Tag: 2022 class

Five-star OT Kelvin Banks, four-star QB Devin Brown named flip candidates for Texas

Texas is linked with two big names committed to other schools.

With the calendar about to flip from October to the month of November, we’re about to be in the home stretch of recruiting. The early signing day is scheduled to take place on Dec. 15.

As things stand, Texas has 22 commitments in its 2022 cycle but there is still a lot of work to be done. Not only for prospects without a school attached to their names such as five-star WR Evan Stewart or five-star CB Denver Harris, but with a few guys committed elsewhere.

247Sports laid out a list of 12 recruits who could be considered on flip watch heading into November. The Longhorns were linked with two names in five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks and four-star quarterback Devin Brown.

Banks is one Texas has been pursuing for a while, being one of the top-ranked kids within the state. Brown, on the other hand, is one of the most recently offered prospects as Steve Sarkisian continues to look to expand the quarterback room.

Check out why Texas could flip both Banks and Brown

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Five-star SF Dillon Mitchell commits to Texas over Florida State and Tennessee

Another five-star in the 2022 class for Chris Beard!

College basketball is just around the corner and Chris Beard has the Texas program moving in the right direction. On the court, they were ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and picked second in the preseason Big 12 poll.

Off the court, recruiting has never been better. Beard is in the hunt for some of the top prospects in the country, attracting them to Austin.

On Monday evening, another top 30 prospect announced he would become a future Longhorn.

Five-star small forward Dillon Mitchell announced his commitment to Texas via Twitter. He picked the Longhorns over home-state Florida State and old Texas head coach Rick Barnes’ Tennessee.

Other offers included Auburn, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia Tech.

Mitchell is the second commitment in Texas’ 2022 class. Five-star point guard Arterio Morris out of Kimball High School in Dallas has been locked in since July 17.

It will be the first time since the 2016 recruiting class Texas has signed two five-star prospects (Jarrett Allen and Andrew Jones) on the 247Sports composite.

Kelly Oubre is the player comparison for Mitchell from 247Sports’ Jerry Meyer. His athleticism is seen as the biggest upside, being an electric player up and down the court. Texas will have to mold him into a better offensive player but Mitchell’s defense seems to already be up to par, if not better.

Texas got Mitchell’s final official visit, hosting him on Oct. 17. Florida State and Tennessee got their shots back in the summer, as did eventually cut Ohio State.

On the 247Sports composite, Mitchell is the No. 28 overall player and No. 9 within the state of Florida. At the small forward position, he ranks as the No. 8 prospect.

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Four-star OL Cole Hutson stepping up as one of the leaders in Texas’ 2022 class

Four-star OL commit Cole Hutson has become one of Texas’ leaders in the 2022 class.

Going to Austin has become a “ritual” for four-star offensive lineman Cole Hutson since becoming a Texas commit. Not just to see his future team play live but also to be one of the main recruiters within the class.

He, four-star edge Derrick Brown, and three-star offensive lineman Connor Robertson have really stepped up as the vocal leaders. There is even a little interclass rivalry going on to see who can be the best recruiter between the three of them.

“Connor (Robertson) does a good, good job,” Hutson said when Longhorns Wire caught up with him last week. “Whenever me and Conner talk, it’s just different. Derrick (Brown) is on Twitter, saying he is the best and everything like that. Love Derrick but I think Connor has him beat by a little bit. It’s funny to see them go back and forth.”

As mentioned, Brown does a lot of his recruiting on social media. Whether it is quote tweeting prospects with a hook ’em emoji or hyping them up when Texas visit photos are posted, the Texarkana native creates a lot of buzz.

But with Hutson and Robertson on campus so often, they talk to the guys face to face. On the field, results may not have gone favorably over the past two weeks. But selling Texas itself and Steve Sarkisian has been the consistent message — especially to the offensive players.

“Trust the process. This is a brand new coaching staff and the more you look at it and the more detail you get, the more you kind of understand he’s (Steve Sarkisian) a genius. Coach Sark, in some of those games, I feel like we should not be a part of but he’s calling plays that are magnificent. You would never expect those to ever be called.”

