The 2021 Texas football recruiting class does have a little bit of time to make up ground if they want to get another safety in the mix.
A sizable hit to the 2021 Texas football recruiting class arrived on Oct. 1, when they missed out on a commitment from hometown product and the 6-foot and 185 pound LBJ safety Andrew Mukuba. On the first day of October, the Austin, TX, native Mukuba picked to commit to head coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers over head coach Tom Herman and his 2021 Texas recruiting class.
Mukuba was maybe the most realistic shot that the Longhorns had to add an in-state blue chip defensive back commit to the 2021 class ahead of the Early Signing Period. But that’s what can happen when Texas doesn’t quite prioritize in-state prospects like Mukuba and a true power in the college football landscape like Clemson really does.
What Texas is missing out with Mukuba giving his commitment to Clemson is the nation’s No. 242 2021 high school prospect, No. 13 safety, and No. 43 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). The Top247 slotted Mukuba as the nation’s No. 212 high school prospect, No. 14 safety, and No. 36 prospect out of Texas.
Texas does currently have 18 commits in their 2021 class. Of those 18 commits, three are defensive backs. And all of those defensive back commits are blue chip prospects. Two are corners, and one is a safety. The lone safety commit in the class is four-star Kennedale product J.D. Coffey III.
If the Longhorns do want to add at least one more defensive back commit, particularly that can play safety, to the 2021 class then where do they go from here?
Here’s a look into three 2021 defensive back targets that the Longhorns can pursue further to try and get in their recruiting class since they missed out on Mukuba.
3) Texas football DB prospects: Jardin Gilbert
What should be considered the most notable defensive back prospect remaining uncommitted that the Longhorns should prioritize at this point in time (especially after missing out on Mukuba’s commitment) is four-star University Lab safety Jardin Gilbert. This 6-foot-1 and 175 pound safety hailing out of Baton Rouge, LA, is one of the rising talents at defensive back remaining uncommitted this far into the recruiting cycle.
Gilbert is still fairly underrated as far as the national recruiting landscape goes, but some outlets are starting to pick up on the talent that he brings to the table as a physical but versatile safety. The Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 162 2021 high school prospect, No. 9 safety, and No. 10 prospect out of Louisiana.
But the 247Sports Composite ranks Gilbert as the nation’s No. 368 2021 high school prospect, No. 25 safety, and No. 11 prospect out of Louisiana. 247Sports seems to be caught up more on the potential that Gilbert brings than others like Rivals and ESPN.
Gilbert does also have the fact that he already holds a Texas scholarship offer working in his favor. The Longhorns are one of 25 schools that sit on Gilbert’s offer sheet as of the afternoon of Oct. 5. Other highlighting schools on his offer sheet includes the Alabama Crimson Tide, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, Auburn Tigers, Baylor Bears, Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan State Spartans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ole Miss Rebels, and Virginia Tech Hokies.
There doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming amount of traction for Gilbert with any one school, but Texas would really have to pick up the pace to get more of his interest over to the Forty Acres.
2) Texas football DB prospects: Da’Veawn Armstead
The 2021 Texas recruiting class didn’t really look like it would be taking on anything outside of a blue chip commit at the safety position if they wanted to get two in the mix before the Early Signing Period. But missing out on prospects like Mukuba and Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex native Isaiah Nwokobia will get them to where they sit now.
If the Longhorns do really want to dig deep to find their next safety commit in the 2021 class, then a good place to look could be the under-the-radar 6-foot-1 and 180 pound three-star Central product out of Baton Rouge, LA, Da’Veawn Armstead.
As the first two names on the list are Louisiana natives, there are an abundance of SEC and Sun Belt programs after them. Armstead has less high-profile schools on his offer sheet than Gilbert, but he still brings more potential to the table than his recruiting ranking would indicate. There are 11 schools on his offer sheet as of Oct. 5. And Texas has not offered him yet.
The highlighting schools currently on Armstead’s offer sheet includes the Arkansas State Red Wolves, Colorado Buffaloes, Indiana Hoosiers, Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Memphis Tigers, Purdue Boilermakers, and SMU Mustangs. If Texas is actually trying to add at least one more safety in their 2021 class, then offering Armstead would make a lot of sense.
Armstead ranks as the nation’s No. 1,256 2021 high school prospect, No. 108 safety, and No. 39 prospect out of Louisiana (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 82 safety and No. 36 prospect out of Louisiana. In all likelihood, if Texas did offer and prioritize Armstead they could make a real run at landing a commitment from him.
1) Texas football DB prospects: Lyrik Rawls
Going the route of trying to get another prospect’s interests away from an in-state FBS program is one that the Longhorns have strayed to before under the direction of Herman. And one name that sticks out at the safety position that they could try and take this route with is three-star Marshall product Lyrik Rawls.
This 6-foot-1 and 180 pound defensive back product hailing out of Marshall, TX, currently doesn’t hold a scholarship offer from the Longhorns, just like Armstead. But there’s a good number of other Big 12 programs that are after his commitment just a couple of months ahead of the Early Signing Period.
Rawls currently holds offers from 13 schools, mostly from the Big 12 and around Texas. The highlighting schools on his offer sheet includes the Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oklahoma State Cowboys, TCU Horned Frogs, Mississippi State, Mizzou Tigers, Ole Miss, SMU, and Indiana.
Since SMU and TCU appear to be the two leaders at this point in time to land the commitment of Rawls, the Longhorns would have to get on pursuing him very soon. Rawls ranks as the nation’s No. 556 2021 high school prospect, No. 39 safety, and No. 79 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the No. 31 safety and No. 55 prospect out of Texas.