TLDR: In an unconventional move brimming with Texas pride, the University of Texas Longhorns football team has taken to honoring their 2024 class recruits in a big, Texas-sized way—by procuring approximately 20 billboards across the Lone Star State. Among these is a prominent display for quarterback signee Trey Owens, positioned for all eastbound travelers to see on 34433 Katy FWY in Brookshire. Head coach Steve Sarkisian embellished the significance during his Early Signing Day speech, stressing the importance of this initiative not just as a recruitment strategy, but as a communal celebration. It’s an innovative approach by the recruiting team, led by Taylor Searels and Kyndal Perry, to blend acknowledgment of individual achievements with communal bonds, and to jumpstart players’ personal brand identities as they become part of the storied Texas football tradition.

Hailing from a state prouder than most, the Texas Longhorns football team has taken a unique approach to introducing their 2024 signees, splashing the young athletes’ faces along with the prestigious burnt orange jersey across the Texas skyline on billboards. One striking example greets drivers in Brookshire on 34433 Katy FWY, where passerby can catch a glimpse of the future in the making with high school quarterback Trey Owens boldy staring in his new uniform.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian was all but shy about these new visual announcements in his Early Signing Day press conference. He highlighted the excitement surrounding the billboards, making it clear that while they might be eye-catching, their intent runs deeper than the surface. It’s a genuine strategy to put the spotlight not just on the future Longhorn stars, but on the communities that raised and nurtured these young men.

The brains behind this marketing touch are Taylor Searels and Kyndal Perry from the recruiting department, who have flawlessly combined the essence of recognition with the cutting edge of name, image, and likeness (NIL) branding. Even though billboards typically herald the accomplishments of collegiate standouts, perhaps hinting at Heisman hopes, Texas has flipped the script to honor those just stepping into the limelight.

The sentiment has resonated well beyond the confines of the football department. NIL agents are calling it a stroke of brilliance, signalling this as a new way for players to connect with their Texas roots and begin carving out their legacy in the Longhorn lore. However, it’s not just about the individuals. Sarkisian emphasized that these huge, attention-grabbing tributes also honor the simmering cauldron of support—family, coaches, and educators—that each player leaves behind as they embark on their collegiate journey.

At the core of it all is the story of the Longhorns themselves—a team anchored in tradition, undeniably Texan, and always on the lookout for ways to shine the spotlight on the local heroes poised to don the iconic burnt orange. This initiative stands as a testament to that ethos, making everybody part of Texas’s victory march, even before the first down is played.