Texas gets SEC caliber DL commit in 4-Star Dylan Spencer

The second commitment for second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff in the 2023 Texas football recruiting class came from a rather unexpected source this week. Texas added their next commit in the 2023 class on March 15 by landing the highly touted and potent four-star C.E King (TX) defensive lineman Dylan Spencer.

Getting a commitment out of Spencer is a big deal for the Longhorns in the 2023 class. By getting this commitment, Texas can really start getting the momentum going on the recruiting trail for their 2023 class at what could be a perfect time.

The spring looked like it would be a more active time for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail, especially for the 2023 class. And that could be something that is building for Texas with the first major spring visit weekend approaching in roughly 10 days.

Moreover, Texas saw the commitment of Spencer announced on his Twitter timeline on the evening of March 15. It was met with a raucous reaction, as Spencer is the first 2023 Texas commit in more than three months.

Texas football gets their second commit in the 2023 class with 4-Star DL Dylan Spencer

The momentum just keeps building on the recruiting trail for defensive line coach Bo Davis, who is bringing a ton of talent to this defensive front.

The ability of Davis and the Longhorns to add big and talented bodies along the defensive front continues in the 2023 class. In the Longhorns 2022 signing class, the defensive line was one of the strongest groups in the mix.

And with the way the cards are stacking up early in the 2023 recruiting cycle, that could once again be the case with this Longhorns class.

You really have to give a lot of props to Davis and this staff for recruiting as well as they have along the defensive line for the last two cycles.

This most recent addition to the Longhorns via the recruiting trail gives the 2023 class something to really build on for this defensive front. The 6-foot-4 and 240-pound Spencer is one of the faster-rising defensive linemen in the state of Texas. He had a couple of big-time SEC programs after him on the recruiting trail heading into the spring.

Some of the schools that offered Spencer include the LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Baylor Bears, Arizona State Sun Devils, and USC Trojans.

But the real key here for Texas is the fact that they landed the commitment of Spencer just as his stock was really starting to take off. Before a ton of schools could make Spencer a true priority, Texas made the right impression with the top-200 rated high school prospect.

What Texas is getting out of Spencer is a defensive lineman that can also slide over and be an effective edge rusher. Spencer is truly one of the most potent and versatile in-state defensive linemen for this recruiting cycle.

The quickness and strength that Spencer has off the line of scrimmage pop immediately when watching his film. Quick feet and strong hands also are some of the highlights of his game as Spencer can work through most opposing offensive linemen in what seems like the blink of an eye.

Spencer is that type of rangy athlete that doesn’t seem to find the play, the play seems to find him. He sets the edge with ease and is a real force to be reckoned with rushing the passer and stopping the run.

Whether he’s lining up as an edge rusher or defensive end with his hand on the ground, Spencer’s physical gifts allow him to be very effective in either spot.

Given his ranginess, Spencer is a player that rarely misses tackles, which is very valuable when he’s able to blow up plays in the backfield. While that will be more difficult for him to do on a consistent basis early in his collegiate career, Spencer has the type of physical tools that should translate pretty fast.

All in all, the fit for Spencer on the Longhorns’ defensive front largely depends on how he develops in the next couple of years. He could add some weight and play with his hand on the ground as a 3-4 defensive end. Or, Spencer can continue to build on his speed and athleticism and transition to more of an edge rusher when he arrives on the Forty Acres.

It goes without saying that this is a really big and versatile addition for the Longhorns to get out of their second commitment in the 2023 class. Getting this type of versatility will also make it a much easier task for the Longhorns to piece together the rest of this defensive class for the 2023 cycle.

This is the second blue-chip commit for the Longhorns in the 2023 class. The first commit in the 2023 class came in the form of the four-star Arlington-Seguin defensive back Jamel Johnson. But Texas has now doubled their number of blue-chip defensive commits in the 2023 class by landing Spencer on March 15.

According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2023 Texas recruiting class now ranks at No. 25 in the nation and in the fifth spot in the Big 12. Texas is now the only school in the Big 12 to have their only commits in the 2023 class be composed of multiple blue-chip prospects.