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Texas Recruiting Notes 2022 - Idiotic Slapfights Unrelated To 2022 Recruiting


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(Mike Roach) The Stampede: Setting the board for 2022 with new Texas staff in place

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The 2022 Texas recruiting board is starting to take shape with re-offers and new offers going out to prospective student-athletes every day. With the new staff in place, we are starting to get an idea of how this class could shape up and what players will be the priority at each position. The Texas class is starting to generate some momentum as well with several commitments over the last two months. One of the biggest came over the weekend with the Longhorns landing a commitment from a five-star quarterback prospect.

So how does each position break down as Texas heads into the spring looking to lay the foundation of Steve Sarkisian's first class? In this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we set the table for the 2022 board moving forward.

Quarterback

Texas landed a big part of the class over the weekend with the commitment of Maalik Murphy. Now we will see if AJ Milwee and Steve Sarkisian choose to look at a second target. The numbers on campus would warrant a second take, and you almost have to operate that way in the day and age of the NCAA transfer portal. If Texas does move for a second quarterback, I expect them to continue to pursue Cade Klubnik. Outside of him, It’s logical that other in-state options like Josh Hoover or Nick Evers could materialize. As a head coach, Sarkisian took a two-quarterback class in 2012 (Cyler Miles and Jeff Lindquist), 2014 (Jalen Greene and Larry Tuileta) and 2015 (Ricky Town and Sam Darnold).

Running Back

The Longhorns secured a commitment from the top target on their board in Jaydon Blue, and now they can afford to be picky with who they choose to take as a second back in this class.  Whether they stay in state with the likes of Tavorus Jones, Jamarion Miller, Zach Evans or Jadarian Price or choose to go outside state lines for backs such as Kaytron Allen, Jovantae Barnes, Le’veon Moss or many others, Stan Drayton and Brandon Harris just want to find the right complementary piece for Blue.  I don’t expect them to rush a second commitment as they have the luxury of time to evaluate players into their senior seasons and add the right fit for them.

Wide Receiver

Of all the positions Texas is recruiting, I get the sense that wide receiver is the one the staff is least worried about. Not that they aren’t putting in the time, but I feel that the staff has faith that they will come away with a strong group no matter what happens. At the top of the board, Kevin Coleman, Brenen Thompson, CJ Williams, Chris Marshall Evan Stewart and Shazz Preston stand out as options to team up with Armani Winfield. Nicholas Anderson is another in state option while Texas will likely find more options during the spring. Keep an eye on Rockwall-Heath wide receiver Jay Fair who appears to be on the verge of an offer as well. It’s also likely Texas will take some shots at committed prospects like Jordan Hudson.

Tight End

Texas appears to be trending well with two tight ends on the board early as Aledo tight end Jason Llewellyn is emerging as an in-state option with deep snapping versatility and Atlanta (GA.) Westminster School tight end Holden Staes could be the most likely out of state option following his decommitment from Penn State. Staes has a good relationship with Jeff Banks and sees a strong fit in Sarkisian’s offense going forward. It’s also likely there will be some more evaluations in the spring so new names will emerge.

Offensive Line

All eyes are on the offensive line as Kyle Flood tries to right the ship up front. The staff is swinging at big time national targets like Zach Rice, Gunner Givens and Tyler Booker, but they also have some quality options in state with Kelvin Banks, Kam Dewberry, Cole Hutson and Devon Campbell. Add in other options like Connor Robertson, Neto Umeozulu, Jaylen Early and Jacob Sexton, and it seems like there are a ton of options for Texas to choose from when it comes to targets. The staff was already in a good place with Hutson and Campbell coming in, and it feels like Flood is making an impact with Banks and Dewberry. It will still be a tough fight for those two as they have many other options including a Texas A&M staff recruiting at a high level right now.

Defensive Line

This is probably the position with the most question marks, but Bo Davis is hard at work trying to make a quality group come together.  The priority is finding edge rushers, and there is none better in the state of Texas than Omari Abor.  Texas is pulling out all the stops for the Duncanville edge rusher as Jeff Banks, Pete Kwiatkowski are involved in the recruitment along with Steve Sarkisian.  Texas is going to have to do some work to overcome Oklahoma and Ohio State, but it can be done as Abor reportedly wants to take some time with the recruiting process.

