Big 12 Signing Day: Texas and OU will head to SEC with top-10 classes. Texas Tech signs first 5-star
Wed, Dec 20, 2023
NCAAF News (AP)
Texas and Oklahoma will head to the Southeastern Conference next season with national top-10 recruiting classes that are by far the highest-ranked among current teams in the Big 12.
The Longhorns and Sooners are Nos. 5 and 9, respectively, in the 247Sports composite rankings. One or the other has been Nos. 1 or 2 in the Big 12 every year since the composite rankings started in 2010.
Of the teams left behind in the Big 12, Texas Tech was Wednesday's big winner. The Red Raiders, ranked No. 22 nationally, signed a five-star recruit for the first time and also brought in four four-stars.
LEADER OF THE PACK
Texas landed four of the top 30 players in the country in receiver Ryan Wingo of St. Louis; linebacker Collin Simmons of Duncanville, Texas; offensive tackle Brandon Baker of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, California; and safety Xavier Filsaime of McKinney, Texas.
The Longhorns emphasized the secondary (five signees), receiver (four) and defensive line (four).
The only signing-day drama occurred when Aeryn Hampton, a four-star who could play receiver or defensive back, flipped to Alabama. Hampton had given Texas a verbal commitment over the summer.
BEST OF THE RE
ST
Oklahoma's top signee is five-star defensive lineman David Stone of IMG Academy in Florida. The Sooners also landed the nation's No. 1 running back in Taylor Tatum of Longview, Texas, and the No. 5 offensive lineman in Eugene Brooks of Chatsworth, California.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire scored a major victory when he landed five-star receiver Micah Hudson of Temple, Texas. He also brought in four-star quarterback Will Hammond of Hutto, Texas, who got a shout-out from Tech alum Patrick Mahomes in September after he accounted for 807 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns in a game.
TCU upgraded at receiver with four-star Gekyle Bakerhigh of Brownsboro, Texas, and the addition of Notre Dame transfer Braylon James.
UNDER THE RADAR
UCF and Cincinnati, both coming off their first seasons in the Big 12, filled needs at quarterback after losing their starters. The Knights picked up two three-stars in Riley Trujillo of Jacksonville, Florida, and EJ Colson of Ellenwood, Georgia. The Bearcats signed three-star Samaj Jones of Philadelphia after going to the transfer portal to land Brendan Sorsby from Indiana.
Kansas landed a pair of four-star edge rushers in Deshawn Warner of Goodyear, Arizona, and Dakyus Brinkley of Katy, Texas.
Iowa State signed 22 players, all three-stars, and West Virginia brought in 21, with four-star WR Ric'Darious Farmer the big addition. ... Three-star QB Maealiuaki Smith of San Mateo, California, is the top-rated signee for Oklahoma State, which had only two scholarship quarterbacks on its roster. ... BYU (25 signees), Kansas State (15), Baylor (15) and Houston (22) round out the 247Sports Composite rankings for the rest of the current Big 12 members.
STAR OF THE CLASS
Hudson, the No. 7 national recruit, gives Texas Tech its first five-star recruit and is the headliner of a class made up entirely of in-state recruits. The 6-foot, 190-pounder caught 70 balls for 1,370 yards and 18 touchdowns for Lake Belton High in Temple. Hudson chose the Red Raiders over Texas, Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Texas got Filsaime to flip from Florida, which had received a verbal commitment from him in April. Filsaime is the No. 2-ranked safety in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite, and his addition boosted the Longhorns' class into the top five.
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