Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Texas has started off the 2023 cycle fairly strong and will likely gain more momentum in the coming months.
Steve Sarkisian is still in the process of rebuilding a Texas roster that was left in shambles by the previous staff. Continue reading “Where Texas’ 2023 recruiting class lands in ESPN’s updated rankings”
Florida may have started the early signing period with an unranked recruiting class, but some big wins on Wednesday changed that quickly.
Billy Napier likened the recruiting situation he walked into at Florida to getting into a game with only a few minutes left to play. If that metaphor is to be extended, then Napier just completed a Hail Mary for a touchdown with the haul he brought in on the first day of the early signing period.
Four-star safety Devin Moore kicked off the day by signing with Florida over Notre Dame, and five-star safety Kamari Wilson “shocked the world” with his announcement hours later. Napier held a press conference after Wilson’s announcement and hinted that there should be a few more surprises to come. At least one of those surprises was the re-commitment of four-star linebacker Shemar James, who named Alabama and Georgia as his two finalists earlier in the week.
The Gators entered Wednesday dead last in the conference, in terms of recruiting, and unranked in ESPN’s Top 75. Landing the three blue-chip prospects has Florida up to No. 63 on Thursday, but the Gators are still behind Vanderbilt at No. 14 in the Southeastern Conference.
Tony Livingston is the team’s highest-rated offensive recruit, according to ESPN, and Wilson takes home the honors on the defensive side of the ball.
This a small class, and new head coach Billy Napier has a lot of work to do, but the Gators came out of the early signing period with some positives to build off of. A late visit right before the dead period went a long way in beating Georgia for five-star safety Wilson, an impact-type defender. They were also able to bring one-time Florida commit and ESPN 300 LB Shemar James back into the fold. Livingston is a high school tight end with a ton of upside as an OT with development.
With most of the early signing period action out of the way, Florida should stay put for now. Napier indicated that the team would begin targeting players through the transfer portal once the signing period ends.
Florida’s new coach proved that he can land some of the best players in the country with only a few days to work with. Now he’ll have the time to really pursue who he wants in the Swamp.
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Texas’ 2022 recruiting class moves up in ESPN’s updated rankings.
Steve Sarkisian and his staff have had a phenomenal start with their first full recruiting cycle for Texas.
There is always expected to be some sort of drop off in recruiting when a new coaching staff takes over, but Sarkisian’s staff is composed of a few elite recruiters that are doing a great job of attracting big name prospects to play in Austin.
In ESPN’s updated 2022 recruiting class rankings (subscription required), the Longhorns moved up from No. 11 to No. 4 in the nation. This puts Texas ahead of schools such as Oregon, Ohio State, and Georgia while being behind programs like Alabama, Notre Dame, and Penn State.
This is primarily due to Texas’ success on the recruiting trail recently, where they’ve received four defensive line commitments in the last 30 days, all of which are four-star prospects. Here is what ESPN had to say about Texas’ 2022 class thus far:
After guiding one of the most high-powered attacks in college football as offensive coordinator at Alabama, Steve Sarkisian is now assembling his first full class as head coach at Texas. Offense defines this group early on. The Longhorns went to California for their quarterback, Maalik Murphy, a prospect who has a big arm. The class also features some big-play offensive targets from in-state: top-20 wide receiver Armani Winfield and two top-10 RBs in Jamarion Miller and Blue, who can be an explosive runner with good ball skills. Defense is not being overlooked either, as the Longhorns added one of the top defensive back prospects in the state in Bryan Allen Jr., a top-five safety who is fluid with good instincts. The Longhorns ended the summer by adding four ESPN 300 defensive linemen, including Bledsoe, a big man from a smaller school that brings high upside with flexibility and agility. Aaron Bryant was an out-of-state pickup that can be a physical and stout presence in the trenches.
Texas is still in the mix for a few other highly rated recruits that are labeled must-get prospects to close out the cycle, but the Longhorns badly need to perform on the field better than what they displayed against Arkansas. The more success this team has, the better the chances of attracting more top talent to the Forty Acres.
ESPN recently released their updated 2022 recruiting class rankings.
After getting off to an extremely strong start in the recruiting world, it seems as if Steve Sarkisian and his staff have hit a wall when it comes to landing big-time commitments.
The most probable reason is that players and their families want to see the Longhorns in action this fall in order to see if they’re able to produce and develop under the new coaching staff. Texas is in a situation where Austin is always seen as an attractive destination, but recruits need to see some tangible results and success.
ESPN recently released their 2022 recruiting class rankings (subscription required), and Texas’ class landed at No. 11 in the nation. Sarkisian’s group is currently ahead of Clemson, Missouri, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina.
The 2022 cycle for Texas is headlined by a couple of four-star prospects in safety Bryan Allen Jr. and running back Jaydon Blue. Here is what ESPN had to say about the class the Longhorns have assembled up to this point:
After guiding one of the most high-powered attacks in college football as offensive coordinator at Alabama, Steve Sarkisian is now assembling his first full class as head coach at Texas. Offense defines this group early on. The Longhorns went to California for their quarterback, Maalik Murphy, a prospect with limited high school game experience thus far but someone who possesses some impressive physical traits, including a big arm. The class also features some big-play offensive targets from in-state: top-20 wide receiver Armani Winfield and two top-10 RBs in Jamarion Miller and Blue, who can be an explosive runner with good ball skills. Defense is not being overlooked either, as the Longhorns added one of the top defensive back prospects in the state in Allen, a top-five safety who is fluid with good instincts.
The Longhorns are likely pleased with the players they have currently committed, but are still in the mix for some high profile targets in ESPN’s rankings, such as five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart, four-star cornerback Denver Harris, five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell, and four-star offensive lineman Kam Dewberry.
It’s crucial for Texas to land a few of those names.
After the previous coaching staff issues and underwhelming results on the field for the last decade, it’s understandable that recruits will want results from the program before they can fully commit to suit up in the burnt orange.
Does ESPN agree with 247Sports composite of where Texas’ 2022 class is ranked in the nation?
The hype surrounding Steve Sarkisian’s early recruiting success at Texas is no secret. Continue reading “Where ESPN ranks the Texas Longhorns 2022 recruiting class”
