Texas Football: 3 underrated early enrollees who’ll make noise in 2023

Spring drills will officially begin on March 6, which means it’s not all that long before we see head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football program get back on the practice field to give the players on this team meaningful reps. Texas will get 15 spring practices before it’s time to take part in the annual Orange-White Game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 15.

Sark and the Longhorns have already welcomed well over a dozen new additions to the program by way of high school recruiting and the NCAA Transfer Portal in the 2023 class. Among the early enrollees from the high school ranks in Texas’ 2023 class, there are 14 new faces on campus readying up for spring ball.

There are also three new transfers on campus from the 2023 class, highlighted by the former Georgia Bulldogs sophomore wide receiver and two-time National Champion AD Mitchell.

Despite the start of spring camp still being a few weeks away, there are some notable new faces on campus for the Longhorns that already seemingly caught the attention of those in and around the Texas program during the winter workout period.

Underrated early enrollees for Texas football bound to make some noise in 2023

Here’s a look at three underrated early enrollees for the Longhorns that could make some noise immediately in 2023.

Sydir Mitchell, DL

Do I truly believe that the former Oradell Bergen Catholic (NJ) four-star defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell was criminally underrated during his recruitment?

No.

But was Mitchell someone that probably deserved more respect and recognition thanks to his unique physical tools and college-ready skill set?

Absolutely.

The importance of getting Mitchell on campus as an early enrollee so he could participate in the winter conditioning program and spring ball is huge. While Mitchell definitely had the frame and proficiency in run defense to compete at the Power Five level as a true freshman, he still had some strides he needed to make in terms of refining his technique and pass-rushing moves.

And from what we heard coming out of winter workouts, Mitchell was already improving his footwork and getting his body right to be ready to compete at a high level this fall.

The 6-foot-5 and 335-pound Mitchell is already in a spot where he will be counted on to contribute immediately to the defensive line rotation. Mitchell is likely to get the second-team reps at nose tackle behind rising junior defensive lineman Byron Murphy II in spring ball.

Mitchell has the rare quickness and size to be able to be disruptive and take up a ton of space in the trenches. That combination will be something that can make an impact on this defensive front right away for Pete Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns in the Big 12 in 2023.