The Texas Longhorns hosted some top talent over the weekend at the program’s first junior day. One of the top players at the event, and one who traveled across the country, was IMG Academy linebacker Gavin Nix. The Rivals250 member out of Florida has been on UT’s radar for a while but said it was a good experience meeting the Texas coaching staff for the first time.
“It was great. I have a great relationship with Coach (Tashard) Choice. This was the first time I was able to see him down here at his place, so it was great,” Nix said. “It was also my first time coming out to Texas. I love just being able to come out here and experience it for the first time, so that probably was the thing I love the most. It's a great city.”
Coming in from Florida took some effort for the 6-0, 227-pound Nix, but he and Choice have developed a strong connection ever since Choice extended a scholarship offer back in January of last year. It was the connection with Choice that made Nix want to get to Austin to give Texas a closer look.
“The biggest thing was really coach Choice. He recruited me down there at IMG. He offered me last year, so over this past year, we’ve built a great relationship,” Nix said. “Obviously with coach (Jeff) Choate leaving, through all of that, he still made an emphasis for me to come out and get down here so that was a big reason for me to come down here and see everything.”
A former teammate of current UT freshmen Jordon Johnson-Rubell and Jerrick Gibson, Nix spent some time with the former IMG Academy standouts after the conclusion of the junior day to get their early impressions of student-athlete life in Austin.
“They just got done showing us the dorms and all that. The living situation is great,” Nix said. “Being in a big city like this, we just got done talking about the opportunities when you come to a city like this. Texas players really get a chance to capitalize on everything outside of football that's in the city, that’s the two main things being here.”
Prior to visiting Texas, Nix spent some time Friday visiting Texas A&M. In the coming weeks, prior to the February dead period, he’ll visit Miami and Florida State. A return trip to Austin at some point is a strong possibility as well.
“Most definitely. The next time I come back, I hope to be on an official visit,” Nix said.
Holding roughly 30 scholarship offers, Nix is keeping an open mind at this early stage of the recruiting process. He’s still getting out to see some new programs so he doesn’t want to eliminate any schools, but he does foresee a fairly early commitment.
“I don't have a for sure list yet. We just started seeing a lot of schools that we haven't (seen). So I want to make sure I see everything and then probably right after spring, before my season, that's when I’ll start narrowing things down and deciding where I want to go,” Nix said. “I want to make a decision before my senior year starts.
After last weekend’s visit, Texas should have a solid shot of making Nix’s favorites when he does eventually trim his list. The UT staff told him they like his versatility and feel he would fit in well with what Texas likes to do defensively.
“Really they see me as a WILL backer, a backer that can move around and do a lot of things – cover, blitz, do a lot of things,” Nix said. “I'm a very versatile backer and I take pride in that. That's how they see me fitting in. I love coach Nance. He just got in there and is a super smart guy. We talked football for about 30 minutes. Super smart guy.
“Today was actually my first day meeting him so I didn't know what to expect but he just dropped a lot of knowledge on me so I like that a lot.”
After taking only one linebacker in the 2023 cycle, the Longhorns will look to load up in 2024 and should present a pretty open depth chart. Early playing time will be a factor in Nix’s recruitment, as will finding a program that can maximize his talents.
“Wherever I go, I want to come in and make an impact. I want to come in and play. A big thing for me is coming in and being developed,” Nix said. “Being able to talk to coach Nance, he’s a really, really smart dude. So he’d be a great guy to come in from and learn a lot from and develop my game.
A four-star prospect, Nix is ranked No. 126 on the Rivals250.