Oklahoma State was one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the season for the Longhorns. Some of the top prospects in the country were in town, highlighted by five-star quarterback Arch Manning. Hutson said he was able to hang around him, alongside fellow offensive lineman Malik Agbo and Earnest Greene.

“Let’s just say we did a really good job this week with the guys that were there,” Hutson said. “We just really showed what it was going to be like at UT and made them understand what the missing piece was. It kind of clicked in their minds and hopefully later this month or in the near future we get some more guys to come help us to achieve that greatness.”

Seeing other up-front blockers in Austin was something Hutson lit up about when asked. Since his joint commitment with Robertson on July 2, there has yet to be another offensive lineman join the class. Agbo and Greene are two priority targets for who Texas needs to get in the class.

Hutson says it’s more than just football performance, though. Both guys are talented but after hanging out in Austin, their personalities are what really stood out.

“I talked to Coach (Kyle) Flood about it and he felt good about it,” said Hutson. “I really like both of them, personally. We really need them but also, they’re good people and you want good people to be on your team.”

Everything seems to be about more than just football for Hutson. One of the main reasons Texas was such a big attraction for Hutson was because of the coaching staff.

When Sarkisian departed from Alabama, so did some of his top assistants. Offensive line coach Kyle Flood was one of, if not the biggest, name to follow.

Hutson’s relationship with him has been the biggest driving force as to why Texas was his school of choice.

“He’s a great guy, a real honest guy,” said Hutson. “He acts like you’re a normal person. He does not act like you’re a recruit or act like you’re God. He treats you like a normal person. I really like that, plus, the things he has done to develop kids at Alabama and now he’s coming over here.”

Flood has a plan for offensive line recruiting over the next few seasons. If every box gets checked, there is an opportunity for something “really special” to happen in Austin.

Something you can tell Hutson is ecstatic to be a part of.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes, and opinions.

Where Texas’ top commits and targets rank in 247Sports rating update

Here are where some of Texas’ top prospects and commits rank in 247Sports’ update of their Top247.

Recruiting has been an up and down roller coaster for Texas since Steve Sarkisian took over in January. It began with a bang, as four-star wide receiver Armani Winfield committed before Sarkisian finished coaching the national championship with Alabama.

A couple of commits have come and gone, especially throughout the summer months, but as the high school season ends, national signing day gets closer and closer. Sarkisian and his staff will have to begin to make strong pushes not only to keep the class together but to add quality players. Some of which as rated as the best prospects in the country.

247Sports updated their rankings for the 2022 class on Wednesday. The top 247 players get ranked each year, with a few adjustments made throughout the calendar year.

From a Texas perspective, the two committed running backs are the two highest-rated in Jaydon Blue and Jamarion Miller. Byran Allen Jr. features as the highest-ranked defender. Plenty of uncommitted guys are highly ranked as well.

Here are where some of Texas’ top prospects and commits rank in 247Sports’ update of their Top247.

Alabama makes four-star WR Chris Marshall’s top three schools

Four-star WR Chris Marshall cuts his list down to three schools.

The state of Texas has been one of Nick Saban’s pipelines over the past few recruiting cycles. Three migrated across the Mississippi River in the 2020 class and another seven during the historic 2021 class. All but one was ranked inside the top 200 on the 247Sports composite too.

While none have joined the 2022 class quite yet, there are plenty of targets Alabama is pursuing. Five-stars Evan Stewart (WR) and Denver Harris (CB) are the main two. Not too far behind is four-star wide receiver, Chris Marshall.

He announced his top three schools on Wednesday, with the Crimson Tide making the cut. Home state Texas A&M and USC were also on what should be Marshall’s final trim down list.

Auburn, Arizona State, Jacksonville State, LSU, and Oregon were cut from a top-eight released in early April.

Marshall did not start playing football until the beginning of his junior season. He finished with 45 receptions for 1,009 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.

The insane numbers have continued into this season.

According to Maxpreps, he has 13 receptions for 454 yards and 11 touchdowns. Marshall has yet to play in the second half either with Fort Bend Marshall sitting at an 8-0 record.

Basketball is still in the works to play in college as well. That’s where the now four-star receiver intended on focusing his high school career before picking up the pigskin. According to Rivals, Houston, Ole Miss, Texas Southern, and Western Kentucky have offered on the basketball front.

