Texas insider believes Longhorns will be in 'final two' for 5-star OT Brandon Baker
Multiple major college football programs are battling it out for the commitment of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker.
Oregon, Texas and Ohio State appear to be the frontrunners, while Nebraska is still on the books for an official visit.
Texas senior recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton spoke with On3’s Josh Newberg on The Inside Scoop about Texas’ push in Baker’s recruitment. Hamilton was asked whether he feels better now about the Longhorns’ chances than he did in June.
“I do, Josh,” Hamilton said. “I think it’s Texas — either Oregon, Texas or Ohio State, I think Texas is going to be in that final two. I’m not saying he’s going announce a final two, but when we get down to two, I think Texas is going to be there. 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.
“And 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. 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.”
Oregon, Texas, Ohio State and Nebraska in the mix
Baker took official visits to Ohio State, Georgia and Texas in June. The Bulldogs have potentially fallen off a bit in his recruitment, but the Longhorns and Buckeyes remain in the hunt alongside Oregon.
“Oregon has been on top of Baker’s list at least a couple of times, but Texas has come on strong since the official visit in June,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said last week. “Ohio State is still in the mix for the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei offensive tackle, but the Longhorns have made the biggest move over the summer. Nebraska is planning to host Baker on an official visit and the Huskers are one to watch as well. He was in Lincoln earlier this spring.”
Baker is the nation’s No. 23 overall prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 2 player in California.
The 6-foot-4.5, 300-pound Baker currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $212,000. 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.