A lot of problems are in front of Texas coming off the spanking Arkansas gave their old Southwest Conference rival in Fayetteville. Steve Sarkisian will have a few questions to answer, both internally and externally, before taking the field against Rice next week.
Play at the line of scrimmage may be the biggest one. Arkansas dominated up front all night, especially against the Texas offensive line. Neither Hudson Card nor Casey Thompson had time in the pocket all night. The latter was able to use their feet better and get the offense moving.
It’s clear Texas does not have SEC-level bodies on the field. Teams in the Big 12 may even have success upfront. Oklahoma and TCU are the two that immediately come to mind. Hell, even Louisiana had its moments, especially against the left side.
It all comes back to the lack of elite offensive line recruiting.
Herb Hand and Tom Herman severely neglected the position, focusing on stacking up with skill players. Even if a good number of bodies were brought in, the rankings and talent level are not up to standard.
Herman’s inaugural class in 2018 saw five offensive tackles taken. Two were ranked inside the top 300 overall on the 247Sports composite, with Reese Moore (no longer with the program) being No. 300.
From a recruiting perspective, here is how Texas’ starting offensive line looks right now.
LT – Christian Jones, three-star and No. 56 OT in ’18 class
LG – Junior Angilau, four-star and No. 10 OT in ’18 class
C – Jake Majors, four-star and No. 5 C in ’20 class
RG – Denzel Okafor, four-star and No. 12 OG in ’16 calss
RT – Derek Kerstetter, three-star and No. 30 OG in ’17 class
Kyle Flood’s job as a recruiter has become more important than ever. Initially, the goal seemed to be to build an entire offensive line within the 2022 class but some misses should prevent that.
Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson are both already in the class. One is expected to play at guard with the other sliding over to center. But the original point stands. Neither are within the top 300 on the 247Sports composite at the moment.
This is not to say both will not be good once on campus. Texas would not take a commitment if they did not believe in Hutson or Robertson. But more elite guys are needed. Guys somebody the likes of Alabama, LSU, or Ohio State would want.
Five-star Devon Campbell is the main name available Texas needs to go all out for. While he may be considered a guard, he has the ability to play tackle if Flood wants to. Outside of a wide receiver, Campbell is the most important prospect left on the board.
Kam Dewberry and Earnest Greene both should have official visits lined up over the remaining five home games. Allen’s Neto Umeozulu remains a mystery to everyone.
Outside of those four, not much remains for Texas.
Landing Campbell and at least one of the other three will determine if Flood can complete a quick rebuild. After seeing how poorly play was against Arkansas, quick playing time may be a solid selling point.
Tough part of going for those types of players? Going up against the likes of Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State. Those programs can sign whoever they want year in and year out for a reason. Texas has not shown anything to convince elite guys to sign.
Working on flipping someone like Kelvin Banks almost seems to be out of the equation at the moment. Especially after Oregon’s win over Ohio State over the weekend.
No position coach has a bigger three months of recruiting than Flood. A total overhaul is needed with some of the top prospects in the country.
Tough sledding is ahead.