Texas Football Recruiting: 2019 OT Isaiah Hookfin fills need, signs with Longhorns

An absolutely massive addition gave the 2019 Texas football recruiting class its third signee along the offensive line with four-star Isaiah Hookfin.

By far the biggest news that came about for this 2019 Texas football recruiting class during the Early Signing Period, as of the morning of Dec. 21, was the commitment and signing of four-star in-state offensive tackle Isaiah Hookfin.

In a surprise announcement on Dec. 21, the Texas football recruiting class added its third offensive lineman when Hookfin decided to sign with them over the Baylor Bears. He’s likely to be the only add for this 2019 Texas football recruiting class on the final day of the Early Signing Period. All in all, he could be the only add for this class during the entirety of the Early Signing Period.

On the first day of the Early Signing Period, Hookfin appeared to be one of the major Texas football recruiting targets that was shying away and trending toward Baylor. The decision of Hookfin, on the first Early Signing Day, to push his announcement back looked to be a good bit of news for the Texas Longhorns. That wound up being true since he signed with the Horns on the morning of the final day of the Early Signing Period, Dec. 21.

Hookfin becomes the 22nd signee in this 2019 Texas football recruiting class. The only unsigned recruit of the class remains to be the four-star Houston, TX, and North Forest High School offensive tackle Javonne Shepherd. With Hookfin now signed, the priority for head coach Tom Herman and offensive line coach Herb Hand should be signing Shepherd.

However, this huge news for the Horns gives an exciting end to a roller coaster ride on the recruiting trail during the month of December. In effect, the 2019 Texas football recruiting class was able to steal away a commit from Baylor, when that happened to them earlier in the month. Four-star athlete Peyton Powell decommitted from the Horns and wound up signing with Baylor on the first Early Signing Day. Texas football recruiting flipped the script in regard to Hookfin.

Not only is this Hookfin news huge for the Horns, it could be the biggest storyline on the final day of the Early Signing Period altogether. Texas gets a talented Dulles High School product that could be an early impact type player on the offensive line.

What Hookfin brings for the Horns is tremendous size and strength, at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, and a motor that doesn’t stop. He does still need to put on some weight before he gets the chance to start on the Forty Acres, but that should come along pretty quick under strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight.

Moreover, Texas landed Hookfin over the likes of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Illinois Fighting Illini, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Arizona State Sun Devils, Auburn Tigers, and Baylor. Hookfin held more than 20 offers altogether, and the late run for the Horns proved to pay dividends to cap off the Early Signing Period.

This signing of Hookfin leaves offensive line as a need still open, but it has been mitigated quite a bit. Hookfin joins a group of three offensive tackle commits that could make a huge impact in the next two years. The biggest task remaining for the 2019 Texas football recruiting class for Herman is is landing another running back now.