When defensive lineman Dylan Spencer announced his commitment to Texas on Tuesday afternoon, it was the rare type of recruiting news that caught just about everyone by surprise. Spencer isn’t one who talks much about his recruitment and while the Longhorns were believed to be a school he was strongly considering, there were no prior indications that Spencer was close to deciding.
Behind the scenes, the Texas staff, led by defensive line coach Bo Davis, had been doing good work in Spencer’s recruitment for a while and the Rivals250 member gave Texas a big commitment over a host of other programs that had been in pursuit.
“We’ve been talking about it. He was really impressed when he went to UT and made an unofficial visit over there,” said C.E. King head coach George Young. “He went to A&M too, a couple different spots – LSU, Georgia. He just felt like the environment (at Texas) was good.
“He really liked coach (Bo) Davis. He thought it was something really good (at Texas), something he could be a part of. He thinks they’re about to make a swinging direction of that program and he wants to be a part of that.”
Spencer, who is up to 6-5 ½ and around 250 pounds, became the Longhorns’ second pledge in the 2023 class, joining defensive back Jamel Johnson. In Spencer, Texas gets a prospect with a unique blend of size, strength and athleticism, and a player who continues to work on maximizing his talent.
“He’s a gifted young man physically. He’s really put a lot of effort in the last year into the mental part of the game. And then the physical part, he’s made huge gains in the weight room,” coach Young said. “A little over a year ago, his max on power clean was 235. The other day I watched him do 275 for three reps, and that was in the middle of a workout.”
With his combination of size and athleticism, Spencer brings some position versatility to the table as a guy that could line up inside or outside along the defensive line. Wherever he winds up, coach Young said he has the skill set to have a strong impact for the Texas defense.
“Right now, he’s one of those guys you kind of have to wait and see. I think he’s big and strong enough – a lot of these three-man fronts you play them at 4i – he’s big and strong enough to do that,” coach Young said. But I think he’s also athletic enough that he can get out on the edge and cause some havoc out there too.”
Along with Texas, Texas A&M and LSU, schools like USC, Auburn, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech and Houston were chasing Spencer’s commitment. Spencer will graduate in December and be an early enrollee at Texas and while he may not force his name into the headlines, he’s a player that could be an asset for the Longhorns both as a player on the field and as a leader in the locker room.
“With all the stuff going on with recruiting, kids get a big head. He’s not that way. That’s a really positive thing about him, he’s developed into such a team player,” coach Young said. “He’s been focused on football and his academics, making sure he’s taking care of his grades to get to where he wants to go. As a program, we’re all about playing football, getting to that next level, making good grades and being a good person. He’s fallen right into track with that so it’s been awesome for us.”
A four-star prospect, Spencer ranks No. 121 on the Rivals250.
