Texas Football: 3 biggest disappointments for Herman in 2021 class

3) Biggest 2021 Texas football recruiting disappointments

Seeing OU and Texas A&M sit in the top 10 of the national class rankings

If the Longhorns can’t find a way to crack the top 10 of the national class rankings by the time National Signing Day 2021 arrives, it would be the first full cycle where that happened for this program under Herman’s direction. Texas finished up with the No. 8 class in the nation for the 2020 recruiting cycle, and ranked in the top three in the two prior years.

Oklahoma and head coach Lincoln Riley got a really nice boost into the top 10 of the national class rankings, and in the top spot in the Big 12 for this cycle, when they flipped the commitment of the former Texas pledge and four-star Denton-Ryan athlete Billy Bowman Jr. Riley and the Sooners were able to target Bowman once again when he decommitted from Texas back in early October.

And then it wouldn’t even be three months before he was committed and signed to the Longhorns rival Oklahoma. What Texas lost in this elite in-state product is the nation’s No. 38 2021 high school prospect, No. 2 athlete, and No. 7 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). He was the second highest rated commit in the Texas 2021 class, behind his teammate Sanders, heading into the fall.

And the Texas A&M Aggies wound up two spots higher in the national class rankings than even Oklahoma. Texas A&M holds the No. 7 slot in the nation, with one five-star commit and 13 four-stars. Texas’ rivals doing so well in the national picture does have to sting for Herman and his coaching staff.