3-Star EDGE Braylan Shelby an incredibly important Texas target

A slow start for second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff on the trail for the 2023 Texas football recruiting class in terms of commitments up to this point could be a trend that reverses before too long. Texas is building up to have a big run on the recruiting trail this spring given the work put in by the coaching staff thus far to lay the groundwork for a solid 2023 class and the mounting visitor list for the next few weeks.

Sark and the Longhorns staff have a few dozen visitors set even for the month of March that could help bring along the next few commits in the 2023 class. But the more important facet of the spring in terms of the impact for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail will be identifying the top targets at each position group for the 2023 class.

Texas did a nice job really adding to their building big board for the 2023 class during the Junior Elite Day nearly two months ago. That process will continue during the spring.

One name to watch that started rising for the Longhorns the weekend of the Junior Elite Day is the underrated three-star Friendswood (TX) edge rusher Braylan Shelby. Texas first offered Shelby on the weekend of the Junior Day, specifically back on Jan. 22.

Since that point, Shelby seemingly emerged to become one of the most prioritized in-state edge rusher targets for the Longhorns 2023 class. The 6-foot-5 and 235-pound edge rusher seems to have the physical tools and skill set to develop into the prototypical productive pass rusher that co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Pete Kwiatkowski became notable for working with during his time with the Washington Huskies and Boise State Broncos.

Texas needs this type of versatile edge rusher that can make an impact in terms of setting the edge to help with stopping the run and getting to the passer. Shelby has the ranginess and instincts to bring down the call carrier and/or the quarterback whether inside the pocket or breaking to the outside.

Texas football has an important underrated EDGE target to note in 3-Star Braylan Shelby

That ranginess and sideline-to-sideline pursuit is something that will also help improve the entirety of the defensive front. Shelby’s ability to blow up plays in the backfield is the type of playmaker that this defense needs in the mix.

Texas wasn’t getting enough push in the trenches last season on the defensive side of the ball, putting more pressure on the linebackers in run defense and the second and third levels. Being able to scheme up more effectively with edge rushers/linebackers that fit what Kwiatkowski is looking to do with this Texas defense will help this entire unit be more effective in the future.

Moreover, it goes without saying that Shelby was an effective playmaker for Friendswood High School last season. He developed into a true stud to really spearhead their defense. During his junior season at Friendswood, Shelby came up with nearly 80 combined tackles, a dozen tackles for loss, eight sacks, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, one interception (which was returned for a touchdown).

The numbers and film clearly show the potential that Shelby has to be a game-breaker at the collegiate level. And we didn’t even talk about the impact he could make for Texas as a rapidly improving edge player/linebacker when dropping back into pass coverage. His range and instincts are starting to translate in that phase of his game too.

Despite all the positive strides Shelby made last season, he’s still a player that needs some development at the next level. Shelby likely still could add some size to his frame and improve his jump off the line of scrimmage.

That’s why it’s so imperative that he finds the right scheme fit. The good news is that looks to be something he could get with Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns. Coach K’s track record in terms of developing this type of edge rusher speaks for itself from his time at Boise State and Washington.

All in all, it’s good to see the Longhorns getting an offer out to Shelby at a time when there is such a heavy emphasis on them getting the right fit among their edge rushers. Shelby is clearly one of the more important in-state edge rusher/linebacker targets for the Longhorns 2023 class.

Shelby now holds offers from nearly two-dozen schools as of March 9. Some of the notable schools making a push for him are the Florida State Seminoles, USC Trojans, Baylor Bears, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Tennessee Volunteers.