Tag: justice finkley

Texas DL Justice Finkley among 247Sports’ early enrollees to watch

Finkley has a chance to make some noise this spring.

Texas’  2022 recruiting class is absolutely loaded and will likely produce some of college football’s next big stars.

While there are great players heading all over the country, 247Sports narrowed down a list of the top players that are early enrollees to keep an eye on.

The list features many highly rated prospects, with one of them being Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden ranked at No. 2. Even with all the talent on the list, one of the players featured is Texas signee Justice Finkley.

The four-star out of Trussville, Alabama has been the talk of the offseason thanks to his strong showing during the Under Armor All-American game. He is expected to boost the defensive line at Texas right away, and add a much needed pass rusher for a team that didn’t have anyone prove they could consistently get to the quarterback last season.

Here is why 247Sports thinks Finkley is someone to watch out for:

The Longhorns desperately need an injection of talent at the edge rushing position. The Longhorns’ leading sacker in 2021 was Ben Davis, who only got to the quarterback 2.5 times. The 6-foot, 255-pound Finkley could slide inside, but the Longhorns would be wise to have him getting after the quarterback. As a senior at Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) High School, Finkley tallied 96 tackles, 10 for a loss, and four sacks. For a Texas team that is loaded on offense, the defense is still a fairly large question mark. Setting Finkley after opposing passers could solve a lot of problems.

Being an early enrollee gives Finkley a chance to supplant himself at the top of the depth chart, and Texas badly needs an injection of energy and talent across the defensive line.

Offensive line getting all the publicity, don’t forget about the edge rushers

Don’t forget about this group in 2022.

The offensive line recruiting stole all of the headlines in 2022, and for good reason. Big 12 Recruiter of the Year Kyle Flood hauled in two five-stars that could be in line to start immediately, among the impressive class.

In that very same class, the Texas defense secured two of the top edge rushers in the class. They both landed inside the top 12 according to 247Sports composite player rankings.

Perhaps what is even more impressive is that the Longhorns staff ventured into SEC country to snag both of them. This could be an omen for the future when Texas finally leaves the Big 12 Conference behind for the SEC.

Starting with the No. 12 player, Texas signed Justice Finkley out of Alabama.

Based on his measurables, Finkley looks ready to make an immediate impact on the Longhorns’ defense. He feels very much like a Joseph Ossai-type player for Texas. That might be a huge boost in the arm of the defense. Last season no player was able to record more than 2.5 sacks.

Texas also added J’Mond Tapp out of Louisiana, he came in ranked at No. 11. According to 247Sports his NFL comparison is Tampa Bay edge rusher Jermauria Rasco. Both players have an early projection of rounds 4-7 in the NFL draft.

Under the tutelage of Pete Kwiatkowski, who produced several NFL edge rushers at Washington, that could change over the course of their collegiate careers.

Much like the offensive line, Steve Sarkisian and the staff realized they had real issues on the defensive side of the ball. More specifically a disadvantage at pass rusher. No Longhorn recorded more than 15 quarterback pressures over the 12-game season for Texas.

Former Alabama edge rusher Ben Davis was the highest-graded pass rusher according to Pro Football Focus, but he recorded just five pressures. The team got more production out of linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. The team’s leading pass rusher in terms of pressure returns with Alfred Collins. Provided the edge rushers get more attention, that should give him plenty of one-on-one opportunities.

With Finkley and Tapp in the rotation, perhaps we see a bump from the position group that was overmatched in 2021.

Texas’ players with breakout potential for the 2022 season

10 players who have the potential to have big seasons in 2022.

Texas will have many fresh faces in the program next season.

Over 30 recruits and transfers will make up an exciting group of newcomers joining Texas’ roster.

Steve Sarkisian has a good amount of talent to work with between the newcomers on the team and the young players who have been held over from last season.

Despite the 5-7 record, many around the program feel they are knocking on the door for a massive improvement. Texas proved they could compete with any team in the conference last season but struggled to find ways to win in the second half of games.

Finding some breakout players could turn Texas into real competitors in the Big 12 conference. Last season Xavier Worthy and Bijan Robinson established themselves as elite players. Who on the roster could share similar leaps in the 2022 season?

Here are 10 players who could break out into major contributors next year:

Two Longhorns signees among standouts at Under Armour All-America practices

Two future Longhorns are standing out among the nation’s top talent at the Under Armour All-America practices.

Steve Sarkisian and his staff have to be pleased with the feedback that they have been getting regarding the Texas signees that are partaking in the Under Armour All-America festivities this week.

Not only is an honor just to simply be apart of the event, but to be considered a standout among the best high school players in the nation is a testament to how talented one is.

Texas has six signees who are Under Armour All-American’s this year, and two of the five that are able to participate have been widely regarded as standouts of the event. Brenen Thompson is the lone signee who cannot participate, due to recovering from an injury.

Defensive end Justice Finkley and safety B.J. Allen Jr. have been considered standouts due to their performance in drills and one-on-one matchups. 247Sports’ Chris Singletary broke down the top performers of the second day of practice, and both Finkley and Allen were mentioned.

Here is what he said about Finkley:

Energy is the name of the game for Finkley. He plays with it from the start. This muscular player plays with tremendous leverage and power. He is very good with his hands and is slippery to block either in the run game or pass protection. This guy takes no plays off and is going to bring it for Texas where he is headed as a mid-year enrollee.

