Texas Football Recruiting: 5 underrated prospects to pursue for 2019 class

The only four-star 2019 high school prospect on this list is also one that could bolster a huge position of need for the Horns. The 2019 Texas football recruiting class needs a boost at linebacker, and four-star St. Louis, MO, inside linebacker Shammond Cooper could provide this group exactly what it needs.

This standout Trinity Catholic inside linebacker is a top 300 2019 high school prospect in the nation and rated in the top 20 at his position. Texas starts to thin out at linebacker next off-season. The losses of senior linebackers Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler is going to hurt and the Horns need to rejuvenate the depth chart at that level of the defense.

However, the issue that the Horns will run into with Cooper is that he resides in Big Ten territory and one school in that conference in particular is trying to lock down on his commitment. Former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith and the Illinois Fighting Illini are building a surprising solid 2019 recruiting class and are looking to add Cooper when it’s all said and done.

According to the 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions, Cooper pretty much has a guaranteed chance at giving his pledge to Illinois. That doesn’t mean that head coach Tom Herman and the Horns are going to give up on this talented four-star inside linebacker without a fight. Texas sits alongside the Oklahoma Sooners and Arkansas Razorbacks as the schools that are waiting to strike for Cooper if Illinois falls behind in his pursuit.