The Longhorns haven’t had a legitimate pass rush since the departure of Joseph Ossai to the NFL.
In 2021, Texas tried to consistently rush the passer using players from the transfer portal to no avail, and now will have to rely on players such as freshman Justice Finkley or sophomore Barynn Sorell.
However, Texas may have a chance to strengthen the defensive line of the future with what is looking like a two-for-one special.
Five-star defensive linemen Qua Russaw and James Smith both announced their top schools on Sunday, and the Longhorns were included in each. Russaw is rated the No. 3 EDGE in the country for the 2023 class, according to On3’s consensus rankings. Smith is considered the No. 2 defensive lineman and the No. 1 overall player in the state of Alabama.
NEW: Five-star teammates at @Carver_FB, @JaquaviousRuss1 and @BigKong57 name their favorites.
There is one school different on their lists. They are likely to sign with the same school and they give the latest: https://t.co/UERuKA1Sp5 (On3+) pic.twitter.com/aXFRbK9t36
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) May 8, 2022
The Montgomery, Alabama natives both attend Carver High School and according to an interview by On3 Smith, there is a decent chance that they end up committing to the same school.
“I’d say there is a 70-75% chance we go to the same school when we sign.”
Of the 11 schools, the two have both visited Alabama, Alabama State, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, and Texas A&M at least once.
This means the Longhorns will need to turn their pursuit up a notch to help their chances of securing them.
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