Brandon Baker to Texas: Nation's No. 1 offensive tackle chooses Longhorns

Mater Dei (California) five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker announced his commitment Sunday

The Texas Longhorns are ranked No. 3 in the nation and have a lot of reason for optimism.

That excitement was further fueled Sunday, as Mater Dei (California) five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker announced his commitment to Texas over fellow finalists Florida State, Ohio State, Oregon and Nebraska.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive lineman is rated the nation's No. 24 overall prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle.

“Texas was a great trip, too, and I can definitely see myself there,” Baker told 247Sports. “They have everything you need to be successful and I really like the overall fit and comfort level for me there.

“I have a really good relationship with coach (Kyle) Flood and when we talk, it means something. He’s a really good coach and he’s building a really strong offensive line. He thinks they’re putting something special together and he really wants me to be a part of that.”

Early in the process, Baker was high on Oregon, but following the departures of head coach Mario Cristobal (Miami) and offensive line coach Adrian Klemm (NFL) the door was pushed wide open for others.

Texas and Nebraska quickly emerged as major contenders for his services - with the Longhorns widely believed to be the heavy favorites in the final weeks leading up to Sunday's decision.

Still, Baker took a final trip to Lincoln earlier this month, leading to some concern among Longhorn fans that the Cornhuskers could pull off the upset.

But Texas hung on. 

Entering the weekend, the Texas 2024 recruiting class was ranked No. 17 nationally, but moves up to No. 15 - ahead of Miami and Clemson - with the addition of Baker.

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