OU tops Texas football in Big 12 recruiting rankings after last commit

The 2021 Texas football recruiting class started falling behind the Oklahoma Sooners in the national class rankings over the weekend.

Just before the start of the 2020 college football season, head coach Tom Herman and his staff are trying to make sure the 2021 Texas football recruiting class is pieced together in the best fashion possible. But Herman surely had a roller coaster ride on the recruiting trail this offseason, even looking outside of the impact from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Texas added key commitments over the offseason, like that from the nation’s top ranked 2022 prospect and five-star Southlake Carroll pro-style quarterback Quinn Ewers. But they also lost out on top targets/commits like four-star Katy Tompkins dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe and the highly coveted Brockermeyer brothers.

To try and get some level of quarterback depth back in the 2021 class, the Longhorns were able to turn their fortunes around fast on the trail by flipping three-star Austin High pro-style quarterback Charles Wright from the Iowa State Cyclones on Aug. 22. Wright isn’t nearly in the same realm as Milroe in the recruiting rankings, but he should be able to help bridge the gap until Ewers arrives on the Forty Acres.

Losing out on the commitment of Milroe to the Alabama Crimson Tide definitely cost the Longhorns in the national class rankings, though. While there is more to the bigger picture on the recruiting trail than just a few spots in the national class rankings, it is important to stockpile as much talent as possible at positions of need each and every cycle.

Getting as far out ahead beyond the rest of the Big 12 is also important for the Longhorns, whenever possible. But the Longhorns are starting to fall behind the rival Oklahoma Sooners in both the Big 12 and national class rankings as we near the start of the 2020 season.

According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2021 Texas recruiting class ranks at No. 15 in the nation and sits one spot behind Oklahoma in the Big 12. Oklahoma ranks at No. 14 in the national class rankings. What pushed them above Texas was both the flipping of Milroe from the Longhorns to Crimson Tide, and Oklahoma landing a commitment from four-star Highland Springs weak-side defensive end Kelvin Gilliam. That commitment from Gilliam came back on Aug. 22.

Oklahoma has 14 commits in their 2021 class. Of those 14 commits, one is a five-star prospect and seven are four-stars. Texas has 17 commits in their 2021 class. They have one five-star commit in Denton-Ryan athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders. And they have eight four-star commits in the 2021 class.

Where can the Longhorns go from here to possibly surpass Oklahoma in the national class rankings? Landing a commitment from someone like five-star Lakeview Centennial running back Camar Wheaton or four-star Cy Fair rusher L.J. Johnson could be a good way to go.