Tag: 2020 Recruiting Class

Texas RB Bijan Robinson among top 10 playmakers in the 2020 class

Texas signee Bijan Robinson was named one of the top 10 playmakers out of the 2020 class, according to 247Sports.

Whenever there’s a list regarding the top prospects in the 2020 recruiting class, running back Bijan Robinson deserves to be on it.

The most recent recruiting cycle is loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball. According to 247Sports, Texas signee Bijan Robinson is among the top ten playmakers in the nation.

The ten players range in positions from running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end. A playmaker could have many meanings, perhaps it’s one who controls the flow of the teams offense. It could be a player who seems to provide highlight reels constantly. Unbelievable plays. Acrobatic catches. Unstoppable.

However you choose to define a playmaker, Robinson is just that. The Texas signee was the No. 1 running back in the nation by the end of his recruiting cycle. He’s the type of player that can do it all.

Robinson became the first running back in Arizona history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in three different seasons. The Salpointe Cathloic product finished his high school career with 7,036 yards and 112 total touchdowns.

The 6-0, 200-pound back participated in the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl over the past few months, solidifying his ranking. He has terrific vision and is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

This type of talent doesn’t come around often. Robinson is expected to make an immediate impact at Texas as a true freshman.

 

 

 

 

Former Longhorns’ staffer Tim Beck Named Top 10 Recruiter

Former Texas Longhorns’ offensive coordinator named top ten recruiter by 247 Sports. He secured seven major recruits for Texas in 2020.

Now that the recruiting cycle is complete for the 2020 season, 247 Sports has put out their list for the top ten recruiters. Among the list is former offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach Tim Beck. Beck was demoted from offensive coordinator following the regular season finale before ultimately taking the OC job with the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Commits: 7

Average Rating: 93.17

Points: 76.46

Newly hired by the Wolfpack, Beck’s recruiting buzz focuses upon major commitments on the road at Texas before Tom Herman demoted him at the end of the regular season. Beck was  the primary recruiter at Texas for No. 1 overall running back Bijan Robinson. NC State hopes for similar magic in the ACC.

Beck was responsible for seven recruits signing with the Texas Longhorns for 2020. He was the primary recruiter for four signees and the secondary on three others.

  • Bijan Robinson (Primary)
  • Hudson Card (Primary)
  • Ja’Quinden Jackson (Primary)
  • Jaylon Ford (Primary)
  • Prince Dorbah (Secondary)
  • Jaylen Garth (Secondary)
  • Andrej Karic (Secondary)

Regardless of how fans felt about Tim Beck the coach, there is no denying the impact that he made recruiting the trails in Texas. Four of the top guys who signed with the Longhorns were directly linked to Beck. What a parting gift from him on his way to the ACC.

2020 Texas Longhorns: Bijan Robinson Profile

Withe the newest recruiting class coming in, we profile Bijan Robinson and what type of impact he could make in 2020.

For the Texas Longhorns in the 2020 recruiting class, there was no higher rated recruit than Bijan Robinson out of Salpointe Catholic of Arizona. He ended up as the number one running back in the country just ahead of North Shore’s Zachary Evans who was rated above him all the way up until right before National Signing Day.

Robinson’s Accomplishments:

  • 7,036 high school career rushing yards
  • 103 rushing touchdowns
  • 836 receiving yards
  • nine receiving touchdowns
  • 12.9 yards per rush / 13.5 yards per touch
  • Arizona 4A State record holder for Rushing Yards
  • Polynesian Bowl Participant
  • US Army All-American Game Participant
  • USA Today High School All-American

In high school it was like Robinson was a man among boys at the rate he destroyed opposing defenses. He helped lead the Salpointe Catholic football team to back to back to back state championship appearances but just couldn’t finish it off for the Lancers. Robinson will now look to help lead Texas to their first Big 12 Championship since their last National Championship run back in the 2009-2010 season.

Running the football was in his blood. Robinson’s uncle Paul was a running back for the Arizona Wildcats and went on to play six years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Oilers. There wasn’t a more complete back in this recruiting class than Robinson. He has the patience and vision that made him an elite talent at the high school level.

