2025 four-star Nick Townsend picks Texas

Texas was in need of an elite tight end for its 2025 class. Nick Townsend made the call.

The Spring (Texas) Dekaney four-star tight end committed to the Longhorns today over Alabama and Texas A&M. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder also excels on the defensive side of the ball and could potentially play a linebacker/EDGE position.

Townsend held 35 offers including Notre Dame, Florida, USC, LSU, Michigan, and Oklahoma. But for now, he joins Calhoun (Ga.) tight end and UT commit Emaree Winston in this cycle.

Townsend is the 13th commit for UT’s Class of 2025, joining QB KJ Lacey, Saraland (Saraland, AL), EDGE Lance Jackson, Pleasant Grove (Texarkana, TX), RB Rickey Stewart Jr., Chapel Hill (Tyler, TX), LB Elijah Barnes, Skyline (Dallas, TX), OL Jackson Christian, Port Neches-Groves (Port Neches, TX), OL Jordan Coleman, Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, TX), OL Devin Coleman, Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, TX), RB James Simon, Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, LA), CB Caleb Chester, Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, TX), OL John Mills, St. Ignatius College Prep (San Francisco, CA), EDGE Smith Orogbo, Alief Hastings (Houston, Texas), and Winston.

Excerpt from the Recruiting Notebook — (May 2024)

How he fits at Texas:

Townsend is a very interesting overall prospect. He’s listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and is a truly quick and overall athletic player who flashes playmaking both as a tight end on film and as an off-ball linebacker. It’s not hard to imagine him finding success in either direction, although the fact his lead recruiter is Jeff Banks points to tight end being the staff designation moreso than linebacker. He’ll eventually fill out to 240 or so and maintain agility and burst which will translate well at either position. As a tight end he has the open field fluidity and overall athleticism to play as an H in 12 personnel who moves around like Ja’Tavion Sanders in recent years. To play as the sole tight end in spread sets will require some added size and blocking ability but Townsend shows a lot of strength and willingness to do the dirty work at that position as well. He should be a dual-threat tight end in time who can be a weapon in the seams or screen game and also a capable blocker. – Ian Boyd

Coach Says:

Strengths — Great height and frame for both H-back/TE and LB positions. Should fill out to a great functional playing weight. Strong core strength. Acceleration is well above average for his size and top-end speed is deceiving as he has film where he erases angles. Route tree is basic with a lot of play action out of split flow and short zone routes. He also shows significant vertical ability from both in-line and flexed positions. Lines up at all WR positions credibly. Release off the line is generally clean. Uses his body to shield the defender remarkably well and attacks the ball in the catch zone. Hands look pretty soft and he secures the catch quickly. After the catch, is physical and fights for yards. Excellent lower body strength is on display in these situations. Will be a physical matchup problem for both LBs and DBs. Versatility is a plus on both sides of the ball with some wildcat QB snaps. As a blocker, will generate competent blocking out of the inline Y position which is unusual for a high-schooler with legitimate receiving ability. Generates a low-base and engages with a good stun. Gets his hands generally in the right placement and looks to finish the block even when it doesn’t look perfect. On defense, played mostly out of an ILB position, but has some edge alignment as well. Is a head up defender who looks to diagnose the play quickly. He uses excellent leverage and upper body strength to lock out and stack the blocker, shedding effectively to finish on the ball carrier. Featured prominently in his team’s A-gap pressures and appears effective with straight up blitzing or delayed pressure. Closes quickly on the ball carrier and delivers a lot of power through the contact. Can’t go wrong putting this kid on offense or defense. I would love to see him as a LB who gets red zone or packaged offensive snaps.

Areas for Improvement — Would like to see more lateral agility on tape. Route tree could be more diverse. While his hip roll looks good, the limited breaking routes on film don’t offer a fair evaluation of hip explosion in route running.

How this affects Texas:

The Horns are in need of an elite tight end in the 2025 cycle. Townsend is that guy. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder is an excellent athlete that can also play on the defensive side of the ball. It’s his physical tenacity that stands out for the Horns. Along with Texas, schools like Alabama, Texas A&M, and Michigan are in the mix for the talented Houston area product. With Calhoun (Ga.) tight end Emaree Winston already in the class, Texas wants two TEs and Winston and Townsend would make for an excellent pair this cycle. – Justin Wells

Townsend is the No. 124 overall prospect in the 2025 class, No. 6 tight end, and the No. 23 prospect in Texas according to the On3 Industry Ranking.