5 key recruits visiting Texas this weekend

Markis Deal, OL/DL

As one of the more recent visitors added to the list for the Longhorns for this holiday weekend is the highly touted four-star Naaman Forest (TX) OL/DL Markis Deal. Texas isn’t hosting many higher-rated targets in the trenches on either side of the ball among targets of the 2023 class through the end of spring ball next weekend.

That’s why Deal is such an important visitor to watch this weekend as the Longhorns will be looking to set the pace in this recruitment heading into the summer. But Texas is definitely not the only school in Big 12 country and within this state that is finding traction with Deal of late.

Oklahoma has hosted multiple visits with Deal since last fall, including one just last month. And a few of the other schools he’s visited since last fall are the TCU Horned Frogs, USC, SMU Mustangs, Miami Hurricanes, and Texas A&M Aggies.

At this point of his recruitment, though, it looks like Texas and Oklahoma could be the top two schools in the running for Deal. And that is why Texas needs to have a very successful weekend visit with Deal as Oklahoma is likely to get a visit before too long for the third time since last fall.

Nonetheless, offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and the Longhorns are doing a great job connecting with Deal and his camp thus far. Deal could clearly fit well with the Longhorns playing in the trenches on either side of the ball, which is why Flood and the Longhorns have made him such a priority since the turn of the calendar year.