Texas football catapulted back into the College Football Playoff picture through a late surge. But now the Longhorns sustained a massive college football recruiting loss — with Taven Epps going from April commit to decommitting.
The Class of 2027 linebacker and four-star from Tustin reopened his recruitment Sunday evening. Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals confirmed Epps' move, ending a six-month commitment.
Epps handed Steve Sarkisian and the Texas coaching staff a pivotal California win — as Epps stars for Tustin High. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound ‘backer became Tustin's first major high-profile recruit since Frostee Rucker (USC) and DeShaun Foster (UCLA).
But now there's new, potential suitors lurking after Epps reopened his process.
Who could grab Taven Epps after Texas decommit
Texas must now worry about who'll grab the long and rangy linebacker. Including a school “Coach Sark” knows well.
USC received a September visit from Epps, during a time he was still verbally committed to Texas. But Keegan Pope of On3/Rivals revealed Epps has multiple possibilities.
“Georgia, USC, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Alabama are among the schools that have been in contact with Epps in recent months, with the Trojans and Bulldogs hosting him in September. Last month, he made stops with the Sooners and Fighting Irish, too,” Pope wrote.
The last thing Texas wants is OU swooping up a past commit. Both Red River rivals have attempted to flip recruits countless of times over the years.
But Notre Dame is one more to monitor. Head coach Marcus Freeman comes with a linebacker background including coaching the position.
Meanwhile, Texas moved into the top 10 in the AP poll despite having a bye.