As for his rankings as a football player, Marshall is the No. 86 overall player and the No. 12 wide receiver in the country. Within the state of Texas, he ranks as the No. 16 prospect on the 247Sports composite.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Griffin McVeigh on Twitter @Griffin_McVeigh.

Texas offers 2022 four-star QB, current USC commit Devin Brown

Texas has begun looking to add second options at quarterback for the 2022 class.

Texas is beginning to makes moves in the quarterback market. Even with four-star Maalik Murphy already in the 2022 class, Steve Sarkisian is still looking to add another signal-caller.

It seems as if four-star Devin Brown has been made the target. The current USC commit got an offer from Texas on Monday night. Ohio State has offered within the past week as well.

With the uncertainty surrounding the Trojans’ coaching search, Brown’s recruitment has begun to explode. An official visit to Ole Miss took place two weekends ago with fellow quarterback guru Lane Kiffin making his pitch.

Brown is ranked the No. 1 player in the state of Utah and a top 10 quarterback in the class. It should come as no shock that Sarkisian is searching for guys on the west coast considering his roots.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 4 179 10 1
Rivals 4 48 4 1
ESPN 4 99 4 1
247 Composite 4 95 8 1

Vitals

Hometown Draper, UT
Projected Position Quarterback
Height 6-3
Weight 189

Recruitment

  • Offered on Oct. 18, 2021
  • No visit yet

Offers

Crystal Ball

Film

Twitter

Offering Brown may lead people to believe there will be some kind of exit within the quarterback room at the end of the season. Whether it is Hudson Card entering the transfer portal or Murphy decommitting from the class.

I’ll just say this. Stacking up elite-level quarterbacks is important. Just look at what Ohio State has done, even before Quinn Ewers reclassified. Yes, two guys are more than likely to portal at some point but wouldn’t you rather they have their chance in your program than not?

Texas only has three legit quarterbacks right now in Card, Casey Thompson, and Charles Wright. If Brown does end up a Longhorn and Murphy sticks out his commitment, Sarkisian will have a couple of years to evaluate his options. And there’s nothing wrong with having options.

Alabama lands commitment from in-state four-star CB Tre’Quon Fegans

Alabama adds their seventeenth commitment of the 2022 class!

Alabama has been able to recruit at a national level for quite some time now. However, whenever the state is loaded with elite talent, the job becomes that much easier.

The 2022 class has had an unusual amount of in-state talent and the Crimson Tide has taken advantage. Heading into the week, four out of the top eight players were committed. You can now make that five, as another one was added on the defensive side of the ball.

Four-star cornerback Tre’Quon Fegans announced his commitment to Alabama on Monday afternoon. Just a week ago, he was a Miami pledge, making a quick shift over. Fegans was in Tuscaloosa as recently as Oct. 2 on an unofficial visit for the Ole Miss matchup.

Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, and South Carolina made a top-five list before an original commitment in July.

Coming out of Thompson High School, Fegans plays for the best 7A school in the state. He transferred from Oxford High School, where he even got snaps at running back, to play his senior season.

Fegans makes commitment No. 17 early on in the 2022 cycle. He is just the second defensive back, joining three-star safety Jake Pope.

Charles Kelly and Freddie Roach were named as the main recruiters for the four-star. Even with Fegans verbally committed to Miami, these are the types of recruitments Alabama does not lose.

On the 247Sports composite, Fegans is the No. 5 player in the state of Alabama. On the national scale, he ranks as the No. 85 overall prospect and the No. 11 cornerback.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Griffin McVeigh on Twitter @Griffin_McVeigh.

Texas Football: 10 most needed recruits

Plenty of the top targets are still uncommitted.

Rewind two weeks ago to after the TCU win. Huge games against the Oklahoma schools were on deck, with Texas having the potential to be in a good position in the recruiting world. Even a split would have done wonders.

Now, hit the live button on your remote and you’ll find two consecutive losses and not as much ammo in the storage locker. Just as they were heading into the football season, Steve Sarkisian and his staff find themselves climbing an uphill battle for some of the top prospects left on the board.

Ok, enough with the sky is falling act.

