7-foot-5, 265-pound 5-Star defensive lineman commits to Georgia Over Michigan ,Alabama and Texas…

Texas-Georgia game could decide fates of five top high school recruits
Alamo Heights’ Michael Terry III (2) runs through the Victoria West defense during the first half of their District 13-5A-II high school football game at Orem Stadium on Friday, Oct 11, 2024. Alamo Heights beat Victoria West 56-28.
Alamo Heights’ Michael Terry III (2) runs through the Victoria West defense during the first half of their District 13-5A-II high school football game at Orem Stadium on Friday, Oct 11, 2024. Alamo Heights beat Victoria West 56-28. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer
Big games make for big recruiting weekends. While many of the nation’s top high school football standouts will be in attendance when No. 1 Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in Austin this Saturday, there are five key undecideds in the Class of 2025 to keep a closer eye on: defensive linemen Justus Terry, Kevin Wynn, Joseph Mbatchou, and Javion Hilson, and wide receiver Michael Terry III.

 

 

 

Justus Terry, a Manchester, Georgia-native, is the most highly-touted among the group. The five-star prospect is the No. 2 defensive lineman in the nation according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.

 

 

Terry had previously committed to Georgia back in January 2023, then flipped his commitment to USC in March of this year before he ultimately decommitted this summer.

 

 

 

The interior lineman stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 275 pounds—a profile that fits what Texas has keyed in on under Steve Sarkisian. The Longhorns sent both T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy to the NFL earlier this year, and will likely lose Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins after this season.

 

 

 

While Terry is considering Georgia and Alabama, he’s still taking an official visit at Texas. A win or a close loss to the Bulldogs could go a long way.

 

 

“Texas even getting Justus Terry on campus is a big deal for them,” said Mike Roach, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports.

 

 

“It’s going to be tough to pull the Georgia kid out of Georgia. He’s an SEC, D-line, NFL-type of body. When you’re spending money to bring a kid on an official visit like you are with Justus Terry … if you can close on that deal, it’s worth the money you spent.”

 

 

 

Texas players enter the Campbell-Williams Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before an NCAA football game against Louisiana-Monroe, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Texas won 51-3. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)
Texas players enter the Campbell-Williams Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before an NCAA football game against Louisiana-Monroe, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Texas won 51-3. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas) Michael Thomas/Associated Press
The stories with Wynn and Mbatchou are a little different: Both are verbally committed to Florida State and Florida respectively, though as their potential programs struggle to win this season, the two are taking another look at Texas. “You see that a lot in college football,” Roach said.

 

 

“Where a team that has some good recruits struggles, and it’s like sharks and blood in the water for schools seeing what they can get.”

 

 

 

 

Wynn, a Greensboro, Georgia-native, is a 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive lineman ranked No. 10 in the country. Mbatchou, from Loganville, Georgia, is a 6-foot-4.75-inch, 275-pound interior lineman with potential. He’s ranked No. 27 overall nationally.

 

 

 

The remaining two names on the list are more coveted recruits. Javion Hilson, a Cocoa, Florida-native, is the No. 6 edge rusher in the nation and is also part of the trend of players reconsidering a struggling program. Hilson formally de-committed from Florida State in early September.

 

 

He had a previously scheduled an official visit to Texas that he couldn’t make due to travel restrictions during Hurricane Milton.

 

 

 

“Once Hilson de-committed from Florida State, all signs from what I know kind of pointed to Texas,” Roach said. “He’s the same mold as (current Texas defensive end) Colin Simmons or somebody like that: Just a guy you can strictly put on the edge, and could be a top-level pass rusher.” Simmons, another five-star recruit, has already contributed on defense during his freshman year with the Longhorns.

 

 

 

The last of the group is Michael Terry III, a five-star athlete from nearby Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio. While Texas already has commitments for its 2025 class from a pair of five-star receivers in Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench, as well as one from four-star standout Daylan McCutcheon, Michael Terry III is a jack-of-all-trades talent—and all signs say he likes the Longhorns.

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“He kind of seems like a souped-up Jordan Whittington,” Roach said, comparing Terry to the former Texas receiver now with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. “Terry can play a little receiver, a little running back. He could be a Wildcat quarterback.

 

 

 

At Texas, he’s not necessarily on their receiver board, so he doesn’t count against the numbers they’re looking to take at receiver.”

 

 

 

 

While there are a plethora of other names visiting this weekend, Texas has the best chance to flip commits and sell undecided prospects on their futures. Winning that game could make a statement ahead of the early signing period on Dec. 4.

 

 

“When you’re the No. 1 team in the country, you can start taking some shots,” Roach said. “I think that they’re starting to win at a level that says: ‘Okay, now we can truly recruit at a national level.'”

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