas is in great position with Ryan Wingo.”

September 12 One of the Longhorns’ top targets, Five-Star wide receiver Micah Hudson, has made his college decision. Unfortunately for the Horns, he is heading to an in-state rival. On Monday, following the Red Raiders’ loss to the Oregon Ducks, Hudson made his pledge to Joey McGuire, becoming the top-ranked recruit in program history. September 8 Just days ago, it appeared the Oregon Ducks were taking the lead in the recruitment of No. 1 offensive tackle Brandon Baker, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The Texas Longhorns received an On3 expert prediction to land a commitment from Baker, and now he has decided when he will announce his commitment: Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. CT on 247Sports’ YouTube channel.

Why, of all days, did Baker pick Sept. 24? “Sept. 24 is my birthday, so I felt like it was a good time to announce,” Baker told 247Sports. “It has been a really fun process, but I have a good idea what I want to do and I’m ready to get this done.” Baker will choose between Texas, Oregon, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers. September 6 The Texas Longhorns secured a commitment from four-star edge rusher Zina Umeozulu Wednesday.

As a result, their On3 team ranking jumped up two spots to No. 16 in the class of 2024. The Longhorns are ninth in the Southeastern Conference and now trail the Oklahoma Sooners by one spot. After missing on Dominick McKinley and recruit Ryan Wingo, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Longhorns must secure a commitment from Kobe Black at all costs. September 1 Dominick McKinley looked to be all but in the Texas Longhorns’ grasp — until he wasn’t. The five-star defensive lineman from Lafayette, Louisiana, announced his commitment to the Texas A&M Aggies Friday. The Aggies picked up steam late in McKinley’s recruitment and won the bidding war over the Longhorns.

Texas needed a commitment from McKinley, who would’ve been a nice complement to fellow five-star Colin Simmons — a player that the Longhorns had to fend off LSU from winning over late in his recruitment. The Longhorns’ 2024 recruiting class still just has one five-star commitment ahead of their move to the Southeastern Conference. While Texas holds a crystal ball prediction to land wide receiver Ryan Wingo, Missouri has gained ground and it needs to hold off the Tigers from swiping the pass-catcher out of its grasp. Cornerback Kobe Black is the only other five-star recruit that has a crystal ball to Texas. August 28 Texas Longhorns 2024 commit Parker Livingstone had over one-quarter of his 2022 production in his first game of the season Saturday.

The Lovejoy High School wide receiver record 12 receptions for 252 yards and three touchdowns as well as tossing a 52-yard touchdown pass on a double pass en route to a 50-37 win against College Station High School. That doesn’t include his 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that was called back on a penalty. Last season, the four-star 247Sports Composite wide receiver caught 52 passes for 908 yards and 12 touchdowns. August 25 The Texas Longhorns got the best news they have gotten in the 2024 recruiting class when Colin Simmons put the burnt orange hat on.

He showed the Longhorns just what he was made of Friday. Simmons rushed off the edge for Duncanville High School and just missed a sack, delivering a huge hit on South Oak Cliff’s quarterback.

Simmons’ first step and speed helped him record 79 tackles, 33 for loss and 22.5 sacks in 2022 en route to a state championship. August 24 The Texas Longhorns are currently 18th in 247Sports’ team rankings holding commitments from 16 recruits — one five-star, nine four-stars and six three-stars.

Texas scored a pledge from arguably the best defensive end in the 2024 class in Colin Simmons, while holding a commitment from top-10 running back Jerrick Gibson. The Longhorns could expect more five-star commitments in the future. Texas holds crystal balls for five-stars wide receiver Ryan Wingo — Missouri has since made a late charge in his recruitment according to reports — cornerback Kobe Black and defensive lineman Dominick McKinley. McKinley is announcing his commitment Sept. 1. August 18 The Texas Longhorns led the recruitment of five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, but now a recruiting analyst has placed a prediction for him to head to the Forty Acres.

