Steve Sarkisian's Texas lands commitment of 4-star OT Nick Brooks to the class of 2025: Reports

Coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns have boosted their 2025 class with the commitment of four-star offensive tackle Nick Brooks. It is a huge win for the program, especially coming on the heels of the recruiting loss to the Oklahoma Sooners for five-star prospect Michael Fasusi.

Brooks profiles similarly to current Texas right tackle Cameron Williams. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native transferred from Cedar Rapids Kennedy to Loganville, Georgia's Grayson High School, ahead of his senior season. He had earlier moved back to Cedar Rapids, Kennedy, for his junior year.

Nick Brooks chose Texas over offers from prestigious programs like the Georgia Bulldogs and USC Trojans. The program faced some challenges in recruiting in the last few months when four-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown and four-star defensive back Kade Phillips decommitted and flipped their commitments to LSU.

Texas is now slowly regaining momentum as they prepare for five-star receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr.'s commitment announcement on August 30. The Longhorns are the favorites to land Ffrench, with a 65.4% chance, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The Texas 2025 class has 17 commitments, ranking No. 14 nationally and No. 8 in the SEC as per On3. Brooks is the fifth offensive lineman to commit, joining fellow offensive linemen Jackson Christian, Jordan Coleman, John Mills and Devin Coleman. The class also features other high-profile recruits, including wide receiver Kaliq Lockett, edge rusher Lance Jackson and linebacker Elijah Barnes.

Why did Nick Brooks choose Texas?

After earning over 30 scholarship offers and initially committing to the Iowa Hawkeyes as a junior, Nick Brooks reopened his commitment less than two months later. The summer buzz initially centered around Georgia but later shifted to Texas and he ultimately chose to commit to the Longhorns.

In an interview with On3, Brooks shared the reason behind his commitment to Texas.

“The No. 1 thing for me is the chance to play and compete for early playing time,” Brooks said. “NIL is important too, and that would be No. 2 on my list."

Brooks' decision was influenced by the strong relationships he built with head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

"I just feel myself being there emotionally and physically," Brooks told 247Sports. "I can see the people that I'm working with. The players, they're calling me to check on me, even the QBs. Not many guys are talking to the QBs."

According to Horn Sports, the 6-foot-7 and 360-pound prospect's standout quality is his ability to bend at the hips. Besides football, he proved his athletic versatility in high school by competing in shot put and discus. As a freshman in spring 2022, he posted shot put distances of 35-5.5 and 34-3.

Nick Brooks is ranked as the No. 208 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 17 offensive tackle in the 2025 class and the No. 30 player in Georgia, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.