Texas’ 2022 recruiting class jumped up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5 in the nation in the most recent update of 247Sports’ recruiting rankings.
This move comes after elite kicker Will Stone, one of if not the best kicking prospect in the nation, was given a three-star rating by 247Sports. He wasn’t the only specialist that received a higher ranking, as long snapper Lance St. Louis went from unranked to a two-star recruit making him the highest ranked long snapper in the nation.
Special teams coach Jeff Banks is putting an emphasis on having the best of the best regardless of what side of the ball. Special teams has seemed to be a weak spot after the Longhorns lost Michael Dickson to the NFL, and gaining some stability will allow Texas to use special teams as a weapon, and not as a last resort.
Headlined by players such as quarterback Maalik Murphy and safety Bryan Allen, the move up to the fifth spot has Texas with the best class in the Big 12 and nationally ranked higher than schools such as Rutgers, Penn State, USC, and Oklahoma.