After a protracted commitment to the Gators, the outstanding defensive back decided to remain in-state.
The Texas Longhorns continue to push for one of the top classes of the 2024 cycle with the addition of elite safety Xavier Filsaime, who flipped from the Florida Gators on Monday after taking an official visit to the Forty Acres over the weekend.
Filsaime, a two-sport star out of McKinney High School, was one of the most highly-coveted prospects in the country with 34 offers, including the Alabama Crimson, Georgia Bulldogs Tide, the Longhorns, and the Florida Gators, to whom he was committed until Monday. He took just three visits in this cycle, committing to the Gators in April on an unofficial visit, before taking official visits to Tuscaloosa and Gainesville in June. He remained steadfast in his commitment to Florida throughout the season, but Texas coaches did not pull back on the pressure and contact.
That tenacity, combined with the opposite fortunes of the Longhorns and the Gators, opened the door for the flip.
Despite public denials and misdirection of a pending flip, buzz continued to build for Texas in the recruitment of the elite in-state defender. That buzz culminated in an official visit to Austin, resulting in a flip from the Gators in a huge recruiting coup for position coach Blake Gideon.
His commitment gives Texas its fourth five-star recruit of the cycle, joining Ryan Wingo, Collin Simmons, and and Brandon Baker as the top four recruits in the group. With that, Texas jumped ahead of Alabama on the list of five-star players committed, tying Georgia for the second spot in the country, one behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. Filsaime narrowly edged out another recent commit, cornerback Kobe Black, for the top defensive back in the class, as the pair has an opportunity to make an early impact.
Filsaime is ranked as the No. 30 prospect nationally and the No. 2 safety, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Filsaime is a three-phase player whose athleticism is verified both on and off the football field. He possesses good height at 6’1 and solid weight at 180 pounds and has the frame that will allow him to add more mass once he transitions to college. Filsaime’s film shows him logging snaps at wide receiver, deep safety, and just about every special teams unit you can think of. Filsaime’s film even shows him pinning an offense inside their own five yard line as a punter. No I’m not kidding. Filsaime began his high school career at wide receiver before making the transition to defense during his junior year. Away from the gridiron, Filsaime logged a legit 10.52 100M dash time along with a 22.38 200M dash time during his sophomore year. That speed and athleticism shows up on tape when you him triggering downhill to attack ball carriers and when he is handling the football in the open field. Shows the willingness to fight through blockers on screens. He’s a solid tackler, but needs to be more consistent as a wrap up tackler and getting guys to the ground. Has good, active feet in coverage and shows fluid hips when he has to turn and run with receivers. Shows good awareness on tipped and deflected passes, as he was able to get his hands on a couple of interceptions during his senior film. Filsaime will make an impact on special teams early in his career, as he already possesses ample experience on several special teams units. It would not surprise me if you see him running down on kickoffs and selling out for punts as a freshman.
