Texas football: 3 biggest Longhorns vs. OU recruiting battles this summer

Nigel Smith II, DL

The top-ranked defensive line recruit in Texas in the 2024 class, four-star Melissa product Nigel Smith II, has re-emerged as a legitimate priority on the Longhorns’ radar this offseason. After the communication between Texas and Smith largely went quiet in the summer and fall of 2022, defensive line coach Bo Davis and the Longhorns were able to get back involved in this recruitment early this offseason.

Smith was able to make it to Austin for an unofficial trip for the second Junior Day of the offseason on March 25. That was the first time Smith visited Texas since last summer. Texas will now be getting Smith back to campus for a return trip, which will be an official visit on Sep. 1.

Texas is the last of the six official visits that Smith currently has on the docket for the summer and fall. He’s set to see Oklahoma on June 16. I would expect head coach Brent Venables and co-DC Todd Bates to try and shut down this recruitment before we make it to the early September official visit date with Texas.

Oklahoma holds the pole position in this recruitment heading into the summer. Bates and OU DE coach Miguel Chavis have built strong connections with Smith and his family.

But the longer this recruitment goes without Oklahoma shutting it down, the more it will open the door for Texas to make a big move heading into the fall. It could wind up playing to Texas’ advantage that it gets the final official visit among the dates that Smith currently has on the books.