Payton Kirkland explains what led him to commit to Texas before visiting Austin
On March 18, 2022, Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips offensive lineman Payton Kirkland released a top five of Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Miami, and Florida. He saw Alabama in a camp setting, and took official visits to his four other finalists during the spring. He set a decision date for July 23 with those five schools as the finalists.
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But Kirkland made a decision that surprised almost the entire recruiting industry. He committed to Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns football program without having once stepped foot on the Forty Acres.
“I was always planning stuff with Texas and setting visits up and all that, but it never worked out,” Kirkland said Wednesday after an All-American Bowl practice. “Injuries, family issues, finance issues, things like that, so it always would never work out. I kind of worked against God’s will, pushing Texas away every single time they tried to press on me. Eventually, I came to my realization and made a blind decision, but it was the best decision I ever made.”
Kirkland made his first visit to Austin a few days later, and was blown away by the experience.
“It was everything I thought it would be and more, to be honest,” Kirkland said. “It’s the family feel from the top of the staff to the bottom of the staff. It’s the place I want to be every single day.”
During his national signing day press conference, Sarkisian was asked about the process behind landing a commitment before ever meeting Kirkland in person. He mentioned that recruiting methods often utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic were used to build a relationship with the large human from Orlando.
“We lived this life in COVID where we had to recruit without getting kids on campus,” Sarkisian said in December. “So the idea that we were able to Zoom him with all of the different facets in our program, whether it was academics, strength and conditioning, our training room and how we support our athletes that way, they were able to Zoom with (Kyle) Flood and dig into that aspect. We were able to show him campus virtually and go around campus.”
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That relationship built on Zoom was one of the biggest selling points for Kirkland.
“Coach Flood, he’s brutally honest,” Kirkland said. “He’s hard on us, but he’s very empathetic and he actually feels for us. He feels for his players and loves his players to death, whether that gets showed in affection or whether that get showed in chewing you out.”
Kirkland showed versatility during his senior season in Florida, playing at three different positions along the offensive line. During All-American Bowl practice, he’s been at left guard and has earned a starting spot.
“The reason I’m playing guard now is because I played tackle, guard, and center all season,” Kirkland said. “I spent a lot of time at guard this season, too. Just showing versatility and playing next to awesome guys like Samson (Okunola) and Connor Lew. It’s a great experience being able to pick up on some extra knowledge.”
Kirkland will enroll early in Austin following Saturday’s All-American Bowl on NBC.
Kirkland is ranked as the No. 415 prospect, the No. 25 offensive tackle, and the No. 77 prospect in the state of Florida according to the 2023 On3 Consensus.