Others like Ernest Cooper are still on the board, but the state is running low on edge prospects this year. On the interior of the line, Texas will continue to chase Bear Alexander along with Jaray Bledsoe. Bledsoe in particular is developing into more of a must-have prospect by the day, and Texas is trending for interior body Kristopher Ross who wil make his decision this week. This is one position I expect to undergo a lot of changes through the spring.

Linebacker

The Longhorns are trending toward adding their first member of this group to this class with Trevell Johnson looking more and more likely, but the options in state are more plentiful than usual. Harold Perkins remains the big prize, but that will be a tough task to overturn the momentum Texas A&M built up in that recruitment. As the Longhorns sift through their outstanding offers to players like Martrell Harris and Sebastian Cheeks, new targets like Kip Lewis and Niuafe Tuihalamaka become possible targets to land in this class. Jeff Choate should have a lot to work with and a big opportunity to show his recruiting prowess.

Cornerback

The Longhorns already hold a commitment from Jaylon Guilbeau, and they’ve got a few other targets in state to pursue. Denver Harris is the top target for Texas while Terrance Brooks and Austin Jordan remain as options. Terry Joseph will also work on out of state prospects like Jaeden Gould. This is another area of the board where we expect to see some growth as spring evaluations give way to new names that blossom on the camp and 7v7 scene.

Safety

Like the cornerback position, the safeties in state could provide a major boost for Texas, but there’s still some growth anticipated at the position. Texas would love to close in-state prospects Bryce Anderson and Bryan Allen Jr., and it feels like they are trending in a strong direction with Anderson. Cristian Driver and Jarred Kerr also remains on the table for Texas along with Landon Hullaby who can play a number of positions for Texas. Out of state options include Jacoby. Mathews, Larry Turner-Gooden, and Kamari Wilson, and Blake Gideon has the chance to establish himself as a recruiter in year one back at his alma mater.

 

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Steve Wiltfong: Touted DE DJ Wesolak talks top schools

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Several programs are “active” in the recruitment of Booneville (Mo.) High defensive end DJ Wesolak who holds over 30 scholarship offers. “Right now they’re all interesting in what they bring, but probably the most active with me right now is Notre Dame, Mizzou, Clemson and Arizona State,” Wesolak said, adding he’s also excited in Michigan, Texas and Oregon. The blue-chipper gave highlights regarding each program.

Notre Dame: “They have been the hardest on me, they really want me there. Also ND gives you the best of both worlds and they’re really hard on me with the help of Tyson Ford to come there and ball out together and Coach (Marcus) Freeman knows we will be great together.”

Missouri: “Mizzou just a close place to me that’s ten minutes away from me and they’ve been on me hard. They want me to come there so I can attract other great players and they know I will be great.”

Clemson: “Clemson is an amazing program and they win championships and they have a great program and a great culture.”

Arizona State: “ASU has amazing coaching, they have all coaches that are ready to make their players great and they know what it takes to make it to the next level.”

Wesolak elaborated on the Wolverines, Longhorns and Ducks as well. “Michigan is a new offer but they’re a great program and ready to win and they love me and I also forgot about Texas, Coach Sark loves my film and Coach K wants me there he thinks I can set the tempo for everyone and believe I’m the best in my position. Oregon is a great program and they’ve had their history of being a great team in the Pac 12 and getting players developed and ready for the next level.”

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Wesolak would like to take visits before making a college decision. “I’ll probably wait a little bit unless I feel like a place is home for me,” he said.

 

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Roach on CB's

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The 2022 class is starting to pick up some momentum with two new commitments in the 2022 class over the weekend. Business looks like it could really pick up this spring providing a strong foundation to Steve Sarkisian's first full recruiting cycle.

It's been a while since we've updated the status on several 2022 recruitments, and we thought today would be a good opportunity to update our picks and check to see where several prospects on the board are trending.

Where is the new Texas staff gaining steam and where are things slipping away?

In this edition of Crystal Ballin, Horns247's recurring gathering of recruiting intel and predictions, I update several picks and tell you where Texas is trending up and losing ground.

