Boasting a $2.4 million recruitment spending total for 2023, Texas has become one of the nation’s most prominent schools for hosting new football recruits. The program welcomed nine highly touted high schoolers, headlined by five-star athletes cornerback Kobe Black, edge rusher Colin Simmons and wide receiver Terry Bussey, to the Forty Acres this weekend.

This comes a week after wide receiver Ryan Wingo, offensive tackle Brandon Baker and edge rusher Jordan Ross joined another group of recruits visiting Austin. Wingo, Baker, Ross, Black, Simmons and Bussey are all ranked in the top 30 overall recruits for the class of 2024, according to 247sports.com.  

Simmons is regarded by many as the best recruit coming out of Texas, and it comes as no surprise either. The Dallas Morning News Defensive Player of the Year was a show-stopper for Duncanville’s defense this season with an astounding 22.5 sacks, breaking the Texas UIL sack record. 

Duncanville head coach Reginald Samples, who was named MaxPreps National Coach of the Year for the 2022 season, loves that Simmons’ game isn’t affected when the opposition double teams him on the field. 

“He is relentless. He doesn’t give up,” Samples said to on3.com. “People know that he has a lot of sacks. He’s very disruptive, and he continues to do it game after game.”

Black is a lengthy corner with ball skills that could make an immediate impact on Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense. Already standing at six feet and 190 pounds, the Waco product is physically ready to play press coverage at the college level now, and he has another year of high school to work on his technique and physique. 

As he is listed as an athlete, no matter where Bussey decides to play his college ball, his position may be in question. However, what isn’t in question is his athletic ability, as he was named Mr. Texas Football 2022 coming off his sophomore season. Bussey is a four-sport varsity athlete for Timpson High School in Timpson, Texas, where he won a Texas 2A triple jump title in addition to excelling in other track and field events such as the long jump and 100 meter. On the football field, he is a two-way player, competing as a dual-threat quarterback, but at the collegiate level, he will likely be a receiver or a defensive back, per outsider predictions.

Four-star running back Jerrick Gibson, coming out of IMG Academy, joined his possible future teammates in Austin this past weekend as well. He is being recruited by Texas running back coach Tashard Choice, who helped recruit then-five-star running back Cedric Baxter to Texas’ 2023 class. He has vast recruiting experience, securing the commitment of Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to Georgia Tech when he was still part of its staff. 

While these young athletes still have time to finish out their high school careers and make a final decision, head coach Steve Sarkisian continues to plan ahead and build his team through meaningful connections that start with the campus visit process.