Texas Football: 4 Horns true freshmen whose stock is rising post-spring

Throughout the course of spring ball, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football program were able to see some new talent and depth flourish on the Forty Acres. There seems to be more confidence in the player development and coaching for this team than we’ve seen in the last half-decade or so.

Sark and the Longhorns have a good mix of returning production, proven incoming transfers, and underclassmen that are talented and ready to make an impact on the team in 2023. What has a lot of Longhorns fans so excited about this squad, though, is the young talent that is present on the roster this year.

Texas has signed two consecutive top-three-ranked recruiting classes in the nation, which has brought an abundance of talent to the Forty Acres that should be seen on the field this fall.

A lot of the 2022 and 2023 signees were able to make some positive strides for the Longhorns during spring ball. But the focus we’re taking for this article is the true freshmen that stood out for the Longhorns this spring.

True freshmen for Texas football that are seeing their stock rise post-spring ball

With that in mind, here’s a look at four true freshmen for Texas that have their stock on the rise following the conclusion of spring ball.

Payton Kirkland, OT

One of the position groups for the Longhorns that has the most depth coming out of spring ball among the underclassmen is the offensive line. Offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and the Longhorns go at least two or three deep in terms of the blue-chip caliber talent at each spot in the trenches this year.

A name to watch among the true freshmen along the offensive line that played well during spring ball is the former three-star recruit out of Florida and the towering 6-foot-6 and 365-pound offensive tackle Payton Kirkland. The gigantic Florida native offensive tackle immediately stood out this spring due to the fact that he was the only true freshman getting second-team practice reps along the offensive line.

I wouldn’t doubt that Kirkland is the lone true freshman that started to solidify a spot on the two-deep at any spot along the offensive line coming out of spring ball. He looks like the best option to be the backup left tackle behind the reigning Freshman All-American and rising sophomore Kelvin Banks Jr.

Nonetheless, I still think the first year for Kirkland on campus is mostly going to be about him getting developed to be a more well-rounded offensive tackle that can carry his weight a little more fluidly, especially in pass pro.