UPDATING PICKS
Landon Hullaby, S, Mansfield Timberview


Once Hullaby was re-offered by the Texas staff, it became a bit of a no-brainer to cast a pick in favor of the Longhorns. Hullaby’s brother Jaden is already in Austin, and Landon has been high on Texas for a while. With Blake Gideon re-engaging with Hullaby, Texas has to be considered the favorite going forward.

Pick: Texas

Bryce Anderson, S, Beaumont Westbrook


When Bryce Anderson decommitted from LSU, Texas A&M seemed to be the trendy pick, but Blake Gideon did a great job closing the gap in a short period of time. In fact, I’ve heard that Texas has all of the momentum in this one. Nick Harris entered a pick for the Longhorns on Friday and I’m going to join him with one of my own.

Pick: Texas


Kristopher Ross will make his decision this week (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
 

Chace Biddle, S, Garland


There was a time when it seemed Biddle would undoubtedly be part of the 2022 Texas class, but that seems to be changing rapidly. Biddle was a favorite of Jay Valai, but he’s yet to be re-offered by the Texas staff. Oklahoma is coming on strong, but Bama could be a major factor with Valai now on staff in Tuscaloosa.

Pick: Oklahoma

Kristopher Ross, DT, North Shore


Things moved quickly for rising defensive tackle Kristopher Ross who jumped onto the scene in his junior season. Texas, LSU and Oklahoma all offered recently and Ross decided he wanted to shut his recruitment down this Friday. Sources at North Shore are bullish on chances for Texas and I’ve heard enough to enter my pick for the Longhorns.

Pick: Texas

Evan Stewart, WR, Frisco Liberty


Texas was very close to securing a commitment from one of the fastest players in the country, but he decided to back off and take a wide-open look. From talking to sources near Stewart, he’s hit the reset on everything and is evaluating schools in a new light. Things likely won’t come into clarity for him until he can take visits. As of now, Georgia and TCU are new schools making inroads with Stewart and Texas has fallen back to the pack. We’ll see if things change as they often have in Stewart’s recruitment. I’m leaving my pick on Texas but dropping my confidence level to a 1.

Pick: Texas (lowered confidence level)


(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
Devon Campbell, OL, Arlington Bowie


I entered a pick for Texas to land Campbell last April, and I still feel good about where things stand right now. Campbell once had Texas far ahead of everyone else, and while he’s open to a lot of other schools right now, the combination of his original love for Texas and the presence of Kyle Flood still has Texas in a strong position. We will see how Texas can separate during the spring, but I still like my pick where it is.

Pick: Texas

Denver Harris, CB, North Shore


When I entered a pick for Texas to land Denver Harris last summer, the Longhorns were starting to trend for the five-star cornerback. A large part of that was due to his relationship with Jay Valai. Now Texas is re-racking with a brand-new staff and taking another shot at landing the North Shore star. Our sources tell us this could come down to an in-state battle between Texas and Texas A&M. No school seems to have the edge from what I’ve heard, so I’m leaving my pick on Texas but dropping my confidence level to a 1.

Pick: Texas (lowered confidence level)

TRENDING UP

(Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
 

Kam Dewberry, OL, Humble Atascocita


Kyle Flood and Steve Sarkisian have been able to make a strong impression quickly, and Dewberry is getting a strong press from Jaydon Blue right now. I still think it will be a tough fight to get him, but Texas is trending upwards in the race for one of the top offensive linemen in the state.

Kevin Coleman, WR, Saint Louis (MO.) St. Mary’s


Texas has been trending up in this race since Steve Sarkisian was hired, and now Texas can sell a quarterback Coleman will see out on the 7v7 circuit. That said, I’ve been told by sources near the five-star receiver that he isn’t considering a decision for a bit and wants to take visits before doing anything. Still, I think Texas has to like where they are here.

C.J. Williams, WR, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei


Like Coleman, Texas is also trending up for another elite out of state wide receiver in C.J. Williams. Williams was interested in Texas from the moment Steve Sarkisian was hired, and the commitment of Maalik Murphy will definitely help bolster the chances for him. Arkansas and USC will be tough to overcome but Texas is a legitimate contender.

