A little over a year ago, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian hired former Rutgers cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey as an assistant coach, with a focus on the cornerbacks, for the Longhorns.
Then, during this offseason's whirlwind transfer portal for the Horns, Sarkisian and his staff landed a commitment from four-star defensive back Bo Mascoe.
How are these two things related beyond Orphey being Mascoe's coach in Austin? Well, Mascoe spent the last three years playing for none other than the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, playing under Orphey during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Texas landing Mascoe, without a doubt, was made significantly easier with his former coach already working with the Horns.
Mark Orphey led to Texas going after Bo Mascoe
"He's a savvy, smart, tough football player," Sarkisian recently said of Mascoe. "Mark Orphey had coached him, and Mark did a great job of selling us on that."
Beyond using Orphey to attract Mascoe to the 40 Acres, it's clear that the Texas assistant coach pointed the Longhorns in the veteran cornerback's direction.
Mascoe was a three-star prospect coming out of high school in 2023, going relatively overlooked by powerhouse programs, and committed to Rutgers over teams like the Iowa Hawkeyes, Boston College Eagles, and Iowa State Cyclones.
Also read: Tracking the Texas Longhorns' 2026 transfer portal activity
Then, as a third-year transfer, he was rated as a four-star prospect and was the No. 5 cornerback in the portal. His commitment was just a piece in Texas's No. 10 transfer portal class in the country, alongside stars like wide receiver Cam Coleman, running back Hollywood Smothers, and more.
Additionally, Orphey has helped Sarkisian bring in talented defensive back prospects after talented prospects. That includes four-star cornerback Samari Matthews, three-star safety Toray Davis, and three-star safety Greedy James.
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