On Dec. 20, news about early signing day for Texas wasn't just shared with Longhorns fans.

Texas signed 24 players on that first day of the early signing period. To acknowledge them, UT purchased billboard space near each of the recruits' homes.

"Ain't she something," posted Trey Owens, a four-star quarterback from Houston Cypress-Fairbanks, on social media. He was on an electronic billboard in the Brookshire area.

An investment in Texas' future

So how much did it cost to give those recruits the billboard treatment? Responding to an American Statesman open records request, Texas revealed that it paid $461.77 to the Blip Billboards company for the renting of 24 billboards in six states. Those billboards acknowledged 22 high school signees and the arrivals of transfers Andrew Mukuba and Matthew Golden.

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The billboard rentals did not include Aaron Butler, a four-star receiver from California who signed with Texas two days later.

It was not clear how long those rentals lasted, but each of the signees did see his billboard.

A way to celebrate players, communities

When asked in December, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian insisted that the billboards weren't a new recruiting tool and said they were a way to celebrate the new Longhorns and their communities.

"We were putting those billboards up to celebrate them in their hometowns, to recognize them with people" who know them, Sarkisian said. "All these kids, when they grow up, the whole community raises them, their high school coaches, their little league coaches, their teachers, their principals, their moms and dads or aunts or uncles, all these people in that community.

"To celebrate them and to celebrate their community that they're coming to the University of Texas, that's a heck of an honor that not just that young man is getting, but everybody in that community that put in a lot of work and time and effort in driving them to games and workouts and things. So that wasn't a recruiting tool for them; they're already signed with us. It was more about celebrating them and their community. But I thought it was a great touch that our recruiting staff did."

National signing day is Wednesday, but Texas does not currently have any unsigned high school commitments for the 2024 class. UT's class is No. 6 nationally in 247Sports' composite rankings.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football invested $461 to post billboards honoring its recruits