Predicting Texas football’s next 2023 commit after Cedric Baxter Jr.

One of the most important additions to the 2023 Texas football recruiting class arrived for second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff on Aug. 10. Texas saw the highly touted four-star Edgewater (FL) running back Cedric Baxter Jr. join the 2023 recruiting class on the evening of Aug. 10 after an announcement at his high school.

Sark, new running backs coach Tashard Choice, and the Longhorns got a big win in the 2023 class by landing this commitment from the uber-talented Baxter. This gives Texas a truly elite trio of top skill position commits in the 2023 class which now includes Baxter, the elite five-star Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning, and five-star DeSoto wide receiver Johntay Cook.

Following this commitment from Baxter, Texas now holds 22 recruits in the 2023 class. Two of those 22 commits in the Longhorns 2023 class are running backs, now including Baxter and four-star DeSoto product Tre Wisner.

What’s next for the 2023 Texas football recruiting class after landing 4-Star RB Cedric Baxter Jr.?

According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2023 Texas recruiting class now ranks at No. 3 in the nation and in the top spot in the Big 12 ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners. Texas continues to move in the right direction on the recruiting trail for the 2023 class heading into the fall.

With that in mind, here’s a look at a prediction of the next commit up in the Longhorns 2023 class after landing Baxter on Aug. 10.

Jalen Hale, WR

The top wide receiver target remaining on the board for the Longhorns 2023 class heading into the fall is the highly touted four-star Longview product Jalen Hale. Texas and new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Brennan Marion continue to make it known that Hale is a top priority of theirs as his September decision date is approaching.

Hale would essentially be the best way that Marion and the Longhorns could round out the wide receiver recruiting in the 2023 class ahead of the first signing day.

And while there was some quick buzz coming from the side of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the race to land a commitment from Hale a couple of weeks ago, Texas does still look to be the frontrunner here. It’s worth watching, though, what moves Alabama is able to make in the next few weeks.

Alabama is set to host Hale for an official visit to Tuscaloosa on Sep. 3, when the Crimson Tide face the Utah State Aggies. And then, Hale will officially visit Austin for the massive game weekend between the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide on Sep. 10.

Texas and Alabama will both have plenty of opportunities to make a big move with Hale before his newly-altered Sep. 21 decision date. If Alabama puts their full attention and effort into this recruitment in the next few weeks, you always have to take them very seriously.

But this recruitment still looks to be one that Texas is out in front of late. Alabama and the Georgia Bulldogs likely aren’t going to go away quietly if they prioritize Hale early this fall.