There are plenty of videos on Twitter of Finkley displaying his pure strength and high motor as no offensive lineman has been able to stay in front of him.

Singletary also spoke highly of Allen, who many believe will have a chance to crack the rotation immediately at Texas. Here is what he said about Allen:

The name of the game with Allen is consistency, he is always where he is supposed to be and quarterbacking the back end of the defense. He has done a good job in coverage as well playing with good eyes; he stays in his peddle with good pad level along with crisp breaks on the ball. The Texas signee also had a couple nice pass break-ups including one while guarding Evan Stewart and an int. on the day.

Texas’ 2022 class is a very deep and talented class, and the staff and fanbase are counting on them to be the change that turns this program around. Having players like Finkley and Allen to lead the way will only help.

WATCH: Texas commits shining at Under Armour All-America practices

Texas signees are all over the field at the Under Armour All-America Game practices this week.

There will be Longhorns all over the field during the 2022 Under Armour All-America Game. Continue reading “WATCH: Texas commits shining at Under Armour All-America practices”

LOOK: Texas targets and signees at UA All-America Game practice

Multiple members of Texas’ 2022 signing class have been invited to play in the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando. 

Multiple members of Texas’ 2022 recruiting class have been invited to play in the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando.

Texas has six signees who accepted the invite and take part in the game this year.

  • OL Kelvin Banks
  • WR Brenen Thompson (injured)
  • S BJ Allen
  • DL Jaray Bledsoe
  • DL Justice Finkley
  • OL Neto Umeozulu

A description of the event is stated on the Under Armour website:

The next generation of gridiron superstars shows out every year at the All-America Football Game. More than 100 of the nation’s best players are selected by Under Armour to spend a week in Orlando, FL training and competing at the highest level.

The game will kick off this Saturday at 2 p.m. EST on ESPN 2 from Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

On3 Sports national recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton gave us a look at a few Texas signees and targets during practice No. 1 at the UA All-American Game:

WATCH: Texas DL signee Justice Finkley’s senior highlights

Justice Finkley has the chance to make an early impact for Texas.

Adding depth to the front seven this offseason was a priority for Steve Sarkisian and Bo Davis.

Texas hit a homerun on the recruiting trail signing nine defensive linemen and linebackers. A major reason the Longhorns currently have the No. 5 class in the country.

One of the notable players Texas landed was edge rusher Justice Finkley. The four-star from Alabama is rated as the No. 11 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 7 player in the state by 247sports.

Finkley committed to the Horns in Sept. over the likes of Alabama, Michigan and Colorado.

Outside linebacker Derrick Brown joined Finkley has two of the more active recruiters in the class. They gained some popularity with their social media tactics as they helped build some momentum leading up to signing day.

Check out Finkley’s senior year highlight tape here:

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Texas Football: List of early enrollees for the 2022 class

As of now, 11 players from the 2022 class will enroll early.

Each year that passes, more and more recruits choose to take part in the early signing period rather than wait until national signing day in February. Continue reading “Texas Football: List of early enrollees for the 2022 class”

Alabama football recruiting: Texas grabs four-star DL from Alabama

Steve Sarkisian and Texas come into Alabama and grab a commitment from four-star DL Justice Finkley.

Yesterday, a talented defensive line prospect from the state of Alabama committed to Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns over Alabama and Colorado.

Justice Finkley, a native of Trussville, Al, is a big-time get for coach Sarkisian over Nick Saban.

Like Griffin McVeigh stated on Longhorn Wire, Finkley was able to visit Texas back in July and was able to meet both head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Finkley ranks as the No. 112 overall player and the No. 19 defensive lineman in the country. Finkley ranks as the No. 6 overall player in the state of Alabama.

With Texas moving to the SEC, there should be plenty more recruiting battles on the horizon for these two high-profile programs and Roll Tide Wire will be here to cover them all.

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

 

 

Texas jumps Alabama, now has a top five recruiting class in the nation for the 2022 cycle

Four-star DL Justice Finkley’s commitment boosts Texas’ 2022 class to No. 3 in the nation.

Texas’ elite recruiting success under Steve Sarkisian continued on Thursday when four-star defensive lineman Justice Finkley announced his commitment to the University of Texas over Alabama and Colorado.

His commitment marks the fourth four-star commit in the last two weeks across the defensive line for the Longhorns. It boosts Texas’ 2022 recruiting class ranking three spots from No. 6 all the way up to No. 3 in the nation.

The Trussville, Alabama native decided to turn down Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide to play for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. During his commitment on CBS, Finkley stated that he has kept in contact with Sarkisian multiple times a week.

The Longhorns are getting a player who has played all positions across the defensive line, and his great play and productivity as a junior earned him a first-team selection on the MaxPreps Alabama all-state team.

Thanks to Finkley’s commitment, Texas’ recruiting class not only moved to No. 3, but they leapfrogged Alabama. It also puts the first full recruiting cycle for Sarkisian ahead of schools such as Ohio State and Georgia.

Big things are happing in Austin, and seeing how the remaining few targets on the board play out for Texas will be fascinating. Sarkisian wasn’t joking when he said the program will take a “All Gas, No Brakes” approach to everything that they do.