Steve Sarkisian watching Texas 5-star OT commit Brandon Baker, other targets

One of, if not the biggest high school football game of the year is taking place on Friday night, as California powerhouses Santa Ana Mater Dei and Bellflower St. John Bosco are set for action.

Over 70 prospects with college offers will be on the sidelines, which of course means there will be coaches and recruiters galore in the Golden State this weekend. That includes Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.

The Longhorns skipper is taking advantage of Texas’ bye week and is in attendance alongside offensive line coach Kyle Flood. Sarkisian, a California native, has managed to keep his presence felt on his home-state recruiting trail despite now being in Austin.

Texas’ 2024 class features two five-stars, one of whom will be on the field in front of Sarkisian and Flood on Friday. Mater Dei offensive tackle Brandon Baker pledged to the Longhorns on Sept. 24, bolstering UT’s class, which ranks No. 13 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

“I feel like they’re on the up-and up, and the O-line development is like no other honestly,” Baker told On3 upon his commitment. “What Coach Flood is doing and what Coach Sarkisian is doing with the offense is special.”

Texas trying to flip Auburn commit DeAndre Carter

Baker isn’t the only prospect that the Texas coaches will have their eyes on, however. Mater Dei is also home to another pair of Longhorn targets: 2024 four-star interior offensive lineman DeAndre Carter and 2025 four-star running back Jordon Davison.

Carter, an Auburn commit, is the No. 178 overall prospect and No. 10 IOL in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He pledged to the Tigers on Sept. 3, but has since taken a visit to Texas as it tries to pull off the flip.

“There continues to be some positive movement in the Longhorns’ attempt to flip the Auburn verbal,” wrote InsideTexas’ Gerry Hamilton.

Davison checks in as the No. 30 prospect and No. 3 RB in the 2025 cycle and is currently a heavy lean in favor of Texas, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). The in-state USC Trojans, Ohio State and others are also gunning for the elite burner, but the Longhorns appear to be in the driver’s seat.

Going back to the 2023 cycle, Sarkisian landed three Californians, one of whom also came from Mater Dei in three-star tight end Spencer Shannon. The Longhorns also welcomed St. John Bosco four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr and San Diego Francis Parker three-star punter Ryan Sanborn.