On3’s Justin Wells placed an expert prediction for McKinley to become a Longhorn Friday with a 65 percent confidence level. Texas has led McKinley’s recruitment since Aug. 4, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. McKinley is announcing his commitment Sept. 1 with Oklahoma, Ohio State, Texas A&M and LSU. August 17 The Texas Longhorns looked like they had to fend off Missouri and Tennessee in the recruitment of five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo, but, according to some recruiting analysts, it appears their efforts haven’t been good enough. Texas still holds a crystal ball for Wingo according to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong, but Allen Trieu placed a prediction for Missouri Aug. 7. According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Tigers hold a nearly 14 percent edge over the Longhorns in the race for Wingo’s commitment.

Wingo was scheduled to announce his commitment Dec. 20, but he told On3’s Chad Simmons that moving his pledge up is “definitely a possibility.” Missouri recently landed its highest-rated recruit ever in five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri. August 14 The Texas Longhorns earned a pledge from five-star edge rusher Colin Simmons Thursday, but they are looking to add more.

Four-star edge rusher Danny Okoye announced his top-six schools Sunday, and Texas was included along with Tennessee, Colorado, Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native took an official visit to the Forty Acres June 16. In 2022, Okoye had 43 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. August 11 The Texas Longhorns landed a huge commitment from five-star edge rusher Colin Simmons Thursday. As a result, he was such an impactful get for the Longhorns they jumped up five spots to No. 17 in 247Sports’ team rankings in the 2024 cycle. Texas ranks ninth among Southeastern Conference opponents. The Longhorns still have a chance to climb up the ladder further, awaiting commitment announcements five-stars offensive tackle Brandon Baker, defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, wide receiver Ryan Wingo and cornerback Kobe Black and four-stars cornerback Wardell Mack and edge rusher Danny Okoye. August 9 Five-star in-state cornerback Kobe Black included the Texas Longhorns in his final five Wednesday, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. The Longhorns are the current favorite to land Black, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. The Waco, TX. native also included Texas A&M, Ohio State, LSU and Oregon in his final five. “I feel like they show so much love and they are on the rise as well.,” Black told Fawcett. Black played both sides of the ball at Connally High School, but at his natural cornerback position he totaled 21 tackles, two interceptions and two tackles for a loss despite not getting targeted by opposing offenses. August 7 The Texas Longhorns currently rank 22nd in 247Sports’ team rankings without a commitment from a five-star recruit, but that could change real soon. The Longhorns lead the recruitments of five-stars edge rusher Colin Simmons, defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, wide receiver Ryan Wingo and cornerback Kobe Black, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Landing the quartet could propel them into the top 15 of the team rankings. Simmons will be announcing his commitment Thursday between Texas, LSU and Miami. The Tigers have put up a good fight in Simmons’ recruitment, hosting Simmons on a visit the last weekend in July. Like for Simmons, Texas will have to fend off LSU for McKinley, who will likely announce his commitment before Sept. 1, according to On3’s Sam Spiegelman. The Longhorns will have to fend off Tennessee, Missouri, Notre Dame and Georgia in the recruitment of Wingo, a St. Louis native. As for Black, it will come as a shock if he doesn’t commit to Texas over Texas A&M and Oklahoma. August 4 Class of 2024 cornerback Eli Bowen announced the Texas Longhorns were in his final two along with the Oklahoma Sooners Friday, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Bowen is the younger brother of Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen, who signed with the Sooners in the class of 2023. “I got a great connection with them and It’s a brand everyone can recognize around the world,” Bowen told Fawcett of Texas. “Also, I think they really got something special going there and I’m excited to see it unfold.” August 3 The Texas Longhorns have a good deal of targets on their 2024 board. But perhaps none of them are as important as five-star Duncanville Edge, Colin Simmons. And a decision from Simmons in regard to the Horns could be coming very soon, with the talented pass rusher setting his commitment date for August 10. Simmons will choose between Texas, LSU and Miami.