Finally, some positive fireworks for Texas football fans over Fourth of July weekend.
Days after missing out on arguably their top target in the entire Class of 2025 and losing a committed 4-star DT to an in-conference flip to LSU, the Longhorns struck gold with a pledge from four-star Missouri City (Texas) Hightower cornerback Kade Phillips. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound star picked Texas ahead of purported finalists LSU, Oregon, Michigan and Baylor.
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 6, 2024
While there may have been four finalists, Phillips made it clear that his decision came down to another SEC recruiting battle between Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns and Brian Kelly’s Tigers. This time Sarkisian’s squad won out, in large part because of the hands-on role that Sarkisian and his coaching staff took with Phillips and the interactions he saw them have with other Texas players and prospects.
“They’re going to compete for championships in the coming years,” Phillips told On3 Sports. “Coach Sarkisian is going to take Texas to big places and do big things. … Off the field, (Sarkisian is) always around. Even during my OV, he was around. I saw him everywhere I went. I didn’t see the head coach too much at some other schools that I visited, but with coach Sarkisian, he’s always there. He’s always talking and having a good time.
“Me and (safeties coach Blake) Gideon have a good relationship. He’s always keeping it real with me and is always going to be honest with you. We spent a lot of time together and started building that bond. He’s a great coach and a great guy on and off the field.”
Now, Sarkisian and Gideon can feel a bit more confident about their incoming 2025 group, knowing that a top-20 prospect in the state of Texas and player many services rank right on the edge of the nation’s top 100 will be headed to Austin rather than a rival in the bayou.
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