:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70750491/usa_today_17485626.0.jpg)
According to a report from Horns247, the Texas Longhorns will host Alabama Crimson Tide transfer wide receiver Agiye Hall this weekend.
A Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale product in the 2021 recruiting class, Hall was recruited by Texas tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Jeff Banks out of high school, pledging to Alabama two years ago, well before Banks and Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian left Tuscaloosa for Austin in early 2021.
After recording four catches for 72 yards last season, Hall was suspended by Alabama for a violation of team rules in early April and quickly entered the NCAA transfer portal.
“Whether they’re academic or whatever, it doesn’t matter,” Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said. “Everyone has a responsibility and obligation to respect the principles and values and do what they need to do. They’re all there to help them be successful.”
Saban also hinted at another mistake by Hall, saying that he’d already been given the chance to rejoin the team a previous time, raising further questions about whether Hall is a fit at Texas for a program that is still trying to build a winning culture as the Horns prepare to enter their 13th season since being consistently relevant on the national college football stage.
Texas does have a need at the position — Wyoming transfer Isaiah Neyor was a big addition during the offseason, but Troy Omeire is still working his way back from two ACL tears, as is Jaden Alexis, and some of the few healthy bodies at wide receiver, like Dajon Harrison, Casey Cain, and Kelvontay Dixon range from largely unproven to entirely unproven while lacking the high-level recruiting pedigree of Hall.
“We don’t have as many legs at wideout right now as we would like,” Sarkisian admitted on Tuesday.
A consensus four-star prospect, Hall was ranked as the No. 45 player nationally and the No. 5 wide receiver, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and possesses enough eligibility to afford him plenty of time to reach his upside.
But if Hall is interested in finally being coached by Sarkisian, the Texas staff will have to decide if he’s worth the potential risk to the still-fragile attempts at culture building.