2023 Texas Target T.J. Shanahan Jr. Moving To Austin for 2021 season

A major 2023 target is moving into the Longhorns backyard for the final two years of his high school career

Matt Galatzan | Aug 10, 2021

Texas interior offensive line target and highly touted recruit TJ Shanahan Jr. is one of the most-watched prospects in the 2023 class, and on Monday, he got announced his intentions to get a little bit closer to the 40 Acres.

At least geographically.

Shanahan, who spent last season with Timber Creek (Orlando, FL) as a left tackle, will be moving to Austin, where he is set to enroll and play under legendary head coach Todd Dodge for the two-time defending state champion Westlake Chaparrals.

Let’s Ride. Go Chaparrals ! pic.twitter.com/Ikhvk1C42s
— Tj Shanahan Jr. (@TShanahan66) August 8, 2021

"First off, I want to thank our heavenly father for allowing me to be willing and able to play the sport I love. I want to thank timber Creek high school and the football program for helping me excel in the classroom and on the field," Shanahan said in a statement. "I am forever thankful for all the guidance and advice from the administration and coaching staff the past year and a half. I am very sad to leave Orlando, the place where it all started, but with new opportunities for my family, I am very excited to announce that I am officially transferring to Westlake high school Austin, Texas and I will finish the remainder of my high school career. God bless."

Shanahan will now play alongside SI-All American's No. 1 overall quarterback in the 2022 class, Clemson commit, Cade Klubnik, as the Chaparrals look for their third-consecutive state championship.

One of the more heavily recruited offensive linemen in the 2023 class as of late, Shanahan was offered by the Aggies in January, and has recently taken unofficial visits to Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, Miami, Georgia, UCF, and a host of other programs throughout the summer.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound rising junior has also been offered and recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, USC, Wisconsin, and West Virginia among many others.

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Published Aug 10, 2021

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.