How Texas closed with one of their top signees
Ryan Niblett was one of the earliest commits of the Texas 2023 recruiting class. He announced his pledge to the Longhorns back in April, choosing to play on the 40 Acres over opportunities from programs around the nation.
Steve Sarksian prioritized Niblett on the recruiting trail. That led the Houston standout to commit to the Longhorns. And it was those relationships that reinforced to Niblett why he chose Texas to begin with.
“I have a good relationship with all of the coaches. And all of them have a good relationship with each other,” Niblett told Orangebloods. “I’m real close with all of them.”
Niblett had been committed to the Longhorns for months leading up to the Early Signing Period. But that did not stop the nearby Houston Cougars from making a run at the speedy receiver. He ended up officially visiting the Cougars in December.
An in-home visit from the Longhorns, though, shut the door on Niblett’s recruitment. He was reminded where he wanted to go for college and put pen to paper shortly after to make it official.
“UT came down a week after I took my official visit (to Houston),” said Niblett. “They talked to me, and it made me open my eyes about why I chose Texas.”
The four-star had one of the most impressive weeks in San Antonio. He was burning defensive backs in practices, creating easy separation with his speed. More often than not, Niblett looked like the fastest player on the field during All-American Bowl practices.
“Time and time again during the week of practice, Niblett showed his ability to simply be faster than the person defending him as he has incredible athletic ability and it should be a huge weapon in coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense,” Rivals director of recruiting Adam Gorney wrote.
Ultimately, the culture at Texas kept Niblett locked in with his commitment. The Longhorns sold him on their plans for him on and off the field, which really caught his attention.
“I really like the culture. They don’t have an NFL team, so everything is just Longhorns. I also like how they throw the ball a lot. All of those were big factors for me,” said Niblett.
Ryan Niblett is ranked as the No. 77 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, one of the big pieces to the Longhorns’ haul. He is also the No. 16 recruit in Texas and the No. 12 wide receiver in the cycle.
“We’re going to ball. That’s all I can say, we’re going to ball,” said Niblett.