Texas Football Recruiting: 5 biggest misses for 2019 class

This 2019 Texas football recruiting class shaped out nicely after the Early Signing Period after it signed Hookfin to add to the offensive line depth. Running back is where the positional need lies, since the Horns whiffed on so many before the end of the Early Signing Period. Sanders wasn’t the only miss on the recruiting trail at running back that was very costly.

Moreover, even though four-star IMG Academy and Bradenton, FL, running back Noah Cain is the lowest rated prospect in this list, his miss came as the most shocking and detrimental. The No. 7 ranked 2019 high school running back prospect in the nation has the size and strength available to come in and be a consistent producer for the Texas ground game.

Yet, it was the Penn State Nittany Lions that added Cain on Dec. 19 after a late run in pursuit for his commitment. Cain was the last option that sounded good for this 2019 Texas football recruiting class. Falling behind Alabama in the pursuit of Cain’s running back teammate at IMG Academy, Sanders, meant the Horns had to put a ton of focus on his recruitment to get him over the likes of Penn State and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Penn State now has a loaded backfield set for the 2019 campaign, largely thanks to the haul from this recruiting cycle. Not only did head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions nab Cain, another Texas target at running back signed with Penn State. Four-star Devyn Ford also received an offer from the Horns, but signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Nittany Lions.