5 key recruits impressed by Texas's spring game this weekend

James Simon, RB

Things have been heating up on the recruiting trail of late between the Longhorns and the highly touted four-star Shreveport (LA) Calvary Baptist running back James Simon.

Since four-star Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei running back Jordon Davison started trending to the Ohio State Buckeyes after they hired former Oregon RB coach Carlos Locklyn earlier this spring, Simon has emerged as a top out-of-state target for Tashard Choice in the 2025 class.

Simon made his first unofficial visit to Texas of the spring for the Orange-White Game on April 20. The unofficial visit this weekend for Simon reportedly went "great". He knows how important he could be for the Longhorns in this running back class that also features four-star Tyler (TX) Chapel Hill commit Rickey Stewart Jr.

After the visit, Simon told Inside Texas he "would be a great addition" to Texas's RB room. It's clear that Simon is engaged with the pitch Sarkisian and Choice are giving him late this spring.

Simon is currently on the books for a tentative June official visit to Texas. It sounds like he could make a decision before summer official visits begin, though.

Riley Pettijohn, LB

The highest-rated linebacker recruit the Longhorns hosted for the spring game this weekend was the elite McKinney (TX) high-four-star Riley Pettijohn. The No. 2 linebacker recruit in the nation in the 2025 class in the On3 Industry Ranking was on campus this weekend for the first return visit since the first Junior Day of the offseason on Jan. 20.

Pettijohn always has a good time when he visits Austin. And it sounds like this weekend was no exception.

Texas continued to hammer home the pitch of playing in-state and close to home for a program that is trending up entering the SEC this coming fall. Pettijohn is reportedly considered a "Texas lean" after another successful unofficial trip to Texas this weekend.

The Longhorns already landed one big-time linebacker commitment from an in-state priority target in the 2025 class this spring, Dallas (TX) Skyline four-star Elijah "Bo" Barnes. Pettijohn is the other critical part to this potentially elite group of in-state linebacker priorities the Longhorns want to get to bolster this position in the 2025 class.

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