Tag: 2022 class

Four-star wide receiver CJ Williams commits to Notre Dame over Texas, USC

On Sunday, WR C.J. Williams shut down his recruitment and committed to Notre Dame. He joins the No. 2 recruiting class in the 2022 cycle.

[mm-video type=video id=01fcpfw4w6t1ckr8d1dz playlist_id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fcpfw4w6t1ckr8d1dz/01fcpfw4w6t1ckr8d1dz-6e2312882bcdc99b545df317ebd4ddcb.jpg]

Texas has been stuck at one wide receiver since the beginning of January. Four-star wide receiver Armani Winfield committed before Steve Sarkisian even stepped foot on campus, being the first commit under the new head coach.

Five-star Evan Stewart was committed for just under a month but decided to reopen the process. Other targets remained on the board, including four-star CJ Williams.

Fighting for the California native’s commitment alongside Texas was Notre Dame and USC. The first two got official visits during the month of June, while the hometown Trojans never got the opportunity to host.

On Sunday, Williams shut down his recruitment and committed to the Fighting Irish. He joins the No. 2 class in the country as the second-highest-rated prospect.

This marks the second head-to-head victory Notre Dame has over Texas. Four-star linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka was down to the two schools but ending up going against the good guys.

On the 247Sports composite, Williams is the No. 86 player in the country and the No. 11 wide receiver. Within the state of California, he ranks as the No. 7 prospect.

Texas still has plenty of options left on their wide receiver board, mainly former commit Evan Stewart. The five-star is a must-get recruit for Sarkisian, needing his speed within the locker room. The same could be said for four-star Brenen Thompson.

An important fall of wide receiver recruiting is ahead of Sarkisian and Andre Coleman.

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

Four-star CB Jaylon Guilbeau decommits from Texas

On Thursday, Terry Joseph’s first recruiting cycle received negative news. Four-star CB Jaylon Guilbeau announced his decommitment from Texas.

Texas seemed to be trending in a positive direction within its defensive back class over the past week. Four-star cornerback/safety Austin Jordan committed over the weekend, while four-star safety Bryce Anderson is expected to visit on July 30.

Early Thursday morning, Terry Joseph’s first recruiting cycle inevitably received some negative news.

Four-star cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau has announced his decommitment from Texas. He was the longest-tenured Longhorn commit, dating back to the Tom Herman days.

You can read his statement via Twitter here:

I would lke to start off by thanking all of my friends, mentors, coaches, and loved ones. But none of this would be possible without the trust in the Lord.

After careful consideration with my family and countless hours of prayer, I have decided that it is in my interest to reopen my recruitment and decommit from the University of Texas.

Please respoect my decsision. Than you $Hookem coaching staff and fans for everything.

Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight

Two in-state schools are surely going to be in hot pursuit of Guilbeau in TCU and Texas A&M. Both were able to host the four-star cornerback on visits during the month of June.

Nick Harris of Horns247 has already put in a crystal ball prediction for Guilbeau to end up a Horned Frog. Anytime Gary Patterson is going after an in-state defensive player, you know he is a good one.

The cornerback could end up being a major miss by Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

On the 247Sports composite, Guilbeau ranks as the No. 152 player and the No. 17 cornerback in the country. Within the state of Texas, the four-star breaks the top 30 prospects at No. 29.

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

Report: Five-star DL Omari Abor to visit Texas on July 30

One of the top prospects in the state of Texas is Omari Abor. According to Mike Roach of Horns247, he will visit UT’s campus on July 30.

One of the top prospects in the state of Texas is Omari Abor. The five-star edge comes out of Duncanville High School and is being recruited by some of the top schools in the country.

Ohio State and Oklahoma seem to be the favorites for Abor. Both got official visits during the month of June, along with Alabama and LSU. Texas has been playing from behind for quite a while but will have an opportunity to get back in the race.

According to Mike Roach of Horns247, Abor will be in Austin on July 30. Texas is hosting a BBQ/swimming event, which will include some of the best in-state prospects. Abor just adds to the impressive list.

On the 247Sports composite, Abor ranks as the No. 23 player in the country and the No. 5 defensive linemen. Within the state of Texas, he comes in as the No. 6 prospect.

Being able to get the five-star on campus is a sign of progress. Even if Texas is dead in the water, Sarkisian getting personal face-to-face time can be nothing but a positive.

