Tag: 2021 recruiting class

Texas Football: Chad Simmons’ high-impact freshmen for 2021

Three signees from Texas’ 2021 recruiting class were chosen as high impact freshmen for this upcoming season.

First-year head coach Steve Sarkisian joined the party late in the cycle, but Texas’ 2021 recruiting class still ended up No. 15 in the country and No. 2 in the Big 12.

There are 23 true freshmen on the Forty Acres this season. The class is headlined by the Longhorns’ lone five-star prospect, versatile athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders. Aside from the Denton Ryan star, 10 talented four-star recruits are in the class.

Will any of them make an impact as true freshmen?

Director of recruiting for On3sports Chad Simmons recently chose three high impact freshmen for Texas ahead of the 2021 college football season. Sanders is the clear no-brainer, but the other two selections — a speedy wide receiver and highly rated safety — were listed ahead of him.

Here are the three 2021 signees Simmons expects to play a significant role for Texas this season.

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Texas suspends incoming freshman WR Keithron Lee following arrest

According to reports, Texas has suspended incoming freshman wide receiver Keithron Lee following his arrest on Sunday.

It’s been quite the day of news regarding Texas’ wide receiver room.

Reports surfaced late Monday evening that one of Texas’ 2021 signees was arrested over the weekend. On top of that, slot receiver Jake Smith entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Three-star wide receiver Keithron Lee was arrested on assault of a family member charges on Sunday in Bryan, Texas. His bond was set at $5,000 and he has since been released.

First-year head coach Steve Sarkisian has now suspended Lee from all team activities for the foreseeable future.

“We’re aware of the situation with Keithron Lee,” Sarkisian said. “We have talked with his family and he has been suspended from all team activities at this time as we continue to monitor the legal process.”

Lee was rated the No. 77 wide receiver in the country for the 2021 recruiting class. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound playmaker was expected to provide depth in the slot role for the Longhorns.

LOOK: Five-star signee Ja’Tavion Sanders arrives on campus at Texas

Five-star athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders arrived on the Forty Acres over the weekend. He’s Texas’ top signee from the 2021 recruiting class.

While several members of Texas’ 2021 recruiting class are already on campus and took part in spring training, twelve more high school signees and three new transfers arrived to the Forty Acres over the weekend. Continue reading “LOOK: Five-star signee Ja’Tavion Sanders arrives on campus at Texas”

Big 12 Football: Highest rated signees in the conference from the 2021 class

Take a look at the top rated signees in the Big 12 from the 2021 recruiting class. Keep an eye on these newcomers for the upcoming season.

There are several talented newcomers joining the Big 12 this offseason. Continue reading “Big 12 Football: Highest rated signees in the conference from the 2021 class”

Steve Sarkisian announces where Ja’Tavion Sanders will play

Five-star ATH Ja’Tavion Sanders was the crown jewel of the 2021 class. Steve Sarkisian said Sanders is going to start his career on offense.

As big of a disappointment the 2021 recruiting class was for Tom Herman and his former staff, five-star athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders was the crown jewel. He ended up as the Longhorns’ top-rated recruit on the 247Sports composite and the only five-star.

The Denton Ryan product showed his ability on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball throughout high school. Because of that, nobody was quite sure where he would line up in Austin. Both Herman and Steve Sarkisian have said he will be tried and tested on both sides.

During the Orange and White game, the Longhorn Network broadcast asked about Sanders and where he will fit into the lineup. Sarkisian mentioned both he and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski have been looking for a way to fit him into their schemes.

Sarkisian said Sanders is going to start his Texas career on the offensive side of the ball. Whether wide receiver or tight end will be the position is still yet to be seen.

Jack was considered a position of concern going into the season and possibly a place Sanders could be plugged in. However, Ray Thornton has come in from LSU and excelled throughout spring practice.

Freshman tight ends Gunnar Helm and Juan Davis played a big role in the spring game as well. Watching Sarkisian find ways to implement Sanders into the offense will be one of the main storylines of fall camp.

Sanders was listed at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds on 247Sports. His run toward a 6A-DI state championship with Denton Ryan saw an impressive one-handed catch. No wonder Sarkisian wants him to aid his brand new starting quarterback.

247Sports picks this cornerback as Florida’s breakout freshman for 2021

Florida’s defense was unacceptable during the 2020-2021 season, but their secondary should improve with this freshman cornerback.

While the Gators were able to muster an offensive output to rival anyone in the college game last season, their defensive squad was reprehensibly terrible and a large part of that blame falls on the defensive secondary. Florida’s fortunes have a good chance to rebound next season, though. In a recent article, 247Sports’ Chris Hummer pegged cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. as the team’s breakout freshman.

