Texas Football: An update on the Duce Robinson recruitment

Although the 2023 Texas football recruiting class is close to being solidified, a five-star high school prospect is still waiting to announce his intentions for this fall.

Pinnacle High School (Phoenix) tight end Duce Robinson is one of just two players in the 2023 247Sports top 247 who has yet to sign with a program for this fall. Robinson is a consensus five-star prospect, ranked as the No. 1 tight end in the class and the No. 17 overall recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Standing at 6-foot-6, 225-pounds, Robinson is also a highly touted baseball prospect projected as a premier pickup on the diamond. Robinson has received comparisons to 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge. He has always been transparent during his recruitment regarding the likelihood of playing collegiate baseball at the school he attends.

When he decided to let the second National Signing Day pass without putting pen to paper, many suspected his interest in baseball had a lot to do with it. While that may or may not be the case, Robinson recently noted that April 1 is the cut-off date when he must decide about his future.

An update for 5-Star Texas football TE target Duce Robinson

“A hundred percent plan on committing and signing to a school and being there whenever move-in day is,” he told 247Sports Blair Anuglo.

As speculation about where he may end up rages on, 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong made rumblings throughout the recruiting industry on Thursday as he released his crystal ball pick for Robinson to USC.

Unfortunately for Texas fans, this is not what you want to hear, as Wiltfong typically has his ear to the ground regarding the recruitment of the nation’s top prospects.

While this “Fong Bomb” does not bode well for the Longhorns, it certainly does not mean they are out of this race. It has long been known that USC, Georgia, Oregon, and Texas are the four schools at the top of Robinson’s board, with the former two his most likely landing spot.

I do believe Steve Sarkisian and Jeff Banks will make one final push for the five-star tight end as he enters the last month ahead of his decision deadline.

Pitching Robinson the idea that he can come in and learn behind JT Sanders for a year before taking over as the starting tight end in an offense that has proven to target that position often is as good of an offer as any. Although I can’t report on Robinson’s relationship with Texas baseball coach David Pierce, playing for a program that has made an NCAA-best 38 trips to Omaha is certainly not a drawback.

While today’s news was not ideal for Texas, I do not believe it changes their ability to land the five-star tight-end prospect.