Impact of 5-Star Texas S commit Zelus Hicks reclassifying

Per On3's Hayes Fawcett, five-star Texas football commit and Carrollton (GA) safety Zelus Hicks has reclassified down from the 2026 class to 2025. Hicks is expected to be an early enrollee to participate in spring ball next offseason.

Another safety commit joins Texas football's 2025 class with 5-Star Zelus Hicks reclassifying down from 2026

Hicks committed to the Longhorns over the Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets a couple of months ago.

It was rumored and discussed for a while that Hicks could reclassify down from 2026 to the 2025 cycle before the start of the Early Signing Period for this current recruiting class (starting Dec. 4).

This recruitment hasn't been completely locked up yet for the Longhorns. Tennessee is still trying to chip away at Hicks' commitment to Texas, after the elite safety recruit from Georgia took an unofficial gameday visit to Knoxville for the Kentucky game last weekend.

It's noteworthy that the Longhorns will probably try to get Hicks on campus for an official visit for a gameday at DKR before signing day in early December. Texas has two remaining home games in November, against the Florida Gators on Nov. 9 and Kentucky on Nov. 23.

Hicks reclassifying down to 2025 gives the Longhorns two elite safety commits in the current class just one month out from signing day on Dec. 4. He joins the No. 1 safety recruit in the nation in the 2025 class in the 247Sports Composite and On3 Industry Ranking, Galveston (TX) Ball five-star Jonah Williams, among Texas's two commitments at the position for this cycle.

After reclassifying to the 2025 cycle, Hicks ranks as the No. 249 safety recruit in the nation in the 2025 class in the 247Sports Composite, No. 23 safety, and No. 35 from Georgia.

Getting Hicks to reclassify to join the 2025 class gives the Longhorns a really solid combo of safety commitments for this cycle, just before signing day begins next month. Texas's safety position pipeline from the recruiting trail has been tremendous for the past couple of cycles, including five-star Xavier Filsaime and four-star Jordon Johnson-Rubell in the 2024 class.

Safety development becoming a major selling point for Texas and Blake Gideon

Texas has been recruiting and developing talent from the high school level at an elite level in the past couple of years under safeties coach Blake Gideon. Texas's safeties coach made it a top priority to really turn the corner with talent acquisition and development from high school recruiting and the portal in the past 15-18 months.

Gideon and the Longhorns have also seen tremendous results from the existing player-development pipeline on their current roster this season, with the emergences of sophomore Jelani McDonald and redshirt junior Michael Taaffe.

Taaffe has blossomed into a true stud and leader for Texas's secondary at the safety position this fall. He is one of the top three highest-graded safeties in the SEC this season (per PFF).

McDonald has come on strong as a major contributor as Texas's third safety in the rotation this fall for the secondary.

I don't think Hicks is all that far off from McDonald's skill set regarding their comparison for the athletic profile and height/wingspan combination at the safety position. Hicks stands at 6-foot-1.5 and 180 pounds and plays much bigger and more physical than his current weight.

Getting Hicks into the program at the same time as Williams gives him the additional time to develop and add the necessary weight to his frame in the strength and conditioning program at Texas. Hicks can learn the ropes of the defensive secondary while seeing talented and developed safeties like Taaffe, sophomore Derek Williams Jr., and McDonald perform on the field for the Longhorns.

If Hicks can get in the weight room and get down to work immediately, I think he could be an early-impact player who is ready to contribute to Texas's secondary by his second year on campus.

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