The 2022 Texas football recruiting could see a really nice upward trend in the near future after the hire of new head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Once the hire was initially announced for this program that the current Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator and Broyles Award winner Steve Sarkisian last weekend, there were a lot of mixed reactions. But there definitely seems to be a lot more positivity on the recruiting trail than we’ve seen in a long time on the Forty Acres following the hire of Sark, and the firing of now former fourth-year head coach Tom Herman. The 2022 Texas football recruiting class could be a big benefactor of that hire.
Herman and the Longhorns didn’t find much traction on the recruiting trail for the 2022 class over the last few months. It all started to go bad when the elite five-star Southlake Carroll pro-style quarterback Quinn Ewers decommitted from the Longhorns 2022 class back in late October, less than three full months after he originally gave his pledge to Herman.
Texas lost most of their once promising 2022 recruiting class in a matter of hours in late October. All that remains now in their 2022 class is the talented four-star Memorial cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau. If Ewers had remained committed to Texas through the end of the 2020 season, this class might be something really special at the moment.
But after the hire of Sark, things might start to improve on the trail for the 2022 class in the very near future. Texas definitely needs a spark on the trail soon to start building up this class again.
Here’s a look at three prospects that could be trending to the Longhorns for the 2022 class following the hire of Sark as the next head coach.
3) 2022 prospects trending Texas football after Sark hire
The prospect on this list among the three for the 2022 recruiting cycle that is most likely not to land with the Longhorns is the talented four-star Atascocita 6-foot-4 and 315 pound offensive tackle Kam Dewberry. This in-state product was trending to head coach Jimbo Fisher and the rival Texas A&M Aggies for a good while now.
But a change in coaching regimes on the Forty Acres might be just what the Longhorns need to get back in the race to land a commitment from Dewberry. Although he did recently include Texas in his top 10 finalist schools in his latest cut on social media, the Longhorns didn’t seem to be a front runner like the Aggies.
Texas A&M and Texas are two of more than 30 schools that have sent Dewberry a scholarship offer as of the night of Jan. 6. The other highlighting schools on his offer sheet includes the Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, LSU Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Penn State Nittany Lions, Tennessee Volunteers, and the USC Trojans.
Alabama is another school that made Dewberry’s top 10 finalist schools in his latest cut. And one of the assistants pursuing him was the recently hired former Alabama offensive line coach Kyle Flood. As the first major addition among the assistants to Sark’s Texas coaching staff, Flood could make a splash in the trenches for the 2022 class in the near future.
Moreover, Dewberry ranks as the nation’s No. 115 2022 high school prospect, No. 11 offensive tackle, and No. 19 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 208 high school prospect, No. 19 offensive tackle, and No. 29 prospect out of Texas.
2) 2022 prospects trending Texas football after Sark hire
If Texas can get a commitment from the elite four-star Cy-Fair running back prospect LJ Johnson in their 2021 class, then the pipeline of talent at this position on the Forty Acres would be truly special. Texas has a real shot to still land Johnson ahead of National Signing Day 2021, largely since Sark retained running backs coach Stan Drayton this week.
However, other big time running back targets have already emerged for the Longhorns in their 2022 class within the last few months at the very least. One of those big time targets for the 2022 recruiting cycle at the running back position is the four-star Klein Cain product Jaydon Blue.
And the odds at the moment look good for Sark and the Longhorns to get a commitment from Blue to add more to the skill positions in the 2022 class.
Texas is one of more than 30 schools that have sent Blue a scholarship offer thus far. The other highlighting schools on his offer sheet includes the Georgia Bulldogs, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Michigan Wolverines, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Oregon Ducks, Penn State, Stanford Cardinal, Texas A&M, and USC.
Moreover, Blue ranks as the nation’s No. 60 2022 high school prospect, No. 4 running back, and No. 11 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 69 high school prospect, No. 4 running back, and No. 13 prospect out of Texas.
What bodes well for Texas in the pursuit of landing Blue’s commitment is the fact that Sark was pursuing him pretty hard at Alabama.
1) 2022 prospects trending Texas football after Sark hire
One position group that the Longhorns didn’t do great in for the last two recruiting classes (2020 and 2021) is tight end. Texas didn’t really come close to landing a four-star signee at tight end in the last two classes, but that could all change now in the 2022 cycle.
A target that emerged early on at tight end for the Longhorns 2022 class is the sizable 6-foot-4 and 220 pound Dickinson product Donovan Green. The Texas native is one of the premier versatile tight end prospects in this cycle so far.
And both Texas and Alabama pursued Green pretty hard in the last few months. This is another case of hiring Sark going well for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail for the 2022 cycle.
Texas and Alabama are two of more than a whopping 40 schools that have offered Green as of the night of Jan. 6. The other highlighting schools on his offer sheet includes Florida, Oklahoma, the Ole Miss Rebels, Texas A&M, USC, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, and Tennessee.
Moreover, Green ranks as the nation’s No. 106 2022 high school prospect, No. 3 tight end, and No. 18 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 87 high school prospect, No. 2 tight end, and No. 17 prospect out of Texas.