Over the past week or so, numerous rumors have been flying around that Texas was trying to flip USC LB commit Josiah Poyer. Those rumors began to ramp up over the past couple of days, and now it looks like it's true.
Rivals.com recruiting expert Adam Gorney reported that the Longhorns are basically making an astronomical push to coax Poyer to Austin.
“According to a source, inside linebackers coach Johnny Nansen – who has considerable West ties – is making a serious run at Poyer with his NIL checkbook coming in hot."
Gorney also said that "Texas is not going down without a huge fight" for the St. John Bosco linebacker.
Texas Linebacker Coach Johnny Nansen is pushing hard for a FLIP from one of the Top Programs in HS Football 👀 @orangebloods_ https://t.co/FocNaSU1EY
— ᴄᴏᴅʏ ᴄᴀʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪᴇʀ (@CodyCarpentier) July 15, 2026
Why the Longhorns are going after Poyer
It makes a ton of sense, as the Longhorns undoubtedly need to add talent to the linebacker room for the future. Aside from players like Tyler Atkinson, Markus Boswell, and Rocky Cummings, the team doesn't really have much in terms of off-ball linebackers for the future.
True freshman LB Kosi Okpala is also in the mix, but he's more of a SAM who can play closer to the line of scrimmage for Will Muschamp.
One of the main reasons why Texas is so dead set on trying to flip Josiah Poyer is his skill set and versatility. The 6'1", 225-pound linebacker has above-average processing skills, is always in the right place at the right time, and does a lot of things technically well.
He's an incredibly good blitzer, being able to find holes and cracks in the protection on a fairly consistent basis, and he takes good angles to the quarterback.
Poyer moves around and sifts through traffic incredibly well against the run, and his active feet make it hard for blockers to latch onto him downfield. Watching him dance around after the snap, juking out tight ends and guards trying to block him, is beautiful to see. He definitely passes the eye test when it comes to athleticism.
As a junior in 2025, Poyer totaled 54 tackles, 10 TFL, 7 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and 1 fumble recovery. There's a very good chance that he improves on those number as a senior this year, especially if he's given a little bit more freedom to roam around and make plays.
Though he's "only" a 3-star recruit, Poyer would be an excellent get for the Longhorns' coaching staff. This team needs to find and develop players like Poyer at linebacker simply due to the way college football is heading from a financial standpoint.
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