Taking over the Alamo City
Shortly after Texas played in the Alamo Bowl, there is another burnt orange wave coming to the Alamo City.
San Antonio hosts the All-American Bowl this week, and a group of future Longhorns will be in action. Five early signees were selected to play in the game that is set for Saturday afternoon in the Alamodome.
Practices begin on Tuesday. Orangebloods will be on-site for the week of activity.
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Anthony Hill is the big headliner of the group. The five-star linebacker provided Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns with a massive win on the recruiting trail. Texas never went away in Hill’s recruitment, despite the initial commitment to Texas A&M. Hill has the opportunity to back up his No. 1 linebacker status this week.
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Payton Kirkland committed to Texas without even visiting the 40 Acres. His relationship with Kyle Flood won out in the summer. Since then, Kirkland has made multiple trips out to Austin and became a recruiter for the class. He expects to compete for snaps at right tackle once he enrolls.
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Ryan Niblett is an electrifying talent with track speed to match. He played all over the field on the high school level and has the ceiling to make a major impact in the passing game with the Longhorns. Niblett committed to Texas at the spring game and never looked back. Already a Rivals100 prospect. Niblett has the chance to push for higher status with a big week.
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Tausili Akana gave the Longhorns great news on signing day when he announced his commitment to the burnt orange. Akana was heavily linked to Oklahoma, LSU, and others during the process before signing with Texas. He officially visited for the Alabama game, and his sister just won a national championship in volleyball with the Longhorns.
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DeAndre Moore was the final signee of the Early Signing Period after taking his announcement an extra day. The Longhorns flipped the long-time Louisville pledge, and he joins Johntay Cook and Niblett at the position in the class. Moore starred at St. John Bosco as a speedy deep threat with after-the-catch ability.
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Jelani McDonald is the one major target for the Longhorns that has not announced his intentions. The former Oklahoma State pledge took multiple visits to Texas after picking up an offer in the fall. A versatile defender that can play all over, McDonald could make an impact as a linebacker or safety on the next level. He will announce his decision on Saturday during the game, with TCU and Oklahoma State being the two other contenders.
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