Tag: 2022 class

Four-star offensive tackle Jacob Sexton commits to Oklahoma over Texas, Texas A&M

Texas is now batting .500 in the offensive lineman category this weekend. Jacob Sexton announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Saturday.

Texas is now batting .500 in the offensive lineman category this weekend.

First, it was a whiff on Cameron Williams to Oregon. Then, Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson committed to the good guys, shoring up the interior offensive line. On Saturday, it was a loss to the bad guys across the Red River.

Four-star offensive tackle Jacob Sexton announced his commitment to the home state Oklahoma Sooners. Texas and Texas A&M were both vying for the Deer Creek native’s commitment. Alabama and Oklahoma State received official visits as well.

Even if recruitment commitment videos are not your thing, Sexton’s is worth viewing. Texas may not be the choice but the offensive tackle was creative throughout the minute and a half.

You can watch it below:

On the 247Sports composite, Sexton ranks as the No. 24 offensive tackle in the country. Oklahoma is going to produce more talent than usual during the 2022 cycle as Sexton is the No. 5 player from the state. On a national level, the four-star is the No. 236 overall prospect.

For Texas, all attention now shifts to Sunday’s announcement from five-star Kelvin Banks. Even if Sexton did end up working out for the Longhorns, Banks is the No. 1 offensive line priority on the board. Getting a win would be massive for Kyle Flood.

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Four-star IOL Cole Hutson commits to Texas over Oklahoma, Texas A&M

Four-star offensive lineman Cole Hutson announced his commitment to Texas on Friday.

Kyle Flood is off and running within the 2022 recruiting class. After missing out on Cameron Willimas to Oregon on Thursday, the offensive line coach was able to lock down an important in-state target.

Four-star offensive lineman Cole Hutson announced his commitment to Texas on Friday. He is the one of two offensive lineman in the Longhorns’ 2022 class.

Oklahoma and Texas A&M were also going after the Frisco native. All three old Big 12 rivals got official visits during the month of June. Hutson visited Austin a few times before as well, going to a Texas baseball regional game.

Hutson is listed as an interior offensive lineman, expected to play either center or guard. Other dominoes will have to fall as the cycle progress before projecting exactly where he will lineup in college.

Getting offensive line recruiting going is big for Flood and Texas. After a bad 2021 cycle from Herb Hand, retooling and restocking are crucial.

Huston getting in the class is a solid foundation for what the Longhorns hope to accomplish in the class. A relentless guard weighing in at 6-foot-5, 312-pounds is a positive step forward.

On the 247Sports composite, Hutson is the No. 331 overall player and No. 13 interior offensive lineman in the nation. Within the state of Texas, the four-star prospect is No. 49.

Another great Dallas prospect under wraps for the Longhorns.

Five-star OT Kelvin Banks moves up commitment date

Kelvin Banks has changed his commitment plans to July 4. In-state schools Texas and Texas A&M are seen as the favorites.

Everyone stay calm.

Kelvin Banks has changed his commitment plans, announcing this Sunday on July 4 instead of the original July 24 date. The sudden change of plans has sent the finalists into a frenzy.

LSU, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M all received official visits during the month of June. The in-state schools have long been considered the favorite, with LSU having an outside chance. Both Steve Sarkisian and Jimbo Fisher have made this recruitment personally.

Banks was once committed to Oklahoma State but opened up his recruitment in the middle of the pandemic.

According to Gigem247, he will make his commitment at 3 p.m. CST.

To say Banks is a need would be quite an understatement. An elite offensive tackle has been missing from a Texas recruiting class for years now. Solidifying a prospect such as Banks at left tackle for the next three to four years would be a reason to celebrate.

July 4 will now be a nervy one, with four-star WR Jordan Hudson also announcing his commitment on the holiday. Going at least one for two would be a major bonus for Texas.

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Five-star OT Kelvin Banks moves up commitment date

Kelvin Banks has changed his commitment plans to July 4. In-state schools Texas and Texas A&M are seen as the favorites.

Everyone stay calm.

Kelvin Banks has changed his commitment plans, announcing this Sunday on July 4 instead of the original July 24 date. The sudden change of plans has sent the finalists into a frenzy.

LSU, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M all received official visits during the month of June. The in-state schools have long been considered the favorite, with LSU having an outside chance. Both Steve Sarkisian and Jimbo Fisher have made this recruitment personally.

Banks was once committed to Oklahoma State but opened up his recruitment in the middle of the pandemic.

According to Gigem247, he will make his commitment at 3 p.m. CST.

To say Banks is a need would be quite an understatement. An elite offensive tackle has been missing from a Texas recruiting class for years now. Solidifying a prospect such as Banks at left tackle for the next three to four years would be a reason to celebrate.

July 4 will now be a nervy one, with four-star WR Jordan Hudson also announcing his commitment on the holiday. Going at least one for two would be a major bonus for Texas.

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Top IOL target Connor Robertson announces commitment date

Texas has the opportunity to pull someone from their own backyard with OL Connor Robertson. He announced he will be committing on July 2.

Nothing is better than pulling a recruit out of your own backyard. Especially from your own city.

