Top 10 players for the Texas Longhorns heading into 2021 season

On offense and defense, Texas has first-team All-Big 12 caliber players. Here are the top 10 players heading into the 2021 season.

Year 1 of the Steve Sarkisian era and the pressure is already on. Texas is in a scenario where winning double-digit games is a must for a multitude of reasons. Rarely does a first-year head coach have immediate expectations with little wiggle room.

Ever since the 2009 national championship loss, the on-the-field product has been below standard. Getting some of the best players in the country on campus has never been an issue, despite the struggles. Every single season, the blue-chip ratio gets posted online and Texas is near the top, but without all of the winning.

Sarkisian took the job to take an already talented roster and turn it into a winner. Not even Oklahoma has as good of a roster as Texas when it comes to the 247Sports composite. Maybe Lincoln Riley would have a national championship if the two schools flopped rosters.

On offense and defense, there are first-team All-Big 12 caliber players. A few come from the 2018 recruiting class, while a bunch of youngsters are ready to break onto the scene.

Here are Texas’ top 10 players heading into the 2021 season.

Texas lands transfer linebacker Devin Richardson

Texas had a successful weekend of recruiting news. The news continued on Sunday when they landed transfer linebacker Devin Richardson.

Texas had a successful weekend of recruiting news.

During the annual Orange-White spring game on Saturday, four-star wide receiver and former Michigan signee Xavier Worthy committed to the University of Texas. Moments later, four-star cornerback Terrance Brooks listed Texas among his top five schools.

On Sunday, the Longhorns dipped into the NCAA transfer portal again and received a commitment from linebacker Devin Richardson. The former-three star prospect signed with New Mexico State out of the 2018 recruiting class. Richardson still has three years of eligibility remaining.

Richardson is a Spring, Texas, native that attended Klein High School. The 6-foot-3 outside linebacker received offers from Utah, New Mexico, Southern University and New Mexico State throughout his recruitment.

In 2019 with New Mexico State, he compiled 69 total tackles (24 solo), three forced fumbles and two sacks. The Longhorns need depth at linebacker and Richardson should be able to make an immediate impact on the Forty Acres.

Six new potential starters for Texas football in 2021

Here are six potential new starters for Texas football under first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Not every head coach has the same philosophy. Continue reading “Six new potential starters for Texas football in 2021”

Report: Texas added former five-star linebacker Ben Davis

According to Inside Texas, Ben Davis has transferred to Texas. He is the third player at the ‘Jack’ position the Longhorns have welcomed.

Joseph Ossai’s emergence was one of the most encouraging aspects of Texas’ 2020 season. The former linebacker transitioned into a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end role called the Jack and produced 5.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss.

With Ossai off to the NFL, the position was going to have a question mark surrounding it going into the season. Especially with Pete Kwiatkowski’s defensive scheme. At times, a Jack and an X, which have similar roles, can both be on the field. The Longhorns lacked depth at the position but may have brought in another player to fix the issue.

According to Inside Texas, Ben Davis has transferred to Texas and joined Steve Sarkisian’s roster. A former five-star recruit, Davis joins LSU‘s Ray Thornton and Notre Dame‘s Ovie Oghoufo as new additions at the Jack position.

Davis spent five years in Tuscaloosa, redshirting his freshman year in 2016. He appeared in 23 games and recorded eight tackles, one sack, and one pass breakup. Here is Inside Texas’ breakdown of Davis:

Over the weekend, Steve Sarkisian’s staff added yet another outside linebacker transfer to the roster. This time it was a former 5-star recruit, Alabama “Jack” linebacker Ben Davis, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder. Davis never cracked the top of the depth chart in Tuscaloosa but was solid for the Tide in mop-up duty as a boundary 9-technique who could rush the edge, stunt, or drop into coverage.

OrangeBloods reported back in February that Davis was “taking his time” with his transfer decision. Over a dozen schools have shown interest in him since entering the portal on Feb. 15.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Texas football roster breakdown: Quarterbacks

Let’s take a look at the 2020 outlook for all four quarterbacks on Texas’ current roster.

Texas is in great shape at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future. Continue reading “Texas football roster breakdown: Quarterbacks”