Texas Football: Impact landing 3-Star TE Gunnar Helm brings for Longhorns
Where to go from here
Texas does get to fill a pretty large looming position of need in the 2021 class by landing this commitment from Helm. And they get one step closer to getting this group back into the top 10 in the national class rankings, and solidifying their lead above the rival Sooners at the top of the Big 12 rankings.
But the next step here for Texas is going to be actually hanging onto this commitment from an unheralded three-star tight end. There is the potential for Helm to be one of the gem finds in this class down the road for the Longhorns, since he fits into such a specific niche. The coaching staff has to work hard not just on retention in this class, but development on his speed and agility and even put on some size so he can excel more at the Power Five level as a run blocker.
This is usually no problem for Texas strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight to handle since he excels at getting prospects like Helm up to par in no time at all. And Texas does have enough depth at the top of the tight end depth chart right now to get Helm the ample time he needs to develop and get his body right.
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However, the question of where the Longhorns go from here for the 2021 class clears up a bit. They tackled one position of need and can now turn to a few others. Very realistically, Texas could land a commitment from the likes of three-star wide receiver Jaden Alexis, four-star linebacker Terrence Cooks, or three-star center Michael Myslinski in the near future.