Playing from behind for such an elite in-state prospect is nothing new for Longhorn fans. Hopefully, Abor can be different than the past, with Texas falling on their face flat.

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

Three-star LB Jeremy Patton announces commitment date, crystal ball comes in

Jeremy Patton announced he will be committing on July 31. He will be in Austin the day before, giving Sarkisian another chance to close on a coveted prospect.

Steve Sarkisian added to his first class on Wednesday with four-star cornerback/safety Austin Jordan. Of the 15 commitments Texas has, seven are from the defensive side of the ball.

Another couple of players have the chance to put their names in the class on July 31. After delaying his announcement, Derrick Brown will be committing on the final day of the month. He will be joined by three-star linebacker Jeremy Patton on the same day.

A time for the decision is still to be determined.

Patton announced he will be in Austin the day before his commitment for the pool party/BBQ Bash. Sarkisian will have the last shot at the linebacker, getting another opportunity to close down on a top target.

Patton currently sports a top five list of Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Michigan, and Texas. The two in-state schools were thought to be the favorite, but the Wolverines seem to be trending in a positive direction.

Sam Webb of TheMichiganInsider put in a crystal ball in favor of Michigan, with a confidence score of six.

Texas still leads overall in the crystal ball category, having three out of the five predictions with a confidence score of seven.

On the 247Sports composite, Patton is the No. 590 prospect in the country and No. 83 within the state of Texas. At the linebacker position, the three-star ranks at No. 63.

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

Four-star edge Derrick Brown announces revised commitment date

Derrick Brown is down to two schools: Baylor and Texas. He announced a push back of his commitment, with July 31 being the new date.

One of Texas’ top targets seems ready to announce his commitment.

Derrick Brown originally said July 20 would be his commitment date after official visits to Baylor, Texas, and Texas Tech. Oklahoma got an unofficial visit and is expected to host the four-star on an official in the fall.

However, Brown is down to two schools: Baylor and Texas. He announced a push back of his commitment, needing more time to think about his major life choice.

July 31 will be Brown’s new date, he announced via Twitter on Thursday. Justin Wells of InsideTexas confirmed the edge prospect would be locking down his recruitment as well.

Pete Kwiatkowski will be Brown’s main recruiter, needing pass-rushing numbers going forward. With how thin the Longhorns are expected to be at jack in future seasons, getting a win over Dave Aranda and the Bears would benefit greatly.

Bo Davis has done an excellent job recruiting the defensive line. Anthony Jones was the latest to join the class but is expected to play as an outside linebacker.

Landing Brown would solidify any concern Kwiatkowski had at jack. No more transfers would be necessary at the position.

On the 247Sports composite, Brown is the No. 46 player in the state of Texas. On the national scale, the four-star is the No. 299 prospect and No. 14 edge in the nation.

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

Five critical targets remaining in the 2022 recruiting class for Texas

After a frenzied week of recruiting, there seems to be a reset. Here are the five most important prospects remaining in Texas’ 2022 class:

The end of June and the beginning of July has been up and down for Texas’ recruiting. Running back and the offensive line has been the two main focuses, with three commitments and three or four misses.

DeAnthony Gatson was thought to be a Longhorn but opted to follow the recent Texas to USC trend. East Texas’ own Jamarion Miller ended up being the second running back in the class as a result. A fair trade for both sides.

On the offensive line, Kyle Flood ended up going two for five to begin the month of July. Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson committed to Texas, while Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams opted for Oregon. Jacob Sexton decided to stay home at play for Oklahoma.

After a frenzy of a week, there seems to be a reset. Steve Sarkisian and his staff need to figure out how to close on their top remaining prospects left on the board. There are plenty remaining, all from within the state of as well.

Here are the five most important prospects remaining in Texas’ 2022 recruiting class:

Four-star defensive back Bryce Anderson announces top two schools

The delayed recruitment of Bryce Anderson has taken another step forward Sunday. He announced Texas and Texas A&M are his final two schools.

The delayed recruitment of Bryce Anderson has taken another step toward a commitment.

After originally saying he would shut it down on July 4, Anderson decided to push his decision back. Coming off an official visit to Texas the final weekend of June, the four-star defensive back seemed destined for an in-state battle.

On Sunday, Anderson announced that would be the case: Texas and Texas A&M are his final two schools. You can tell how important both head coaches are taking this recruitment, with Steve Sarkisian and Jimbo Fisher attempting to lock him down during the official visits.

No timeline has been given by Anderson. Trimming his list to two was the next step after removing LSU, Michigan and USC from his top five.

