Texas Football: 3 potential 2021 flips for the Early Signing Period

Roughly 48 hours sits between the 2021 Texas football recruiting class and the start of the critical Early Signing Period, beginning on Dec. 16.

Just two days remain before the start of the Early Signing Period for fourth-year head coach Tom Herman and his 2021 Texas football recruiting class. With the Early Signing Period beginning on Dec. 16, there’s a lot that Herman and his staff have to get figured out on the recruiting trail in a very short period of time.

Texas didn’t have much consistency or success at all on the recruiting trail for their 2021 or 2022 class since the 2020 college football season began. The inconsistencies both on the field and on the recruiting trail is what put so much pressure on Herman’s hot seat in the last couple of months. But it does appear now that Herman will return for the Longhorns as head coach in 2021.

It’s hard to tell at this moment if Herman returning next year will have an overall positive impact on the recruiting trail heading into next offseason. Only time will tell with that.

But what needs to happen now for Herman and the Longhorns is a solid finish to this cycle ahead of the Early Signing Period. Texas currently holds 17 commits in their 2021 class, as of the early afternoon of Dec. 14. And the highest rated commit in the 2021 class is the elite five-star Denton-Ryan athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders.

According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2021 Texas recruiting class ranks at No. 17 in the nation and holds steady in the second spot in the Big 12 behind the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s not completely out of the question that the Longhorns get a top 10 ranked class in the nation when it’s all said and done for the 2021 cycle. But it would take a massive rally for Herman in the next couple of months to do so.

One way that Texas can get a boost to their 2021 class is by trying to flip a few commitments. If Texas can do that before or during the Early Signing Period, here’s a look into three potential targets to pursue further.