Running the ball isn’t the only way that the Texas Longhorns signee can impact the game as he made strides as a receiver out of the backfield. While Robinson only averaged just over 200 yards per season as a pass catcher, he shows the willingness is there. In the Texas offense, he will likely get more opportunity to catch the ball from quarterback Sam Ehlinger, just ask Keaontay Ingram.

For Robinson, he will likely split carries during his freshman season in Austin. However, he likely will get a lions share of the workload in his sophomore and junior seasons. He will be viewed as the next Longhorns running back that likely goes near the top of draft by the time he is done with his collegiate career. For now, Bijan Robinson will aim to be the best back on the field for the team in burnt orange.

 

Longhorns Roundtable: Which player will be the best of 2020 Class

Longhorns Wire writers discuss who they believe will have the brightest playing career with Texas.

The Texas Longhorns 2020 recruiting class is officially all wrapped up. Longhorns Wire writers discussed who they believe may have the brightest career with the Longhorns.

Cami: This is a bit tricky to me, as several of the highest-rated prospects in this class have immediate impact potential, while a few others have more of the long-term potential. For example, I believe with every ounce of my being that running back Bijan Robinson is the best overall player in this specific class, but he will likely share carries as a true freshman. I expect major seasons from him as a sophomore and junior, which would likely result in him declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior season.

In regards to long-term potential, I think the quarterback position will be left in the hands of Hudson Card. He was highly regarded as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation and is already on campus as an early enrollee.

If Ehlinger can stay healthy throughout his senior season, Card will have a full year of development and learning the system. Card is following in the same footsteps as Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger, which leads me to believe he will be the future of Texas football assuming no unforeseen circumstances.

Griffin: The final recruit the Longhorns picked up in the 2020 class was defensive end Alfred Collins. Depending on which site you look at, he is ranked as a five-star or a four-star. No matter his ranking, the one thing that will be true is his impact on this defense. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 284 pounds, he is the best pass-rushing prospect the program has had since Malcolm Brown back in 2012.

Having an extremely difficult time rushing the passer in 2019, Texas was in desperate need of help on the defensive line in this class. Other linemen like defensive tackles Vernon Boughton and Sawyer Goram-Welch will help, but not have the same immediate and future impact that Collins will have.

The defense was the issue throughout last season for Texas, playing too inconsistent and giving up too many yards. If you want to be better on that side of the ball, it all starts with the ability to get to the quarterback. Collins will do exactly that, pairing up with Joseph Ossai as one of the best one-two punches in the entire Big 12.

Patrick: Ultimately when you look at the class as a whole it is solid across the board. Long-term the best player just might be Bijan Robinson. The Longhorns went out and got the best back in the nation. The team wants to run the ball and Robinson is the most well-rounded back in this class. However, Prince Dorbah and Alfred Collins could be the most important to this teams success in terms of immediate impact.

The Longhorns need to impact the game with the pass rush in the same way that Joseph Ossai was able to change the game against the Utah Utes in the Alamo Bowl. Collins and Dorbah will be looking to make the same impact of previous pass rushers like Alex Okafor. The wild card of this entire class might be Kelvontay Dixon. The brother of running back Keaontay Ingram will bring a speed element that will help lessen the blow of losing Devin Duvernay.

USA Today Sports’ rankings on Texas 2020 Recruiting Class

USA Today Sports weighs in on the Texas Longhorns 2020 recruiting class that ranked them among the best in the nation.

USA Today Sports have come out with their final rankings and analysis on the 2020 recruiting class. According to Mike Craven of the Austin American-Statesman, the Longhorns were the class of the Big 12 with their 2020 class.

The Longhorns signed the best recruiting class in the Big 12 for the third year in a row. Tom Herman is injecting talent into the program despite an 8-5 record and changes at offensive and defensive coordinator. Robinson, a talented running back from Arizona, headlines the class alongside four-star quarterback Hudson Card, who hails from the same high school that produced Baker Mayfield.

