Texas Football: Breaking down 3 biggest blue-chip visitors this weekend

Darien Mayo, EDGE

Among the newer edge rusher offers for the Longhorns in the 2024 class in the last couple of months is the highly touted four-star Olney Good Counsel (MD) product Darien Mayo. The lengthy 6-foot-6 and 245-pound Maryland edge recruit saw his profile explode on the national scene this offseason, with nine Power Five offers coming his way since Jan. 1, 2023.

Some of Mayo’s recent offers include the Ohio State Buckeyes, Clemson Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Oregon Ducks are also some schools looking to make big moves with Mayo on the recruiting trail this spring.

It looks as if co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Pete Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns caught Mayo’s attention with the Jan. 27 offer. An interview that Mayo did with Inside Texas’ Justin Wells on Feb. 13 (paid content) revealed the impression that the Texas offer made on him in the last couple of months as well as his communication with PK.

"“I talk to (UT’s) defensive coordinator, coach PK. He’s a great, fiery guy. He came into the office and offered me a couple weeks ago. We’ve been talking ever since. Definitely a great guy.”"

Mayo also mentioned that he has watched Texas “for a while” and that he “always wanted that offer”. It’s worth noting that Mayo stated that Texas was in a group of seven schools that offered him that are standing out to him.

Mayo is set to make his first trip to the Forty Acres since Texas offered him in late January in the next few days. The visit date for Mayo to arrive in Austin is specifically set for April 3.

Texas’ goal for this visit with Mayo in the coming days should be to get him back on campus for the summer or the fall. He’s reportedly looking at a decision timeline that could go through the fall, which means he’s going to take a pretty patient approach to the recruiting process.

It will tell us a lot about where Texas stands in this recruitment if Mayo is interested in making a return visit after his trip to the 40 on April 3.