By: Justin and Gerry
From the road in Florida and Louisiana
There is a similarity between Texas commitments Cedric Baxter Jr. (Orlando/Edgewater) and Derek Williams (New Iberia, La./Westgate). Both are top-30 ranked prospects in the On300, and neither are close to being finished products physically. There is plenty of physical upside remaining for two of the top prospects in the country. Both guys will add 10-20-pounds of pure muscle and definition to their frames.
In the case of Williams, he may have as much physical upside as any prospect in the country in the class. Inside Texas was informed Thursday that his father is 6-foot-5/6-foot-6, and his mother is 5-foot-11/6-feet. The 6-foot-0.5, 180-pounder with long arms doesn’t turn 18 until January, and has the look in person of a prospect that is not done growing. Westgate head coach Ryan Antoine thinks his star playmaker could end up being 6-2/6-3 and 220+ pounds in time. If that ended up being the case, Williams would end up being one of the top players in the 2023 cycle in three or four years headed into NFL Draft time. He has twitch and burst, and is an instinctive playmaker.
As far as Williams’ recruitment, after interviewing him prior to practice, he sounded like a prospect Texas will have to recruit through the whistle. And while that may be the case due to being one of the top prospects in the country, his commitment is solid per those close. Texas defensive backs coach Terry Joseph and head coach Steve Sarkisian received rave reviews from the Westgate staff. With LSU and Alabama loading up on safeties/defensive backs, Miami could stand the best chance to pull an upset. Texas A&M and Florida are also trying very hard. Florida defensive backs coach Corey Raymond is very close to the Westgate staff. As in, very close. But the Gators aren’t considered a true threat as of now. That would be LSU and Miami, as of today. With that said, Texas fans should feel good about Williams’ commitment status. He plans to be at the Alabama game September 10.
Watching Arch Manning (New Orleans/Isidore Newman) up close Thursday, the “overrated” bull crap needs to stop. I get that people are going to try and tear down the top prospect with a famous name. It's par for the course. But Manning is entering his senior season an even more advanced leader, retained the same athleticism as last year with more muscle/weight on his frame, has easily the best release in the cycle, more arm strength than given credit for with continued strength building in the legs and core, and is naturally accurate. He will be forced to play under quite a bit of duress again this season, so fans and people in the industry have to understand that. And that will make him a better quarterback at the college level. I would tell people in the industry that instead of guessing and looking for clicks and retweets, go watch him in person and talk to the Newman quarterback and offensive coordinator staff in depth. Give it a try!
Manning is not doing interviews prior to the first game of the season. The reason is simple, those around Arch want him to enjoy being a senior football player with his teammates. Peyton said as much at the Manning Passing Academy after Arch committed. I did get the opportunity to chat with Manning and Will Randle for about ten minutes before and after practice Thursday.
Here's what I can tell you, both are very excited about being Texas Longhorns. We talked about Cedric Baxter Jr's announcement. I was asked what I though about Payton Kirkland after seeing him, as Manning and Randle saw he was at Baxter's announcement. A couple of the Texas freshmen offensive linemen were mentioned. One having been very impressive thus far per the duo, and another that is learning a new position and taking in a lot of information learning the playbook and calls. There is a genuine excitement around the Isidore Newman program that Manning and Randle are headed to Texas. And in the 2025 class at Isidore Newman, offensive tackle Brett Bordelon is serious about Texas despite having serious LSU connections, including brother Bo Bordelon. The LSU freshman is running second team left tackle for the Tigers.
Another recruit very interested in what Texas’ 2023 class is building is tight end Duce Robinson, Phoenix (Ariz) Pinnacle. The On3 five-star is a prospect in football and baseball, where he recently performed at an Area Code baseball showcase.
Sources close to his recruitment says USC and Texas are his top two schools and he’s eager to set an official visit to Austin. Texas baseball coaches are interested in the despite Texas having two tight ends in the 2023 class - Will Randle and Spencer Shannon. Robinson is a no-brainer take regardless. Something about Robinsons from Arizona.
After snagging Baxter, Texas reached out to Jerrick Gibson. The 2024 Jonesboro (GA) Mundys Mill four-star and On3 No. 2 running back and the Longhorns continue to build a strong connection spearheaded by Tashard Choice. Georgia, Alabama, and Florida are in the mix. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gibson at a Texas game this fall. The SEC move is notable to Gibson. He was on campus in June. Texas is a genuine threat.