The Texas Longhorns hosted a number of out-of-state recruits for their final practice of the spring season on Saturday. Players came in from all over the country, but 2027 Elijah Kimble might have set the mark for which prospect traveled the furthest to give the Longhorns a look.
Out of Buffalo (NY) Canisius, Kimble traveled more than 1,500 miles each way to see what Texas had to offer, and he said following the visit it was worth the effort.
“Ten out of 10,” Kimble said of the visit. “I love it - the city, the campus, everything. It’s a beautiful city.”
A Rivals250 member in the 2027 class who holds an offer list that includes the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon, to name but a few, Kimble said he liked just about everything he saw from the Texas program on his visit over the weekend.
“It’s great culture. The coaches are amazing,” Kimble said. “The practice was high-tempo. I love the campus.”
Texas has yet to offer the 5-10, 185-pound Kimble, but he does have a relationship with new Texas running backs coach Chad Scott from when Scott coached at West Virginia. That connection has carried over to Scott’s time in Austin and it’s a big reason why Kimble made the visit last weekend, and will likely return for other visits.
“It’s transferring to Austin,” Kimble said of the relationship with Scott. “Him and my coach have been communicating pretty well ever since he left West Virginia. I plan to come up here way more often now.”
It’s early for the talented runner, but Texas made a strong enough impression over the weekend visit that the Longhorns are squarely in the mix.
“I would say top five to top three,” Kimble said of where Texas fits in.
One element that caught Kimble’s eye was the attention to detail of the Texas running backs and the way Scott coaches. Success on the field starts with work off the field, and Kimble said he was impressed with the mental grasp of the game that the Texas running backs have.
“I like the physicality of the running backs and they know the offense pretty well. During the team meetings, (Scott) made them close their eyes and recite what they had going on and they did it pretty well, didn’t mess up on anything,” Kimble said.
In two years on varsity as a freshman and sophomore, Kimble has turned in incredibly productive seasons for Canisius, rushing for a combined 3,599 yards and 50 touchdowns while averaging 8.8 yards per carry. He ranks No. 191 on the Rivals250.
