Tag: 2022 class

Texas Football Recruiting: Five 2022 prospects Texas needs to focus on going into the summer

The dead period has been lifted, allowing ’22 prospects to take visits. Here are five prospects Texas should focus on before visits begin.

Recruiting is in a bit of a lull right now as the calendar turns toward the summer. The NCAA has lifted the dead period, allowing 2022 prospects to officially take visits. Texas has already scheduled a ton of visits, with their big weekend being in the middle of June.

Texas currently has eight commitments, headlined by four-star running back Jaydon Blue. Five of the commitments come from the defensive side of the ball, with safety Bryan Allen Jr. leading the way. Steve Sarkisian and his staff have done a great job laying down the foundation for the ’22 cycle.

Much more is still needed before national signing day in December. Not only is quantity needed but quality as well. Here are five prospects Texas needed to focus on going into the summer visit period:

Texas Football Recruiting: Four-star RB/OLB Ish Harris releases top five schools

Texas has still been looking for another RB to add to the 2022 class. Ish Harris could be an option after putting UT in his top five.

Texas has locked down one of the best running backs in the 2022 class with four-star Jaydon Blue. Stan Drayton has continued to look for another back to add to the class, with another in-state option closing in on his decision on Saturday.

Ish Harris is a prospect without a set position, playing both running back and across the defense. 247Sports has classified him as an outside linebacker after his junior season. Cornerback could be an option as well. He finished with 44 tackles and five interceptions on top of 1,788 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Harris released a top five consisting of Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M. The Wolverines offered the two-way player 19 minutes before Harris released his top five, barely making the cut.

The Longhorns remain in the hunt for some of the top running backs in the country. Harris could present himself as a prospect who commits as a running back but eventually moves over to play with Pete Kwiatkowski. Versatility is always a plus and the Pilot Point native offers exactly that.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 3 – 33 52
Rivals 4 227 14 37
ESPN 3 – 26 78
247 Composite 4 357 27 52

Vitals

Hometown Pilot Point, Texas
Projected Position RB or OLB
Height 6-3
Weight 195

Recruitment

  • Offered on Feb. 12, 2021
  • No visit yet

Top Five

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball at the time of posting.

Film

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Texas Football Recruiting: Four-star RB/OLB Ish Harris releases top five schools

Texas has still been looking for another RB to add to the 2022 class. Ish Harris could be an option after putting UT in his top five.

Texas has locked down one of the best running backs in the 2022 class with four-star Jaydon Blue. Stan Drayton has continued to look for another back to add to the class, with another in-state option closing in on his decision on Saturday.

Ish Harris is a prospect without a set position, playing both running back and across the defense. 247Sports has classified him as an outside linebacker after his junior season. Cornerback could be an option as well. He finished with 44 tackles and five interceptions on top of 1,788 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Harris released a top five consisting of Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M. The Wolverines offered the two-way player 19 minutes before Harris released his top five, barely making the cut.

The Longhorns remain in the hunt for some of the top running backs in the country. Harris could present himself as a prospect who commits as a running back but eventually moves over to play with Pete Kwiatkowski. Versatility is always a plus and the Pilot Point native offers exactly that.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 3 – 33 52
Rivals 4 227 14 37
ESPN 3 – 26 78
247 Composite 4 357 27 52

Vitals

Hometown Pilot Point, Texas
Projected Position RB or OLB
Height 6-3
Weight 195

Recruitment

  • Offered on Feb. 12, 2021
  • No visit yet

Top Five

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball at the time of posting.

Film

Twitter

Five-star offensive tackle Kam Dewberry includes Texas in top five schools

Five-star Kam Dewberry has been a must-get for UT since the get-go. He released his top five schools on Saturday, with UT still in the mix.

Offensive line, offensive line, offensive line.

No position group is going to be bigger in Texas’ 2022 recruiting class than the big men up front. Herb Hand’s final cycle was borderline criminal, only bringing in two offensive linemen from a loaded in-state class.

Kyle Flood has come over from Alabama and changed how the Longhorns are recruiting the offensive line. The elite blockers are more interested in Texas than they were a few months ago. Flood’s NFL development track record speaks for itself.

On Saturday, one of the nation’s best prospects released his top five schools and Texas made the cut.

Five-star offensive tackle Kam Dewberry has been a must-get for Texas since the get-go. After releasing a top 10 back in December, the Humble native has trimmed his list down to five.

Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M are the schools still remaining in the race for Dewberry. This one has been trending toward a Longhorn-Aggie showdown for quite some time.