Texas and Kyle Flood have that opportunity on Friday with three-star IOL prospect Connor Robertson. The Austin native announced he plans to commit July 2.

Robertson clearly prioritizes academic, takings summer trips to Northwestern and Stanford. Only his trip to Austin was an official visit; he chose to save the rest for football season.

Getting him to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in the fall should not be too difficult considering his hometown. No matter where Robertson commits on Friday, Texas will be a major player in his recruitment going forward.

Texas heavily leads on the 247Sports crystal ball. Four predictions have been made for the Longhorns with an average confidence level of seven. Most came after an offer was extended to Robertson on Feb. 2.

Robertson would be another Westlake prospect to play for Texas. Both Ehlinger brothers played under Tom Herman, while three walk-ons are expected to be on the roster next season. Zane Minor and Michael Taaffe will arrive in the fall.

Adding an all-state offensive lineman from the 6A-DI champions is a great get for Flood.

On the 247Sports composite, Robertson is the No. 20 interior offensive lineman and the No. 546 overall player in the country. Within the state of Texas, he ranks No. 77.

Five-star OT Kelvin Banks announces late July commitment date

Kelvin Banks announced he will be making his commitment on July 24. LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M are considered the three finalists for the five-star OT.

After a successful month of visits, Kyle Flood has a stressful month of July ahead of him.

To put it nicely, offensive line recruiting was bad during the 2021 cycle. Steve Sarkisian knew getting big men up front was going to be a priority with Flood. Texas has been in good positions for some of the top in-state guys but it is time to close.

Sarkisian and Flood will have the opportunity to land one of their biggest targets and arguably the best offensive tackle prospects in the country toward the end of the month.

Kelvin Banks announced he will be making his commitment on July 24. LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M are considered the three finalists. Oregon and Oklahoma State, where the five-star OT was once committed, are the long shots.

All five received official visits during the month of June.

With Cameron Williams announcing his decision on July 3, it could be an enormous summer month for Flood. Five offensive linemen are going to be taken in the 2022 class and Banks/Williams could end up being the two tackles taken.

Getting a win over Jimbo Fisher and Ed Orgeron would be massive as well. Nothing is better than getting wins over Texas A&M while keeping elite Texas kids in the state is a good sign of things to come under Sarkisian.

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Stan Drayton continues to prove his worth on Texas’ coaching staff

Stan Drayton has been nothing but a home run for Texas since 2017. Steve Sarkisian knows he had one of the best RB coaches in the country.

When Steve Sarkisian took over for Tom Herman in early January, only two assistant coaches were retained: Andre Coleman and Stan Drayton. The wide receiver and running backs coach respectively, it was surprising to see Sarkisian keep two of Herman’s former offensive coaches.

You would think Sarkisian, considered an offensive mind, would want to get his own guys in to run his system. Keeping assistants from the previous staff is rare and hardly ever works. At the end of the day, there is a reason the previous regime failed.

Coleman has produced doubters, especially as a recruiter. Reports of Sarkisian wanting to hire a different wide receiver coach circulated, but nothing came to fruition.

Drayton, on the other hand, has been nothing but a home run for Texas dating back to his hiring in 2017. Sarkisian knew he had one of the best running back coaches in the country.

Recruiting has been Drayton’s bread and butter over the past four seasons. Twice now has he landed the No. 1 in-state running back in Keaontay Ingram (2018) and Jaydon Blue (2022). Add on Monday’s commitment from Jamarion Miller, who is currently the No. 2 in-state running back according to the composite.

The icing on the cake was/has been Bijan Robinson. The No. 1 back in the country in the 2020 class, it almost seemed like destiny the Arizona native was going to Ohio State. He even gave the Buckeyes the silent commit.

Drayton was able to persuade Robinson with a relationship that goes further than football.

“For me and [Drayton] it’s more of a deeper level,” Robinson said. “Getting that relationship off the field, talking about life and family.”

Go back even further and current NFL backs will have endearing things to say about Drayton.

Before working for the Chicago Bears for two seasons, Drayton was at Ohio State with Herman and Urban Meyer. In 2014, the Buckeyes won the national championship, many thanks to Ezekiel Elliot’s performances against Alabama and Oregon.

During the draft process, Elliot credited Drayton with developing him into the player he had become.

“He was hard on me since I got on campus and he’s really the biggest reason why I’m here today and I’m the back I am today,” said Elliot. “He made sure when I learned this position that I learned it thoroughly, that I learned not just what I do but what the guys around me do. That made me understand the game so much better. He taught me how to anticipate instead of just going off of reactions and going off of instincts. That made me play faster and made me into a great player.”

As we saw at a larger scale with Herman, recruiting at the top level does not equal success in the talent development department. Running back seemed to be the only position players thrived from 2017-2020.

The 2021 season should be no different. Robinson is projected to be one of the best running backs in the country, even getting some Heisman talks. Alabama transfer Keilan Robinson is expected to come in and bring a whole new dynamic to the run game after spending some time with Drayton.

However, the most impressive of Drayton’s development projects has been Roschon Johnson. When Texas was down at running back due to injuries in 2019, a true freshman quarterback was thrown into the ringer and thrived.