The Longhorns did a great job finding in-state defensive linemen Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins and Prince Dorbah. Eight of Texas’ 19 signees are enrolled and already on campus.

The praise for the Longhorns’ class didn’t stop there with Matthew Bain of USA Today Sports. The class, much like with the 247 composite rankings, were rated among the 10 best classes in 2020.

Texas jumped up to No. 9 with the huge addition of five-star defensive end Alfred Collins, who picked his home-state Longhorns over Oklahoma; he also had considered Alabama. Texas did miss on Rakestraw and Umanmielen, but Collins is just such a big win — especially considering it beat the Sooners for him. The Longhorns also already have four-star, home-state quarterback Hudson Card on campus; he’s 247Sports Composite’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback.

The additions of Collins and Kelvontay Dixon help give Texas a late push to take back over the Big 12 top spot and to finish in the top 10 in the nation.

 

Texas’ 2020 recruiting class ranks top two in blue chip talent

Texas’ 2020 recruiting class includes two five-star, thirteen four-star athletes, according to 247Sports.

Amidst the coaching staff shakeup this offseason, the Longhorns 2020 recruiting class turned out to be quite impressive.

At the conclusion of National Signing Day yesterday, Texas ended with the No. 1 class in the Big 12 conference. The late addition signings of five-star defensive end Alfred Collins and four-star athlete Kelvontay Dixon also bumped the Longhorns into one of the Top 10 classes nationally.

Head coach Tom Herman has been with the program for nearly four years, but the three full years that he’s been able to recruit, Herman has had the No. 1 class in the Big 12 and each of those have finished within the Top 10 nationally.

That also means he’s securing commitments from several blue chip recruits. Blue chip players are those more sought after and highly-rated, oftentimes the best at their positions.

Four-star and five-star athletes are typically considered blue chip players, typically programs who sign over 50% of blue chips have a much higher advantage of contending for the National Championship.

Although coaching and development are extremely important in college football, talent acquisition is just as crucial. There’s always the possibility for programs to find that ‘diamond in the rough’ player who was underrated as a prospect, but it’s clear Texas is in a great position heading into the 2020 season.

Sitting just between Alabama and Georgia, Texas has the second-highest blue chip percentage of players signed in the 2020 recruiting class.

Alabama has the clear lead at the No. 1 spot, but Texas is in great company with power schools such as Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, and LSU. Of the 19 players signed in Texas’ 2020 class, two of those are five-star athletes and 13 of those players are four-star athletes, according to 247Sports.

The cards are aligning for Texas to become legitimate contenders for the National Championship.

USA Today Sports: Texas Ends 2020 Class With Highest Rated Player In Big 12

The Texas Longhorns finished the 2020 recruiting class with the highest rated player in the Big 12 on USA Today Sports top 25.

The Texas Longhorns are enjoying another top ten recruiting class with two five-star signings according to 247 ratings. Along with the five-stars (Bijan Robinson, Alfred Collins), the team added 13 more players that finished with four-stars.

USA Today Sports put together their top 25 rated prospects in all of the country. The Texas Longhorns finished with the highest rated player to sign in the Big 12, Bijan Robinson.

Robinson is arguably the top all-purpose back in the country, with the ability to hurt defenses as a runner or receiver. His combination of athleticism, speed and agility are exceptional. – Jason Jordan of USA Today Sports

The only other Big 12 school in the top 25 with a top recruit is the Oklahoma Sooners. Robinson will enroll in the fall and begin his college football career this season. The number one ranked running back in the nation according to 247 sports is drawing comparisons to current NFL running back Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints.

Two key additions boost Texas’ 2020 recruiting class into Top 10

After the recent additions of Alfred Collins and Kelvontay Dixon, Texas now has a Top 10 recruiting class in the nation.

Although National Signing Day didn’t go exactly as Texas would have hoped, it was enough to secure a Top 10 recruiting class in the nation. Considering the coaching staff shakeup this offseason, this has to be viewed as a quality incoming class that includes two five-star prospects.