Rivals ranks Dewberry as a five-star prospect, the top in-state offensive tackle, and No. 2 player at his position in the country.

Flipping over to the 247Sports composite, Dewberry is the No. 97 player and No. 9 offensive tackle in the country. Within the state of Texas, he ranks as the No. 20 overall player.

If Texas is going to have the success at the offensive line position it wants throughout the 2022 class, Dewberry needs to be a Longhorn. Especially going head to head against Texas A&M, winning the battles are going to set the precedent of the Steve Sarkisian era.

Top in-state tight end, Texas A&M commits says “there will be no visits to Austin”

Donovan Green was on Twitter pondering where he should take his five official visits. Soon there after, he shot down the idea of a UT visit.

Tight end has been a position of mystery in Austin for years now. Before Cade Brewer stepped on campus, no player Texas has recruited at the position has had more receiving yards than M.J. McFarland’s 178 yards in three seasons (2011-2013).

Andrew Beck, who signed and played as an inside linebacker originally, had 435 yards in three seasons as a tight end.

With the hiring of Jeff Banks, the thought would be top tight end recruits would want to play for the former Alabama assistant. Especially within the state of Texas, where he used to be a successful tight ends coach with Texas A&M.

However, that has proven to be unsuccessful early on, especially for one top in-state prospect in particular.

Donovan Green is the top in-state tight end and rated a four-star on the 247Sports composite. He locked down his commitment to Texas A&M in January, adding to the list of Houston area players for Jimbo Fisher.

With on-campus visits opening up for recruits, Green was on Twitter contemplating where he should take his five official visits. His top six schools before committing were Florida, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC. “Could new blood be in the water?” he asked.

Less than 45 minutes later, he shot down the notion that the Longhorns will be getting an official visit.

“Just so it’s known UT is not looking at me so there will be no visits to Austin,” said Green.

Green never seemed to be the biggest fan of the Sarkisian hire, showing his emotions through Twitter once again after the former Alabama offensive coordinator was hired.

He claimed there was “no action at TE” when asked about the reigning national champions.

The Texas-Texas A&M rivalry continues to roll, even if there is no scheduled matchup in sight. Recruiting will be where the displeasure for each other will be held, especially through petty social media battles.

Banks will continue to look for a tight end to be a member of his first recruiting class at Texas. Safe to say that Green will not be one he continues to pursue.

WATCH: Maalik Murphy highlights from 38-17 win over Bishop Amat

On Friday, Serra picked up a win against Bishop Amat. Maalik Murphy performed well, as Serra scored their highest point total of the season.

Since committing in February, Maalik Murphy has been the anchor in Texas’ 2022 recruiting class. Nobody has been talking to and attracting other prospects to Austin harder than the four-star quarterback.

After being the backup quarterback for two seasons, Murphy has finally been able to get on the field as the starter. On Friday, Serra went up against Bishop Amat, picking up a 38-17 win.

Texas’ future quarterback had another decent day, with Serra scoring the most points they have all season. Beto Duran of DuranSports posted a couple of highlights of Murphy’s performance. A 35-yard deep ball and a rushing touchdown feature.

You can watch the highlights below:

Development is the word that comes to mind when discussing Murphy. He has little experience, only starting in five games during high school. Most highly rated quarterbacks want to start immediately but that will not be the case with the California product. Steve Sarkisian will take the time to develop him, making sure he is ready before he shines at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Murphy and Serra have one more game against Alemany next Friday.

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Five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart releases top eight school

Evan Stewart is one of the most important prospects left on UT’s board. He released his top eight schools on Saturday, including Texas A&M.

Evan Stewart is one of the most important prospects left on Texas’ board. The five-star wide receiver was once a part of the 2022 class but decommitted in March.

The silky pass catcher will bring a dynamic to the Longhorns’ wide receiver room that Steve Sarkisian desperately needs. His speed and ability in the open field prove to be better than anybody in the country.

With the NCAA dead period more than likely being lifted by the summer, Stewart cited he wanted to take visits before making his decision. Texas will be getting an official visit from June 11-June 13.

After his decommitment, Stewart reassessed and released his top eight schools on Saturday. Along with Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Texas A&M, and USC are still in contention for Stewart.

Stewart was recently named the No. 1 wide receiver in the updated ESPN300 rankings. Before his commitment to Texas, Alabama and Oregon were seen as the biggest players in the recruitment.

Seeing Texas A&M back in the contention brings another classic showdown between the old rivals. The Aggies will get an official visit from Stewart two weeks after the Longhorns.

