Texas football named a finalist for 4-Star DL Nigel Smith II

One of the highest-rated defensive line recruits in Texas the 2024 class, high-four-star Melissa (TX) product Nigel Smith II, recently included Texas football among his finalist schools. According to 247Sports, Texas made the cut among a handful of schools that Smith named as finalists ahead of his Sep. 8 decision date.

The other schools that made the cut for Smith late this summer are the Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Texas is scheduled to host Smith for an official visit one week before his decision date, on Sep. 1. He will visit on the weekend of Texas’ regular season opener, at home at DKR on Sep. 2 against the Rice Owls.

Texas football one of the finalists for 4-Star DL Nigel Smith II

Smith has already officially visited Ohio State (June 2), Penn State (June 9), Oklahoma (June 16), and Texas A&M (June 23) this summer. That leaves Texas as the last school among his five finalists scheduled to get an official visit before Smith’s fall commitment date.

The last time Smith visited Texas was an unofficial trip for the second Junior Day of the offseason on March 25. The last visit before that was last summer.

Communication between Smith and Texas was spotty in the last year or so. But it sounds like Smith is excited to see what head coach Steve Sarkisian, defensive line coach Bo Davis, and the Longhorns have to pitch him during his early-September official visit.

He’s also close with his former teammate at Melissa High School/UT freshman offensive lineman Trevor Goosby during his official visit in a couple of months.

"“It’s just trying to get a feel with Sark and get a feel with coach (Bo) Davis and all them. I’m just excited to go down and see my boy Trevor (Goosby).”"

Smith is trending to Oklahoma with Texas A&M in second place

Smith was an Oklahoma lean for a while. He’s got good relationships with Oklahoma co-DC Todd Bates and defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis. Smith has also visited Oklahoma more often than any other school this offseason.

Smith did make an unofficial visit last week for the Texas A&M pool party. It was Smith’s first visit to Texas A&M since his official last month and since the tragedy that struck Aggies’ defensive line coach Terry Price.

Texas A&M is still very much involved in this recruitment heading into the fall. But it has some work to do to close the gap on the leading Sooners.