Texas football adds final piece to 2023 class with 4-Star Warren Roberson

What could be the final addition to the 2023 Texas football recruiting class from the high school ranks arrived on the morning of Feb. 7. Texas was able to flip the commitment of the four-star Red Oak (TX) safety Warren Roberson from the TCU Horned Frogs in the midst of the late signing period.

At the Red Oak signing ceremony on Feb. 7, Roberson put on a Texas hat, signaling his college of choice. He was wearing a TCU jacket when he put on the Texas hat. He was committed to TCU since Oct. 31, 2022.

Roberson was one of the biggest remaining targets for the Longhorns 2023 class entering the late signing period. Texas made a late push for the blue-chip defensive back that culminated in a mid-January official visit that took place on the last weekend before the start of the late signing period.

Texas football lands 4-Star 2023 Red Oak DB Warren Roberson over TCU and USC

The official trip that Roberson took to Austin on the weekend of Jan. 16 helped Texas make a big late move in this recruitment. Texas had a lot of the buzz coming out of this recruitment since Roberson’s trip to Austin wrapped up a few weeks ago.

Roberson was originally expected to announce his signing decision last week at the Red Oak signing ceremony. But inclement weather conditions in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (due to an ice storm) last week ultimately pushed back his signing date to early this week.

Texas was able to officially secure its 25th commitment to the 2023 class from the high school ranks by adding Roberson this week. Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns staff were able to beat out the likes of TCU and the USC Trojans in the race to sign Roberson.

USC was also able to make a big late push in this recruitment. The weekend before Roberson took the aforementioned official visit to Austin, he made the unofficial trip to USC. That trip to LA a little less than one month ago was the second time that Roberson visited USC since last summer.

But USC ultimately fell behind Texas and TCU in the week leading up to Roberson’s final decision. It looks like Roberson wanted to stay closer to home, which is largely why this came down to a battle between Texas and TCU.

TCU tried to retain the commitment of Roberson through the late signing period. Head coach Sonny Dykes and his staff pushed hard in the last couple of weeks to fend off the efforts of Texas and USC to flip Roberson.

Safeties coach Blake Gideon and cornerbacks coach Terry Joseph were able to cultivate strong relationships with Roberson and his camp. Gideon, in particular, was in constant communication with Roberson throughout the last few weeks, which helped Texas fend off the late runs from USC and TCU in this recruitment.

What Roberson brings to Texas

Roberson is the third defensive back to sign to the Longhorns 2023 class among high school recruits. He joins an elite group of high school defensive back recruits in the Longhorns class that includes five-star New Iberia Westgate (LA) safety Derek Williams and four-star South Oak Cliff cornerback Malik Muhammad.

The 6-foot and 190-pound defensive back has the physical build and skill set that should translate immediately at the collegiate level. He’s also got a lot of versatility and familiarity with different skill positions on both sides of the ball as he played defensive back and wide receiver at Red Oak High School.

According to Maxpreps, Roberson registered 55 catches for over 1,000 receiving yards and a dozen touchdown catches during his time playing receiver at Red Oak. He also put up more than 50 combined tackles during his senior season last fall, along with one sack, two tackles for loss, two QB hurries, 13 pass breakups, and two interceptions.

Roberson’s versatility and physical tools are also highlighted by the fact that he ran track at Red Oak. He clocked nearly a 23-second 200-meter dash time as a junior. And he had multiple sub 11.4 100-meter dash times in high school.

The speed, agility, and scheme versatility ultimately make Roberson a really smart and rangy defensive back. He’s got excellent ball skills, timing in pass coverage, and good hips, which allows him to keep up with even some of the faster wide receivers in man or zone coverage.

Roberson has a great understanding of different route concepts, which allows him to direct the quarterback’s eyes while anticipating throws in the blink of an eye. It’s very evident in his high school film that he’s able to see routes develop and anticipate the direction of the throw while the play is still developing.

One thing that separates Roberson from a lot of the more instinctual safeties coming out of high school is that he’s got the quickness, straight-line speed, and good hands to be able to make plays on the ball on a consistent basis. It’s not often that you get a defensive back that has the physical tools, hands, and anticipation required to consistently read and react to throws at multiple levels of the field in the secondary.