Time to recover is still there with five regular-season games plus a bowl game left on the schedule. Sarkisian has shown the potential of his team during glimpses. The past two losses have stung but a couple of slight adjustments and those are surefire wins.

With 22 commits in the class already, there are still a few holes to fill with little spots remaining. From offensive line to wide receiver, to defensive back and even more offensive line, Texas has to land a couple of big names over the next few months.

In a perfect scenario, a few moves are made to open up space. Plenty of the top targets are still uncommitted.

Here are Texas’ top 10 most needed recruits to turn around the state of the program.

Texas RB commit Jamarion Miller “trying to learn” from Bijan Robinson

Texas commit Jamarion Miller is set to become the next great RB to come out of Austin. Until then, he will try to learn from Bijan Robinson.

If there was ever any doubt, four-star running back Jamarion Miller is the best offensive recruit Texas currently has in their 2022 class. The No. 1 running back in the state was sought after by Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M at some points.

But with Stan Drayton being Stan Drayton, he was able to lock down another elite RB prospect.

Recruiting should be “easy” for Drayton, with how well Bijan Robinson has been performing in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. In just seven games, he has rushed for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. Heisman consideration has even been thrown around.

The Longhorn commit has been noticing the success.

After watching the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma, Miller said the Texas offense can “dominate”, especially Robinson. Being able to watch and learn from the running back has been important to the current high school senior.

“He’s a great player and I am trying to learn from him and be the best,” Miller said. “He’s very powerful, he reads the holes right, and he does everything right on the field.”

Miller proved one way he can be similar to Robinson in Texas’ offense on Friday night against Mesquite Horn — in the passing game.

Two of his three touchdowns for Tyler Legacy against Mesquite Horn came from quarterback Bruce Bruckner. One was up the middle coming out of the backfield, while the other was an impressive snag from the outside.

When asked about the second touchdown, Miller’s first reaction was to laugh in somewhat disbelief.

“I don’t know how I caught that pass,” Miller said. “I had to make a play, just do what I could do.”

Speaking of touchdown receptions, true freshman Xavier Worthy has been another weapon Miller has been watching closely. Getting on the field early and making an impact has shown recruits opportunity is there in Austin.

“That boy is out there doing great,” the four-star said with a big smile on his face. “Watching what he did against OU, that was a great game for him. Especially for him to be a freshman. Look forward to him doing better.”

Miller was not able to make it down this past weekend for the Oklahoma State matchup as he had wished. There was a personal matter to attend to. But Texas’ staff is always encouraging their soon-to-be feature back to come down for the home games.

“I’m close to mainly the offensive staff, especially Coach Sark and Coach Drayt (Stan Drayton),” Miller said. “Brandon Harris, we always communicate with each other. They are always trying to get me to go down for a game.”

Seemingly locked in on his commitment to Texas, Miller will join a loaded backfield during his freshman season. Once Robinson makes his way to the league, the opportunity for carries will be available for another bEAST Texas running back.

On the 247Sports composite, Miller is the No. 105 overall prospect and No. 9 within the state of Texas. At the running back position, the four-star ranks at No. 17.

LOOK: Top recruits arrive in Austin for big weekend

It’s a big weekend in Austin, TX.

Oh boy, it’s a big weekend in Austin, TX.

Not only is 5-0 and No. 12 Oklahoma State in town for a crucial Big 12 showdown, but Texas is hosting some of the best recruits in the country.

Five-star quarterback Arch Manning is the headliner, giving Steve Sarkisian the chance to wow the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 class. How important this recruitment is cannot be stressed enough. Program changer would be one way to describe it, as he would be the most high profile quarterback recruit in Austin since Vince Young.

A special trio of wide receivers is in town as well. Five-star Evan Stewart made a last-second trip after catching the Oklahoma game last weekend. The former Texas commit is the No. 1 priority on the board in the 2022 class.

From the 2023 class, Johntay Cook and Jalen Hale will be in Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium as well. Continuing to get the ball to Xavier Worthy will do nothing but help, proving a freshman wide receiver can come in and make a significant contribution.

Plenty of current commits are in town as well. Anthony Jones, Austin Jordan, Conner Robertson, and Cole Hutson highlight the group.

Check out recruits arriving in Austin for one of the biggest weekends in recent memory

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