Texas brought Anderson and four-star cornerback commit Jaylon Guilbeau down for the same weekend. Texas ex Michael Huff was there to pose for a few photos as well. The full-court press was on; the Longhorns need a win over Texas A&M.

Anderson is one of the most important remaining targets on the board after Texas missed on Kelvin Banks. A top-50 prospect on the composite, Anderson is the No. 3 safety in the country.

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

Where Texas goes at offensive tackle after missing out on three top priorities

Things are bad. Things are REALLY bad in the offensive line recruiting room. Here is where Texas goes from here at offensive tackle after a rough weekend:

Things are bad. Things are REALLY bad in the offensive line recruiting room.

Over the past four days, Texas had to an opportunity to lock down commitments from three of their top tackle priorities. Kelvin Banks, Jacob Sexton, and Cameron Williams. All three ended up elsewhere, with two going to the Longhorns’ biggest rivals.

Banks stings the most, being a no-doubt starter at left tackle within his first two seasons on campus. Seeing both Texas and Texas A&M missing on one of the top in-state prospects is truly shocking.

A total reset is going to be needed at the tackle position. The thought was to take two of the three guys to combine with Cole Hutson, Connor Robertson, and one more guard prospect (Devon Campbell). None of the tackles are available anymore and two bodies are still needed.

Here is where Texas goes from here at offensive tackle after a rough weekend:

Five-star OT Kelvin Banks commits to Oregon over Texas, Texas A&M

Five-star OT Kelvin Banks announced his commitment to Oregon on Sunday. LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M were the other three finalists.

Quite a few prospects have been labeled as “must get” for Texas throughout the 2022 recruiting class. Kelvin Banks was one of them. The five-star offensive tackle is a surefire left tackle and every program in the country was after him.

Cancel the fireworks show because Banks announced his commitment to Oregon on Sunday. LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M were the other three finalists.

After a recruitment that seemed to be an in-state battle between Texas and Texas A&M, Oregon once again swooped in to secure an important commitment. Mario Cristobal is proving himself to be one of the best recruiters in the country.

Banks now joins the class as the Ducks’ highest-rated player. He is the No. 14 prospect on the 247Sports composite and the No. 1 offensive tackle.

Texas is now back to the drawing board, especially at the offensive tackle position.

After missing out on three-star offensive tackle Cameron Williams to Oregon as well, there seemed to be a small meltdown within the fan base. With how important offensive line recruiting is during the 2022 cycle, losing an in-state tackle to a school in the pacific northwest was not ideal.

The Ducks grabbing Banks makes matters worse.

Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson stopped the bleeding in a big way with simultaneous commitments Friday night. The two interior offensive linemen will slot into the center and right guard positions.

With Banks, Oregon now has their left tackle of the future. Maybe even the present. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound five-star would have significantly changed the trajectory of a Texas offensive line that has struggled for over a decade.

Four-star wide receiver Jordan Hudson commits to SMU over Alabama and Texas

On Sunday, Jordan Hudson shut down his recruitment once again, committing to SMU. The four-star wide receiver decided to stay just 22 minutes away from home.

Jordan Hudson has had quite a couple of weeks. Everything kicked off with a decommitment from Oklahoma. Rarely does one of the top offensive players in the country, especially from the state of Texas, back off from the opportunity to play for Lincoln Riley.

Next, predictions for the hometown SMU Mustangs began to fly in from 247Sports’ connected insiders. Being a Garland, TX native, Hudson would be the highest-rated SMU commit since the composite began at the turn of the century.

Hudson then released a top three school list, including SMU, with Alabama and Texas tagging along. Oklahoma was taken out of consideration despite being committed for nearly a year.

On Sunday, Hudson shut down his recruitment once again, committing to the Ponies. The four-star wide receiver decided to stay just 22 minutes away from home.

Steve Sarkisian had his opportunity to impress Hudson, getting him to Austin for an unofficial visit. He posed in an icy white uniform alongside Director of Recruiting Brandon Harris.

SMU will now have its two highest rated recruits in history on the field at the same time. Four-star quarterback Preston Stone used to hold the title but will now be throwing to an elite wide receiver. Sonny Dykes has recruited the Dallas area phenomenally since taking over.

On the 247Sports composite, Hudson is the No. 14 wide receiver and No. 113 player overall in the country. Within the state of Texas, he skims inside the top 25 at No. 23.