Johnson has over 1,000 rushing yards in two seasons while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He may not be RB1 on the depth chart, but he is just as important to this Texas team as the next man.

NFL teams attempted to lure Drayton back into the professionals. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams wanted the running backs coach, but with no success.

Retaining Drayton could prove to be one of the most beneficial decisions Sarkisian made when assembly his staff. With all the running back talent about to be in Austin, NFL draft picks are inevitable.

The A+ recruiter he is plus a proven track record of producing talent for the next level? Every running back will want to come to Austin.

Texas commit Jaylon Guilbeau and top target Bryce Anderson pose with Steve Sarkisian

Terry Joseph had quite the weekend with defensive backs in town. See Bryce Anderson and Jaylon Guilbeau on their official visits here:

Terry Joseph had quite the weekend with defensive backs in town.

Four-star cornerback and current Texas commit Jaylon Guilbeau made his way to Austin for his official visit. The Port Arthur prospect has been on Texas unofficial visits before seeing Texas A&M and TCU.

Arguably, more importantly, four-star safety Bryce Anderson finally got to meet Steve Sarkisian and the staff. No defensive back has been a bigger target for the Longhorns than Anderson. In a classic Texas vs Texas A&M battle, getting the safety to Austin could have been the defining factor in the recruitment.

Both of the top priority defensive backs posed with Steve Sarkisian over the weekend. Anderson and Guilbeau flashed the ‘hook ’em sign,’ while also posing in front of a car in a separate photo:

You can check it out here:

After the official visit, Guilbeau seems locked into his Texas commitment. TCU was reportedly pushing hard for the cornerback but Gary Patterson is not going to get another win over the Longhorns.

As for Anderson, July 4 was supposed to be his commitment date. He thought about pushing it back due to the inability to get to Austin on an official visit. With the trip under his belt, a fireworks show could be in store for Sunday.

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Texas Football: List of prospects on campus for final summer official visit weekend

Going into the final weekend of visits before another dead period, Steve Sarkisian and his staff will be hosting more important targets.

June has been one of the most hectic months in the history of college football recruiting. With the NCAA dead period being lifted, prospects from both the 2022 and 2023 prospects were visiting college campuses like crazy. Most had official visits lined up for four consecutive weekends.

Texas was no different. Every single week, at least one priority target was on campus. Over the weekend of June 12, it was mostly juniors with players such as Arch Manning, Rueben Owens, and Johntay Cook on campus. Flash forward one week and Texas’ top needs in the 2022 class were seeing Austin on official trips.

Going into the final weekend of visits before another dead period, Steve Sarkisian and his staff will be hosting more important targets. Four-star safety Bryce Anderson will be in Austin following the State 7v7 tournament in College Station. Texas is attempting to close the gap with Texas A&M.

Two important offensive linemen will visit as well, but unofficially. Kyle Flood, alongside Bo Davis, will be upon the busiest members of Sarkisian’s staff.

Here are the prospects on campus for final summer official visit weekend:

Two of Texas’ top defensive back targets set to visit Alabama, Nick Saban this weekend

UT will be sweating over the weekend as two priorities travel to T-Town. Denver Harris and Terrance Brooks are set to take an OV to Alabama.

Going up against Alabama in the recruiting world has its pros and cons.

Pro: If the Crimson Tide are recruiting the same guys you are, the talent is there. Nick Saban could handpick his class if he wanted. The fact he wants the same prospects as you is a good sign about talent evaluation.

Cons: Alabama doesn’t lose.

Texas will be sweating a bit over the weekend as two of their top priorities on the board travel to Tuscaloosa. Cornerbacks Denver Harris and Terrance Brooks are set to take an official visit to Alabama, where Saban and his defensive staff will be pushing hard.

With Saban’s background being in coaching defensive backs, he takes these types of recruitments personally. And the record speaks for itsself. Naming off Alabama defensive backs in the NFL could paint a picture as to how successful Saban has been over the years but it would get redundant.

Where Harris and Brooks seem to be going into the official visit is yet to be seen. Both are being nationally recruited, proving they are more than SEC-quality defensive backs. Texas could have been seen as the favorite for Harris for some time, while Brooks has been open to all schools.

Steve Sarkisian and Pete Kwiatkowski got their chance with the two defensive backs with an official visit the weekend of June 18. Harris seemed to enjoy his time in Austin, posing with family and friends in the uniform. The five-star has always been the No. 1 defensive priority on the Longhorns’ board and made sure to make him feel like that.

As for Brooks, straight after his visit to Texas, he went up north to see recent recruiting killer Ohio State. The son of former Texas A&M player, Chet, Brooks has been a wild card throughout the process.

If Saban decides to push hard for the defensive backs, the Longhorns could be in trouble. Looking at their 2021 class and their talent from the state of Texas would prove that enough. A nerve-wracking weekend is in store.

Looking for a sign of positivity: Texas seemed to fend off Alabama when four-star safety Bryce Anderson made his trip to Tuscaloosa. Hopefully, history repeats itself with Brooks and Harris in town.