OT Payton Kirkland Signs Letter Of Intent with Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have added offensive line depth with the addition of Payton Kirkland.

Welcome to the Forty Acres, Payton Kirkland. 

Kirkland officially signed his letter of intent Wednesday morning to play for Texas as a member of the 2023 recruiting class. The Orlando, Fla., native has been linked to the Longhorns since the summer when he committed to the program. 

Kirkland, a 6-6, 345-pound offensive lineman prospect, chose the Longhorns over Oklahoma, Michigan State, Alabama, Florida, and Miami. He had offers from over 50 schools nationwide.

Kirkland projects to be better suited at either tackle sport during his playing days at the next level. At Dr. Phillips High School, he played both positions during his three years on varsity. 

Kirkland will be behind one of the best offensive line classes in Texas history. Offensive line coach Kyle Flood will have ample time to mold him into his type of player because of that.

The Longhorns' current class features five verbal offensive lineman commits entering the Early Signing Period. Kirkland is expected to be joined by Mansfield's (TX) Andre Cojoe, Wakefield's (TX) Connor Stroh, Harker Heights (TX) Jaydon Chatman, and Mellisa's (TX) Trevor Goosby 

The Longhorns will have a chance to finish with a top-three recruiting class on SI All-Amercian's final rankings for the 2023 cycle. Currently, Texas has 21 verbal commits, but the number could expand during the remainder of the three-day Early Signing Period. 

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