OL Connor Robertson has a "great experience" on his UT official visit
Offensive lineman Connor Robertson is no stranger to the Texas campus. The standout from Austin Westlake has been on the Forty Acres more times than he can count over the years so he’s very familiar with what the University of Texas is all about. Last weekend, Robertson got to see things from a different viewpoint during his UT official visit, and he said it was a terrific experience for him and his family.
It was great overall. It was definitely good to be back on campus. I’ve been around it a little bit, but overall it was great,” Robertson said. “I was really happy that I got to meet more of the coaches, learn more about the school with academics and athletics. Obviously meeting the recruits that were there was big. There was great talent this weekend. Meeting those dudes and getting to know them was awesome. It was just a great experience overall.”
Robertson has now taken official visits to Northwestern and Texas. He’ll hit Stanford this coming weekend and then could work towards a July decision if things go well.
“It depends on after next weekend, how it goes and where my gut is at,” Robertson said. “The plan is to be committed by the end of July. Obviously that could change, but I would definitely like to be committed before the season.”
On his Texas visit, Robertson was hosted by fellow offensive lineman Jake Majors and former Westlake teammate and good friend, Michael Taaffe. He was accompanied by his parents on the visit, including his father, who has a degree from Texas.
“My dad knows a little more just because he’s an alum, grew up and went to Texas. My mom knew a decent amount, but learned a lot this weekend. I think overall, we’ve all kind of got a better grasp of the Texas football program and what they have to offer athletically, but also what they offer in the classroom, which is important to me,” Robertson said. “I think it was great, really enjoyed it, really enjoyed the coaches and the other recruits as well. It went really well.”
It was a pretty big group of recruits on the Texas campus last weekend, with a number of UT commitments joining Robertson and some other top uncommitted Longhorn targets. Robertson said he connected with a lot of the guys, including fellow offensive lineman Kelvin Banks.
“Overall, we spent a good amount of time together, all of us. I would say when Kelvin got in, me and Kelvin probably hung out the most out of all the other guys because of the O-line deal. Me and KB got along really well,” Robertson said. “I’m really close with Maalik (Murphy). We hung out after the spring game and since then, we’ve been really close. Honestly, all the guys I got to know better. Those were the two guys I talked to prior to this trip … but I got to know Denver (Harris) a little better, got to play against him before he got hurt.”
Texas is still looking for its first offensive line commitment in the 2021 class but has put itself in a solid position with some top talents. The Longhorns are hoping guys like Robertson and Banks can be a foundation of their offensive line class, which will likely feature four or even five signees when the dust settles.
“From what I know, it seems like five is their goal. Obviously you don’t’ always get what you want. If you only get four then you only get four. But it seems like five is their hope,” Robertson said. “I think that could definitely happen. There are a lot of guys that have Texas high on their list. I hope it happens. I would be really happy to see them get what they want.”
Leading the offensive line recruiting charge is first-year Texas OL coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood. He and Robertson have developed a strong bond over the course of Robertson’s recruitment and the two connected well during last weekend’s official visit.
“It was great. I had a great weekend with him,” Robertson said. “Kelvin (Banks) got in a little bit later, so I got to spend some time alone with him, one on one. Overall, his message was really good, was to the point, just about what he would do to help improve my game, the potential they saw in me. Overall, my conversations with coach Flood, and they always have been, were amazing. We got to talk football for a bit, that was great. But overall it was really personal. He asked me about my family and personal stuff, just great conversation.”