Tag: blue chip recruits

USA Today Sports have come out with their final rankings and analysis on the 2020 recruiting class. According to Mike Craven of the Austin American-Statesman, the Longhorns were the class of the Big 12 with their 2020 class.

The Longhorns signed the best recruiting class in the Big 12 for the third year in a row. Tom Herman is injecting talent into the program despite an 8-5 record and changes at offensive and defensive coordinator. Robinson, a talented running back from Arizona, headlines the class alongside four-star quarterback Hudson Card, who hails from the same high school that produced Baker Mayfield.

The Longhorns did a great job finding in-state defensive linemen Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins and Prince Dorbah. Eight of Texas’ 19 signees are enrolled and already on campus.

The praise for the Longhorns’ class didn’t stop there with Matthew Bain of USA Today Sports. The class, much like with the 247 composite rankings, were rated among the 10 best classes in 2020.

Texas jumped up to No. 9 with the huge addition of five-star defensive end Alfred Collins, who picked his home-state Longhorns over Oklahoma; he also had considered Alabama. Texas did miss on Rakestraw and Umanmielen, but Collins is just such a big win — especially considering it beat the Sooners for him. The Longhorns also already have four-star, home-state quarterback Hudson Card on campus; he’s 247Sports Composite’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback.

The additions of Collins and Kelvontay Dixon help give Texas a late push to take back over the Big 12 top spot and to finish in the top 10 in the nation.

 

Amidst the coaching staff shakeup this offseason, the Longhorns 2020 recruiting class turned out to be quite impressive.

At the conclusion of National Signing Day yesterday, Texas ended with the No. 1 class in the Big 12 conference. The late addition signings of five-star defensive end Alfred Collins and four-star athlete Kelvontay Dixon also bumped the Longhorns into one of the Top 10 classes nationally.

Head coach Tom Herman has been with the program for nearly four years, but the three full years that he’s been able to recruit, Herman has had the No. 1 class in the Big 12 and each of those have finished within the Top 10 nationally.

That also means he’s securing commitments from several blue chip recruits. Blue chip players are those more sought after and highly-rated, oftentimes the best at their positions.

Four-star and five-star athletes are typically considered blue chip players, typically programs who sign over 50% of blue chips have a much higher advantage of contending for the National Championship.

Although coaching and development are extremely important in college football, talent acquisition is just as crucial. There’s always the possibility for programs to find that ‘diamond in the rough’ player who was underrated as a prospect, but it’s clear Texas is in a great position heading into the 2020 season.

Sitting just between Alabama and Georgia, Texas has the second-highest blue chip percentage of players signed in the 2020 recruiting class.

Updated 2020 Blue Chip Ratio: Top 12 Classes

1. Bama: 84%
2. Texas: 79%
3. Georgia: 76%
4. Clemson: 74%
5. Florida: 72%
6. LSU: 71%
7. Ohio State: 68%
8. Auburn: 62%
9. Oklahoma: 61%
10. Tennessee: 57%
11. A&M: 54%
12. Oregon: 45%

— David Allen (@Doc_Texas) February 5, 2020

Alabama has the clear lead at the No. 1 spot, but Texas is in great company with power schools such as Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, and LSU. Of the 19 players signed in Texas’ 2020 class, two of those are five-star athletes and 13 of those players are four-star athletes, according to 247Sports.

The cards are aligning for Texas to become legitimate contenders for the National Championship.