Florida is the only other announced official visit from the five-star, getting one from June 4-June 6.

Texas offers four-star OLB Lander Barton, top player from Utah

Texas’ recruiting migration toward the west coast ventured into Utah on Thursday. OLB Lander Barton has picked up an offer from Jeff Choate.

Texas’ recruiting migration toward the West Coast ventured into the Beehive State – this time with linebackers coach Jeff Choate.

Lander Barton, the No. 1 prospect in Utah, picked up an offer from the Longhorns on Thursday. The outside linebacker has 14 offers, mainly from the Pac-12. Michigan, Notre Dame and Virginia are the only schools east of the Mississippi.

Pete Kwiatkowski can place outside linebacker recruits either along the defensive line with the Jack/X positions or convert them to more traditional inside linebackers. Since Barton stands at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighs in at 215 pounds, he could be a candidate to play up the middle. DeMarvion Overshown shares similar attributes to the high school senior.

It has been awhile since Texas landed a prospect from the state of Utah. Starting offensive lineman Junior Angilau was the last player. He was a member of the 2018 recruiting class. Van Fillinger was committed during the ’20 cycle but ended up with the Utes.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 4 184 15 1
Rivals 4 – 30 1
ESPN 4 – 33 4
247 Composite 4 245 18 1

Vitals

Hometown Salt Lake City, Utah
Projected Position Outside linebacker
Height 6-4
Weight 215

Recruitment

  • Offered on April 8, 2021
  • No visit yet

Offers

  • Arizona State
  • Colorado
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • Notre Dame
  • Oregon
  • Stanford
  • Texas
  • UCLA
  • USC
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Washington State

Crystal Ball

Film

Twitter

Texas offers four-star OLB Lander Barton, top player from Utah

Texas’ recruiting migration toward the west coast ventured into Utah on Thursday. OLB Lander Barton has picked up an offer from Jeff Choate.

Texas’ recruiting migration toward the West Coast ventured into the Beehive State – this time with linebackers coach Jeff Choate.

Lander Barton, the No. 1 prospect in Utah, picked up an offer from the Longhorns on Thursday. The outside linebacker has 14 offers, mainly from the Pac-12. Michigan, Notre Dame and Virginia are the only schools east of the Mississippi.

Pete Kwiatkowski can place outside linebacker recruits either along the defensive line with the Jack/X positions or convert them to more traditional inside linebackers. Since Barton stands at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighs in at 215 pounds, he could be a candidate to play up the middle. DeMarvion Overshown shares similar attributes to the high school senior.

It has been awhile since Texas landed a prospect from the state of Utah. Starting offensive lineman Junior Angilau was the last player. He was a member of the 2018 recruiting class. Van Fillinger was committed during the ’20 cycle but ended up with the Utes.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 4 184 15 1
Rivals 4 – 30 1
ESPN 4 – 33 4
247 Composite 4 245 18 1

Vitals

Hometown Salt Lake City, Utah
Projected Position Outside linebacker
Height 6-4
Weight 215

Recruitment

  • Offered on April 8, 2021
  • No visit yet

Offers

  • Arizona State
  • Colorado
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • Notre Dame
  • Oregon
  • Stanford
  • Texas
  • UCLA
  • USC
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Washington State

Crystal Ball

Film

Twitter

Top player from Arizona includes Texas in top 10 schools

Four-star DT Anthony Lucas has released his top 10 schools on Wednesday. Texas is joined by three Pac-12 schools plus national powerhouses.

Bo Davis’ search for a second defensive tackle has gone outside in-state borders. North Shore’s and three-star commit Kristopher Ross was a nice snag for the Longhorns, but another big man up the middle is going to be needed.

Moving out west to Arizona and four-star defensive tackle Anthony Lucas has released his top 10 schools. Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, and USC have all made the cut.

Tom Herman’s staff offered Lucas back in June 2020. They saw him have 10 tackles for a loss, six sacks, and two forced turnovers as a sophomore. Lucas’ stats got even better as a junior, recording 15.5 TFLs and seven sacks.

When looking at a player in Pac-12 country, it is interesting seeing how many schools from the conference make the final lists. As usual with the state of Arizona, neither Arizona nor Arizona State is still in contention. Oregon, UCLA, and USC are three of the top Pac-12 schools at the moment.

Lucas is a four-star on the 247Sports composite, ranking as the No. 1 player in Arizona. On the national scale, he is the No. 116 player and the No. 9 defensive tackle in the country. 247Sports themselves rank him as a top 30 prospect and the No. 3 DT.