Texas football is done with its 2024 recruiting class. But who has pledged for 2025?
The days of unveiling a program’s future on the first Wednesday of February are long gone, especially at schools like Texas. Like most of his peers in power conferences, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian prefers his players signed and already on campus by the time the spring semester rolls around.
Sarkisian did just that this season, signing all 22 of his 2024 high school recruits in December. Of that group, 18 are already on campus and getting ready for spring football workouts.
"We didn't sign one new player today," said Sarkisian, who still held a press conference on Wednesday's traditional national signing day. "I think that's indicative of how much college football has evolved and changed over the past three years."
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But a quiet signing day doesn’t mean recruiting slows down. Texas is gearing up for the spring, when it tries to garner commitments from next year’s class. Let’s take a look at the 2025 recruits who have already pledged to Texas:
Brandon Brown, defensive tackle
The first defensive pledge: Brandon Brown, DT: Texas again ventured into traditional SEC country to garner the pledge from Brown, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle from Melbourne, Fla., who was the first 2025 defensive pledge (Dec. 19, 2023). The four-star's athleticism has drawn some comparisons to Byron Murphy II, and he is rated the nation's No. 30 overall defensive tackle.
Lance Jackson, edge rusher
A top-10 pledge: Lance Jackson, edge rusher: The 6-5, 245-pound four-star from Texarkana Pleasant Grove is still being recruited heavily by Arkansas. He's the No. 9 edge prospect in the class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
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KJ Lacey, quarterback
Texas' earliest 2025 pledge: KJ Lacey, QB: The slightly built but dynamic four-star prospect has drawn comparisons to another player recruited by Sarkisian: former Alabama star Bryce Young. Lacey, a 6-foot, 170-pounder from Alabama, picked Texas over his home state Tide, too. He was the first pledge of the 2025 class, committing back on June 3, 2023.
Anthony Williams, linebacker
The lone three-star: Anthony Williams, LB. A rangy outside linebacker from the Houston-area recruiting hotbed of Pearland Shadow Creek, the 6-3, 190-pound three-star prospect is rising fast in the recruiting world with offers from Florida and Notre Dame, among lots of others. He committed Jan. 1, hours before the Sugar Bowl.
Emaree Winston, tight end
A target for Lacey: Emaree Winston, TE. The 6-2, 235-pound prospect from the Atlanta suburb of Calhoun is a speedy four-star recruit who picked Texas over fellow SEC schools Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss. He committed Dec. 18, one day before Brandon Brown.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football is done with 2024 recruiting, but who are 2025 pledges?