When he’s able to make a play on the ball, those reliable hands give him the ability to make some nice catches that other DBs will often just try to deflect or bat to the ground. And that straight line speed and versatility we keep talking about means he’s always a threat to make something happen if he’s able to get his hands on the ball.

Another strength that Roberson brings to the table is his tackling ability. He takes a good approach and gets a full wrap on the ball carrier whether he’s making a play around the line of scrimmage in run defense or defending the short passing game. And he doesn’t miss many tackle opportunities even when contesting space or chasing down a receiver in the intermediate/deep passing game.

Just because Roberson has good tackling form for a safety/nickel doesn’t mean that he can’t pop the pads either. Roberson can run downhill with a good amount of aggression, which leads to some hard hits on the ball carrier, especially when he’s got some steam chasing down someone near the line of scrimmage or the boundary.

The tackle ability and speed in pursuit of the ball carrier are two reasons why he could be a good fit at nickel. Being able to play man coverage out of the slot while also having the ability to move into the box to defend the run shows that he checks a lot of the boxes needed to succeed at the star/nickel spot.

Areas of improvement for Roberson

There isn’t much bad to say that I have regarding Roberson’s skill set and his fit at Texas. He’s a versatile and polished defensive back that would be able to come in and challenge for a starting spot right away at most Big 12 programs. It just so happens that there is a ton of talent and depth in the secondary for the Longhorns this year, which could limit Roberson’s immediate upward mobility on the two-deep in his first year on campus.

However, if I had to pick a couple of areas where Roberson could use some work, I would have to say that he could use some improvement with his hip flexion and fluidity along with his coverage skills defending the deep ball.

I mentioned before that Roberson has good hips and above-average quickness for a safety. While he does have pretty good quickness in his hips, I do think he could become a little bit smoother in terms of his flexion and fluidity.

Another question I have regarding Roberson’s skill set is his ability to consistently defend the deep ball. From the film I’ve seen on him, he does have the tendency to aggressively react and pursue the ball in the intermediate passing game. That could lead to him getting drawn up too far in pass coverage on pump fakes or against some of the more technical and quick route runners at the Power Five level.

I will say, though, I don’t have a lot of film on him getting targeted in coverage in the deep passing game. So, this would be an inconclusive part of the evaluation depending on his discipline and instincts in pass coverage when he’s 20+ yards down the field.

Roberson’s immediate and long-term fit at Texas

We’ve mentioned a lot that Roberson would probably be the most natural fit at Texas at the nickel/star position. His scheme versatility and diverse skill set would make him a high-upside player at that spot.

But Roberson could also be a fit at field safety, depending on how his ranginess and instincts in the intermediate and deep passing game develop. If he does wind up playing at field safety a few years down the line, he will have some time to learn under a capable DB in rising senior safety Jerrin Thompson.

All in all, I do believe that Roberson will have the ability to compete for a spot on the two-deep as a true freshman. He will be fighting an uphill battle, though, since Texas has ample depth at safety and nickel. It also doesn’t help that all of the other new additions to the program via high school recruiting and the NCAA Transfer Portal in the 2023 class are already on campus for spring ball.

Roberson would theoretically have a lot of catching up to do in fall camp if he were to legitimately challenge for a spot on the two-deep right away heading into next season.

More than likely, Roberson will be a contributor in this defensive backfield in two or three years once guys like Thompson, rising senior Jahdae Barron, and senior safety Jalen Catalon have exhausted their eligibility.

Where he could contribute immediately, though, is on special teams. Sark likes guys that are able to compete in multiple ways, including on special teams (i.e. Keilan Robinson and DeMarvion Overshown).

Since Roberson took plenty of special teams reps with coverage and return teams, I think you’ll see him get some work there as soon as this coming season.

Roberson could be the final addition to the Longhorns 2023 class from the high school ranks, depending on how the recruitment of the elite five-star Pinnacle (AZ) tight end Duce Robinson plays out over the next few weeks. According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2023 Texas recruiting class ranks at No. 3 in the nation and in the top spot in the Big 12 ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners.