Texas Football: A ‘strong possibility’ 4-Star A&M LB commit visits UT this fall

The Texas football program and the Texas A&M Aggies appear on opposite trajectories. Under third-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas just got their biggest program win last weekend in at least the last decade with the 10-point upset of the No. 3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban on the road.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M hit a roadblock out of the gates in Week 2 this season. Texas A&M was convincingly defeated on the road in Week 2 by the unranked Miami Hurricanes by a score of 48-33. A Texas A&M defense that was supposed to be stout, especially along the front seven, was completely exposed by a speedy Miami team last week.

Texas’ success out of the gates this season has vaulted its stock on the recruiting trail with top-priority prospects in the 2024 and 2025 classes. The 2026 class could also view Texas more favorably early on after the massive win over Alabama on Sep. 9.

Texas football reportedly working on getting 4-Star Texas A&M LB commit Tyanthony Smith to the 40 this fall

A renewed focus on potential flip candidates for the Longhorns has taken center stage on the recruiting trail early this fall. Texas A&M’s struggles on the field the last couple of years help Texas’ case with its top flip candidates. We saw that happen last year when the Longhorns flipped the No. 1 linebacker recruit in the nation in the 2023 class, five-star Anthony Hill Jr., from the Aggies.

Texas has momentum with several possible flip candidates in the 2024 class, including a handful of Texas A&M pledges.

Two top potential flip candidates Texas is after from Texas A&M this fall are four-star Jasper (TX) linebacker Tyanthony Smith and four-star Beaumont United (TX) offensive tackle Weston Davis.

Smith is an interesting flip candidate for the Longhorns since it looks like he would be the only linebacker Texas is willing to take at this point in the 2024 cycle if he wants in for this class. Smith was Texas’ top linebacker target in early summer.

Texas was one of Smith’s top schools coming out of the spring visits, along with Texas A&M and the USC Trojans. But Smith committed to Texas A&M over USC and Texas on June 30 after the Longhorns canceled all mid-week official visits in June.

It’s hard to say if it would’ve made a difference, but Texas canceled Smith’s mid-week June official visit less than two weeks before he committed to the Aggies on June 30.

Despite Smith’s early-summer commitment to the Aggies, Texas has remained in communication with the blue-chip in-state linebacker recruit. And Texas’ efforts to keep their foot on the gas in this recruitment could pay dividends soon.

Gerry Hamilton of Inside Texas reported on Sep. 14 (paid content) that LB coach Jeff Choate and the Longhorns have communicated with Smith in “recent weeks”. It is reportedly ” a strong possibility” that Smith makes a visit to Texas this fall for a game at DKR.

Texas isn’t the only school in contact with Smith in the last few weeks

Texas A&M’s struggles on the field early this season have drawn other suitors to re-initiate contact with Smith. The LSU Tigers, Baylor Bears, Oklahoma Sooners, and TCU Horned Frogs have reportedly touched base with Smith in the last few weeks.

If Smith’s top group of schools before his late June commitment to Texas A&M are any indication, Texas probably has the strongest case of the bunch to chip away at his pledge to the Aggies this fall. And if Smith ends up on Texas’ campus for a game during Big 12 play this fall, the smoke will become very real in the Longhorns’ quest to flip his commitment from the Aggies.