Texas continues to trend as top option for 5-star OT Brandon Baker

The battle for Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker is set to continue into the fall. The 6-foot-4.5, 300-pounder announced his top 10 schools in June, but hasn’t set a commitment date just yet. There are programs that have separated themselves from the pack, however.

Oregon has welcomed Baker for six visits. Ohio State, Texas and Georgia each received an official visit in June, while Nebraska has an OV scheduled for September. All five programs have at one point been mentioned as a legitimate contender for the No. 23 prospect and top-ranked OT in the 2024 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

The Ducks have the current lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), but insiders have began pointing to Austin and the Longhorns as a frontrunner with the 2023 college football season right around the corner. In an appearance on The Inside Scoop on Monday, InsideTexas recruiting expert Gerry Hamilton maintained that Texas will be one of Baker’s “final two” schools.

“I think they’ve done a really good job with the family. The mom is related to the Akana family, Tausili Akana a freshman EDGE prospect for Texas. His older sister is on the national championship volleyball team returning at Texas, they’re both having a good experience at Texas,” Hamilton said.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive coordinator Kyle Flood are leading Texas’ charge for Baker, which has included a trip to Austin in April and the OV in June. Baker told Hamilton after his latest visit that the home feel alongside Sarkisian on campus has helped Texas emerge as “a leader per se.”

“I think Texas getting him on campus twice — the spring football game in April and then the June official visit. I think Texas is in a really pretty good spot there,” Hamilton said. “That’s a national blue blood battle, recruiting at Oregon where his brother played. But I do think Texas is going to be one of the final two when it really comes down to a decision-making process.”

Ohio State charging for Baker

Texas’ push for Baker was echoed by 247sports’ recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong, who pointed to the Longhorns’ previous success recruiting in the trenches. With the program headed to the SEC and recruiting classes on the up-and-up, the pitch is easy to grasp.

“I’m expecting Brandon Baker to make his college decision sometime here early in the fall,” Wiltfong said on the Wiltfong Whiparound. “There’s been a lot of confidence around the Texas program — particularly since they had him on campus for an official visit this summer. Kyle Flood and what he’s done at the position, the way Texas has recruited the offensive line position under Steve Sarkisian has been incredibly impressive and I think that Brandon Baker can really see himself at Texas, a program that has certainly shown that they’re on the rise under this coaching staff going into this season.”

So who’s expected to join the Longhorns in the final pairing? Wiltfong points to Ohio State, which has continued to make its presence felt with the coveted lineman. The Buckeyes received the first of Baker’s three June OVs as a follow-up to an unofficial trip made back in March. Hamilton also noted OSU as a program “in the mix” for the tackle.

“Ohio State, that’s been some of his favorite visits, talks to Justin Frye and Co. regularly over there in Columbus, I would probably put them in the two-hole right now for Brandon Baker,” Wiltfong said.

Nebraska’s upcoming official visit looms large

Nebraska remains a major unknown in the running for Baker. After two visits in the spring, Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers will have another chance to make a major impression and potentially put themselves in legitimate contention against the crop of major programs.

“I have been able to see the environment once more,” Baker said of Nebraska in April. “To get comfortable here, really. I really wanted to take a second look at everything. There was a chance to talk to Rhule, and I really wanted to see how he’s pushing his players.”

The On3 RPM gives Nebraska less than a 1% chance to lure the Californian to Lincoln. Hamilton called the Huskers “one to watch,” while Wiltfong went as far as labeling Rhule’s program as the dark horse in August.

“Nebraska — they’re the wild card, they’re the dark horse right now,” Wiltfong said. “They’re gonna get an official visit from him in September. People say they’re a program that has a lot of runway in this recruitment.”