Four-Star CB Kobe Black commits to Texas

Hayes Fawcett updated head shotby:Hayes Fawcett12/13/23

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Four-star cornerback Kobe Black of Waco (TX) Connally High announced his commitment to Texas Wednesday afternoon.

The 6-foot-2, 190 pounder chose the Longhorns over LSU, Oregon, and Oklahoma State.

“They have been on me since day 1 and I just love the coaching staff and everything about them,” Black said. “They showed me the most love and I just can’t wait to be a part of it.”

His relationship with the coaching staff and the chance to stay home stood out to Black. 

“I feel like I’m close with everyone and we all have great relationships. I’m a big corner so I think I’ll be in the boundary a lot like Ryan Watts. Also, the opportunity to stay home is really big for me because I feel like too many athletes from Texas go to different states and don’t represent the right way. It’s cool to be close to the fam, too.”

The Lone Star State cornerback joins coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns’ top 8 2024 class. He is accompanied by five-star EDGE Colin Simmons, five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker, and others.

Kobe Black Recruiting Profile

Black ranks as the No. 44 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 4 cornerback and the No. 10 player in Texas.

Scouting Summary

On3’s Scouting and Rankings Team writes about him as a college recruit:

“Big-bodied defensive back with coverage instincts and ball skills. More filled out than most of his highly-rated peers at the position. Checked in at 6-foot-1 and around 185 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length for the position with a wing-span over 6-foot-7. Works as an outside corner on Friday nights. Instinctive in coverage. Reads and jumps routes. Technically sound in coverage relative to this stage. Smooth in his movements. Has the length, size and strength to reroute receivers at the line. Projects as a plus run defender. Shows ball skills and made plays on the ball as a junior with 9 pass breakups and 2 interceptions. Also lined up at wide receiver for Waco Connally where he showed playmaking skills and overall coordination. Tracks the football over his shoulder and comes down with high-point grabs in traffic. Not an overly twitchy athlete relative to most high-end cornerback prospects. Quicker than fast. Could also project at safety long-term given his strengths and physical skill set. Also plays basketball and runs track. Very young for the cycle with a late June birthday.”

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $164K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.