Marshall Jr. is hardly a surprising choice for Hummer’s list. As the second-rated cornerback in the 2021 recruiting class, the five-star Miami native leads the Gators’ latest crop of incoming freshmen. Additionally, he should have the opportunity to get plenty of reps as Florida’s best cornerback, Marco Wilson, departs for the NFL and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham overhauls his defense.

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Florida was able to beat out some of the most marketable brands in college football to bring Marshall, Jr. into the pack. He had offers from over two dozen schools, including the then-reining champion Clemson Tigers, last year’s champs in the Alabama Crimson Tide, as well as his hometown Miami ‘Canes.

As an early enrollee, Marshall, Jr. was able to participate with the team through spring practice and left a strong impression on his new running mates. In fact, safety Trey Dean III singled him out when questioned on which of the freshman were most impressive during the team’s spring reps.

In their most recent evaluation from only a few months ago, 247Sports was highly complimentary of Marshall Jr.’s abilities in the passing game. “Smooth backpedal allows him to stay balanced in reverse. Often times looking to jam a wide receiver and disrupt timing, [he] does a nice job of mirroring routes downs the field,” wrote Andrew Ivins, the southeast recruiting analyst.

The Gators’ defense has nowhere to go but up. Marshall Jr. will have a lot to do with that resurgence, and as their offense is gutted by pro teams looking to restock their own shelves, it will certainly be a welcome development.

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247Sports names one 2021 recruit to be excited about for each Big 12 school

With the spring game right around the corner, 247Sports makes the case for one exciting freshman to watch.

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The Oklahoma Sooners finished the 2021 recruiting cycle in February. Head coach Lincoln Riley signed 16 recruits to go with six incoming transfers. The class was led by five-star dual-threat quarterback Caleb Williams. He was the lone five-star signee if you don’t include Wanya Morris, who arrived through the transfer portal.

There are plenty of candidates for exciting recruits: Clayton Smith, Mario Williams, Billy Bowman and Cody Jackson are at the top of the class. With spring football coming to a close next week, 247Sports put together its list of most exciting recruits for each Big 12 school. For Oklahoma, it starts at  quarterback.

Oklahoma: Quarterback Caleb Williams

(Credit: OU Athletics)

What 247Sports Says…

It’s all Spencer Rattler at quarterback for the Sooners in 2021, but once the time is up for Oklahoma’s incumbent starter, it will likely only be a matter of time before the rest of college football knows Caleb Williams’ name. He’s the prize of the Sooners’ 2021 signing class — a class that finished atop the Big 12 — and the latest talented signal-caller that is looking to make a splash in Lincoln Riley’s system that has been oh-so-kind to quarterbacks since he first arrived in Norman as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2015. As a high school junior in 2019 — Williams did not play a senior season in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic — Williams threw for 19 touchdowns and rushed for 18 more playing against some of the best competition in the country.

What Sooners Wire Says…

It is extremely easy to sit there and pick the quarterback. A top recruit that will not likely see the field very much due to who is ahead of him.

Caleb Williams will have his time in the spotlight but at this point, it is Spencer Rattler’s show. While we can agree with picking the quarterback from the Washington, D.C. area, there is another freshman that could be a lot more exciting for the upcoming season.

Mario Williams would be the pick here as everyone seems to be impressed with what the four-star wide receiver has shown on the practice field. The No. 4 wide receiver of the class has been impressive, and he could be this year’s Marvin Mims. Not exactly easy to do given Mims was the leading receiver in receptions, yards and touchdowns. When you look at all the weapons on the offensive side, it will be difficult to slow everyone. Williams is the guy circled on the roster ahead of the 2021 season.

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247Sports names one 2021 recruit to be excited about for each Big 12 school

With the spring game right around the corner, 247Sports makes the case for one exciting freshman to watch.

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The Oklahoma Sooners finished the 2021 recruiting cycle in February. Head coach Lincoln Riley signed 16 recruits to go with six incoming transfers. The class was led by five-star dual-threat quarterback Caleb Williams. He was the lone five-star signee if you don’t include Wanya Morris, who arrived through the transfer portal.

There are plenty of candidates for exciting recruits: Clayton Smith, Mario Williams, Billy Bowman and Cody Jackson are at the top of the class. With spring football coming to a close next week, 247Sports put together its list of most exciting recruits for each Big 12 school. For Oklahoma, it starts at  quarterback.

