Four-star edge Zina Umeozulu commits to Texas

Focusing on the edge position in the 2024 class continues for the Texas Longhorns with the addition of priority pass rusher Zina Umeozulu on Wednesday.

A familiar name for Longhorn fans, the 6’4, 210-pound defender from Allen High School is the younger brother of Texas guard Neto Umeozulu, but in spite of the family connection the recruitment was never a slam dunk for the Horns. Texas was one of the earliest offers on the table, making their pursuit official in October of his sophomore year and managing to make what seemed to be the final cut of schools. Along with Oklahoma and Texas A&M, Texas earned a visit during the June visit period, with the Longhorns getting the last official visit of the summer.

The Aggies got Umeozulu back on campus for an unofficial at the end of July, trying to land his services in an already stacked defensive line class. In a potential boon for Texas, the Longhorns hosted Umeozulu on a visit for last Saturday’s season opener against the Owls.

The four-star edge rusher becomes just the second edge in class, joining top-ranked rusher Colin Simmons on the outsides of the defense to form a great pairing as Texas heads to the SEC. Umeozulu becomes commit No. 17 for Texas, moving their total class ranking ahead of USC to No. 17 overall with three months remaining until the Early Signing Period.