Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian’s 2023 recruiting class was named No. 3 overall in the country, with multiple five-star recruits on their way to the Forty Acres this season and the ones yet to come. Here are five new names that hope to take Texas to a historic College Football Playoff campaign.
Arch Manning
The No. 1 overall recruit from New Orleans comes from a football legacy and will likely be Texas’ third-string quarterback this fall. Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers and backup Maalik Murphy are helping him grow his game even more and preparing him for any game time. His addition to the quarterback lineup brings depth to the squad in a pivotal season before the team joins the SEC.
Payton Kirkland
The offensive player from Orlando, Florida was selected to participate in the 2023 All-American Bowl, ranking No. 25 among offensive tacklers in the country and No. 59 overall in Florida. He committed to Texas without ever coming to campus, meeting offensive line coach Kyle Flood multiple times in Orlando. Kirkland played all five positions on the offensive line during his senior season, but his main role is tackle, giving the Longhorns a versatile player with height and strength in his favor. Kirkland became Sarkisian’s fifth OL commit in the class of 2023, as he joins his fellow recruits Jaydon Chatman, Connor Stroh, Trevor Goosby and Andre Cojoe.
Anthony Hill Jr.
Originally committing to Texas A&M, Hill ultimately chose to sign with Texas. Hill was a five-star recruit and was considered the top linebacker in his class nationally by multiple news sources. In his senior season at Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, Hill suffered an injury and consequently only played six games, but he ended up playing in the 2023 All-American Bowl in January. Besides football, Hill was also part of the track and field team in high school and finished second in the 5A state meet with his team.
CJ Baxter
The second class of 2023 Longhorn to come from Orlando, Baxter helped his high school achieve its first undefeated regular football season since 1973. The running back is a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was an All-American and All-State honoree. During his time at Edgewater High School, Baxter was named Orlando’s Offensive Player of the Year and All-Area by the Orlando Sentinel, made the first-team in the 7A All-State in 2021 by the Florida Athletics Coaches Association and was tabbed as the lone running back on the 2022 preseason all-state team by The Palm Beach Post. Baxter accumulated over 4,000 all-purpose yards during the 39 career games he played and logged 57 touchdowns.
Tausili Akana
Akana is the second in his family to play for the Longhorns, as his older sister Keonilei Akana plays for the national championship-winning volleyball team. The four-star edge comes from Hawaii but played in Utah, where he finished his high school career with a state championship title and 70 tackles under his belt. Like many of his fellow 2023 recruits, Akana was an All-American Bowl selection and was chosen to the 2023 Polynesian Bowl’s roster.