Oklahoma: Quarterback Caleb Williams

(Credit: OU Athletics)

What 247Sports Says…

It’s all Spencer Rattler at quarterback for the Sooners in 2021, but once the time is up for Oklahoma’s incumbent starter, it will likely only be a matter of time before the rest of college football knows Caleb Williams’ name. He’s the prize of the Sooners’ 2021 signing class — a class that finished atop the Big 12 — and the latest talented signal-caller that is looking to make a splash in Lincoln Riley’s system that has been oh-so-kind to quarterbacks since he first arrived in Norman as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2015. As a high school junior in 2019 — Williams did not play a senior season in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic — Williams threw for 19 touchdowns and rushed for 18 more playing against some of the best competition in the country.

What Sooners Wire Says…

It is extremely easy to sit there and pick the quarterback. A top recruit that will not likely see the field very much due to who is ahead of him.

Caleb Williams will have his time in the spotlight but at this point, it is Spencer Rattler’s show. While we can agree with picking the quarterback from the Washington, D.C. area, there is another freshman that could be a lot more exciting for the upcoming season.

Mario Williams would be the pick here as everyone seems to be impressed with what the four-star wide receiver has shown on the practice field. The No. 4 wide receiver of the class has been impressive, and he could be this year’s Marvin Mims. Not exactly easy to do given Mims was the leading receiver in receptions, yards and touchdowns. When you look at all the weapons on the offensive side, it will be difficult to slow everyone. Williams is the guy circled on the roster ahead of the 2021 season.

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Former Texas WR target Xavier Worthy requests NLI release from Michigan

A young, true star is needed for Texas at wide receiver. On Thursday, Xavier Worthy requested a release from his national letter of intent.

Wide receiver has been a position group struggling early on in Steve Sarkisian’s first spring camp. The quantity is there, even with Jake Smith suffering a broken foot and Tory Omeire still recovering from a torn ACL. However, the quality has been lacking from top to bottom.

Only one wide receiver from the 2021 class is on campus as an early enrollee in Jaden Alexis. Despite being ranked the No. 56 receiver on the 247Sports composite, the Florida native was the highest-rated player at the position in Texas’ class.

A young, true star is needed for Texas at wide receiver. On Thursday, an option may have opened.

Four-star wide receiver Xavier Worthy signed with Michigan on Dec. 16 but did not enroll early. He requested a release from his national letter of intent, saying “things did not go as planned.”

Here is his full statement:

“Since graduating HS, I looked forward to starting my college football career at the University of Michigan, however; due to circumstance beyond my control, things did not go as planned – and I have submitted a NLI release request.

To the Michigan coaching staff, I have nothing but the upmost respect & appreciation for the opoortunity offered to me. And to the Michigan fans I’ll always be grateful for all the love & support you’ve shown me.

At this time I’m reopening my recruitment, in search of a new home to begin my college football career.”

When Worthy decided to sign with Michigan, his recruitment came down them and another national brand: Alabama. The four-star wide receiver made an unofficial trip to Tuscaloosa on Nov. 28, the weekend of the Iron Bowl when Steve Sarkisian took over as the head coach for Nick Saban.

Should Sarkisian look to dip into the portal for a wide receiver, Worthy should be his first call. A speedy deep threat is desperately needed, even if inexperience is a factor.

Worthy ranked as the No. 61 player and No. 8 wide receiver on the 247Sports composite in the 2021 class. The California native was the No. 4 in-state prospect.

Four-star PG TyTy Washington picks up late offer from Chris Beard and Texas

UT is still in chasing a couple of ’21 prospects, most notably four-star PG TyTy Washington. He was extended an offer by Texas on Thursday.

Chris Beard landed his first commit as the head coach at Texas on Thursday in four-star forward Jaylon Tyson. The former Texas Tech signee requested a release from his national letter of intent and switched over, following Beard to Austin.

Texas is still in the running for a couple of 2021 prospects, most notably four-star point guard TyTy Washington. The Arizona native was extended an offer by the Longhorns on Thursday, putting them squarely in contention for the former Creighton commit.

When head coach Greg McDermott was under fire for some controversial remarks, Washington announced his decommitment from the Big East program on March 11. Eight programs have reached out within a week, most notably Arizona, Kansas, Texas Tech, and UCLA.

Washington has not set a decision date yet.

On the 247Sports composite, Washington is the No. 30 overall player. Within the state of Arizona, he is the No. 2 player, only behind five-star forward and projected G-League player Michael Foster. Washington is the No. 3 point guard in the 2021 class.

Tamar Bates was supposed to be reinforcements for the plethora of potential guards leaving this offseason. After Shaka Smart left for Marquette, the four-star requested a release from his national letter of intent. Beard is still attempting to bring Bates back, but other options are being explored.

Landing Washington would not only soften the blow of losing Bates but possibly provide an upgrade.