Bryan Allen Jr., S, Aledo


When Allen decommitted from LSU, I was told that the SEC schools would be a major factor, but it could come down to an old fashioned Big 12 Red River showdown. Sources tell us that right now Texas and Oklahoma are the schools standing out for the rangy safety prospect. Blake Gideon has been mentioned as a difference-maker in this recruitment so far.


(Photo: Rusty Mansell, 247Sports)
 

Holden Staes, Atlanta (GA.) Westminster School


It’s still very early in this race, but I feel Texas has some chance to add the former Penn State tight end commit. Staes told Horns247 that his relationship with Jeff Banks is strong and he likes the potential fit in Sarkisian’s offense. There are still some hurdles for Texas, but this could be a national recruitment where Jeff Banks’ reputation as an ace recruiter on the trail pays off.

TRENDING DOWN
Justin Medlock, LB, Manvel


When Coleman Hutzler was in Austin, Texas had a good chance to land Manvel linebacker Justin Medlock. With the new staff in place, Medlock has yet to be re-offered. He will likely look elsewhere moving forward as the Longhorns prioritize other options.

Jaylen Early, OL, Duncanville


Early has yet to be re-offered by Kyle Flood and could be another player that looks elsewhere. Early would love to hear from the Longhorns, and things could change if Flood chooses to re-engage, but as of now it seems that Early will likely look elsewhere.


Austin Jordan (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

Martrell Harris, LB, The Woodlands


Like Medlock, Harris hasn’t been re-offered by the Texas staff at this point. The Longhorns weren’t in a great position anyway as Mississippi State and Texas A&M seemed to be grabbing the top position in his recruitment throughout the fall.

Austin Jordan, CB, Denton Ryan


Texas had a good shot at Jordan when they had Billy Bowman and Ja’Tavion Sanders both on board, but a split in the Denton Ryan pair plus interest from a few other schools is pushing the Longhorns down the priority list. Ohio State and Oklahoma are two schools I’ve heard as big contenders for Jordan, and it will be interesting to see how hard Texas pushes to get back in it.

 

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14 minutes ago, Teryor said:

Roach on CB's

 

Confidence 8 on Anderson is v nice. Don't like his view on Stewart and Harris though. I thought those were heavier leans than what he's indicating. Wonder if Valai to Bama hurts us with Harris. 

Also, CJ Williams has Arkansas as top 2? wtf

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1 minute ago, Tex-19 said:

Confidence 8 on Anderson is v nice. Don't like his view on Stewart and Harris though. I thought those were heavier leans than what he's indicating. Wonder if Valai to Bama hurts us with Harris. 

Also, CJ Williams has Arkansas as top 2? wtf

Baby Briles can coach and recruit. He's just an asshole.

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10 minutes ago, texifornia said:

TCU's in Stewart's ear? Time for Patterson to shit in our pool and drive him to the SEC.

The two new schools he mentioned are the biggest bag dropper in the country and the biggest negative recruiter of UT in the country, so that's fun. I doubt TCU had anything to do with him pulling back, but I figured bags entered the equation when he changed his mind so fast, especially with how his dad reacted to the news.  It sounded like a situation where a family member's looking to get paid. 

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How about we don't melt down about Stewart and Harris

Timelines are a far way off. It's normal for new schools to enter the picture when a prospect takes a step back. CTJ has said Stewart's recruitment is likely clean. If it's not, that's probably not disqualifying with the new staff. We're building the rest of the class now. We can wait to get emotionally invested in these two until the summer when they take visits. 

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5 minutes ago, UncleSonny said:

Yep, no fucking way Stewart picks TCU over a Sarkisian Texas team. Best Pat could hope for is to poison the well for Texas. 

As long as Malcolm Kelly is there, TCU won't be easy to deal with in WR recruiting. At the very least they'd be happy to push Stewart to Athens.

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Roach was also wayyy behind on Stewart last time around when he said he as shutting down his recruitment. Regardless, UGA is clearly entering the picture based on his twitter activity

And didn't IT or someone have Harris at 80% confidence after a recent call with Sark/TJ? Sounds like another source off

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  • closetojumping changed the title to Texas Recruiting Notes 2022 - Idiotic Slapfights Unrelated To 2022 Recruiting

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