The majority of Texas’ 2020 class signed their National Letter of Intent throughout the early signing period in December, which left them ranked as the No. 11 class in the nation.

However, the Longhorns were still keeping a close eye on the official announcements from defensive end Alfred Collins, defensive end Princely Umanmielen, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, and athlete Kelvontay Dixon on Wednesday.

Texas was successfully able to sign two of their four highest-rated remaining targets, which ended the 2020 recruiting cycle as the No. 9 overall rated class in the nation according to 247Sports.

The biggest difference maker was the commitment from five-star defensive end Alfred Collins. After choosing Texas over Oklahoma and Alabama, Collins becomes the first five-star defensive line prospect to sign in the Big 12 since 2012.

Collins is the second-highest graded player for Texas, trailing only the nation’s No. 1 running back in Bijan Robinson.

Kelvontay Dixon, current running back Keontay Ingram’s brother, also chose to continue his playing career at the University of Texas. This shouldn’t be overlooked due to the Collins signing, as Dixon is listed as a speedy four-star athlete and the No. 37 overall prospect out of the state of Texas.

The additions of Collins and Dixon also allowed Texas to jump Oklahoma as the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big 12.

 

Official List of Texas Longhorns 2020 Recruiting Class

The 2020 recruiting class is officially complete. It was a successful class for the UT, as they once again finish inside the national top 10.

The 2020 recruiting class is officially complete after four-star defensive end Alfred Collins picked Texas over Alabama and Oklahoma. Overall, it was a successful class for the Longhorns, as they once again finish inside the national top 10.

As for the Big 12, Head Coach Tom Herman will once again bring in the top class in the conference. Being No. 1 in the Big 12 for the third year in a row, the Longhorns are followed by Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State in the top five.

Running back Bijan Robinson is the best player in cloUT 2020, making it three years in a row Texas has signed a five-star prospect. Defensive end Alfred Collins is listed as a five-star to 247, but the 247Sports composite has him as an overall four-star.

All rankings are by the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Five-star: RB Bijan Robinson

Four-star: QB Hudson Card, QB Ja’Quinden Jackson, WR Troy Omeire, OC Jake Majors, OG Logan Parr, OT Jaylen Garth, OT Andrej Karic, DT Vernon Boughton, SDE Alfred Collins, OLB Prince Dorbah, CB Kitan Crawford, S Xavion Alford, S Jerrin Thompson, ATH Kelvontay Dixon,

Three-star: WR Dajon Harrison, DT Sawyer Goram-Welch, OLB Jaylan Ford, ATH Jaden Hullaby

Looking ahead to the 2021 class, Texas is once again currently ranked No. 1 in the Big 12. Inside of the top five nationally, the closest team in the conference is Oklahoma down at No. 18. Led by four-star ATH Ja’Tavion Sanders, the recruiting trail is continually won by the Longhorns. Now, it is time to turn the talent into victories on the field.

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Texas Longhorns land five-star defensive end, No. 32 overall prospect

Five-star defensive end Alfred Collins has officially committed to the University of Texas.

Texas just significantly strengthened their defensive line.

It came down to the wire, but five-star defensive end Alfred Collins has officially confirmed his decision to sign a National Letter of Intent to continue his playing career as a student-athlete at the University of Texas.

The Longhorns were still in competition with Oklahoma and Alabama on Wednesday, where all three programs awaited official word from the No. 2 strong-side defensive end in the nation.

Undoubtedly Texas’ highest-rated target remaining in the 2020 recruiting class, Collins is the No. 32 overall rated player according to 247Sports. As a senior at Cedar Creek High School in 2019, Collins earned his second consecutive District 13-5A-II Defensive Lineman of the Year award.

The 6-5, 284-pound lineman is now the second-highest graded recruit in the Longhorns 2020 recruiting class, trailing only running back Bijan Robinson.

Collins becomes the first five-star defensive line prospect to sign in the Big 12 since Malcolm Brown in 2012. He’s a difference-making talent at a position where it’s hard to find them.