Evaluating 3 underrated recruits visiting Texas football this summer
Braylan Shelby, EDGE
Another position group that will have a bright spotlight on it during the month of June lies at edge rusher/defensive end. Texas did sign a solid group along the defensive front (namely along the defensive line) in their 2022 class. But edge rusher and linebacker are likely to still be positions of need for the Longhorns in the 2023 class given the lack of proven depth on campus at the moment.
And one of the edge rushers worth watching during the June official visit season is the rising four-star Friendswood (TX) edge rusher/defensive end Braylan Shelby. Set for a June 24 official visit to Texas, Shelby is going to be a recruit to watch late in this summer visit cycle next month. He’s also set to visit the USC Trojans officially on June 17.
Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Pete Kwiatkowski is the primary recruiter for Shelby and he seems to be making the touted in-state edge rusher a major priority this offseason. Since Shelby continues to emerge as one of the top in-state pass rushers for this recruiting cycle, it makes sense for Coach K to prioritize him.
And with the likelihood that Shelby could have a decision in hand by early fall, this summer official visit will wind up being a critical point in his recruiting timeline as it relates to the Longhorns.
When watching Shelby on film, you can see an edge rusher with a lot of physicality, high football intelligence, and a burst necessary to make plays rushing the passer and blowing up the ball carrier in the backfield. That combination of play diagnosis and patience for Shelby allows him to be one of the smarter edge rushers that you’ll see at the high school level.
Add in the physicality and burst off the line of scrimmage for Shelby, and his potential to be an impact edge rusher/outside linebacker at the next level really stands out.
Most recruiting services currently rank Shelby as a low four-star prospect. If he continues on the upward trek he’s been on for the last 8-12 months, I would expect Shelby to become one of the more highly-touted four-stars in the state of Texas for this cycle.