Texas Football: 4 2021 prospects to pursue after Jeff Banks hire

4) 2021 prospects for Texas football to pursue with Banks

If the Longhorns are looking to build a solid foundation on the defensive side of the ball starting with the 2021 recruiting class, then building up this group in the trenches could be the way to go. Just in general, it’s hard to find a better spot to be dominant at (maybe beside the quarterback position) in any position group for a Power Five program than along the defensive line.

The problem that Sark and the Longhorns are going to face at this point of the offseason in terms of recruiting specific prospects with different skill sets along the defensive line is the lack of direction for a defensive coordinator hire. It’s hard to tell if Texas ultimately wants to stick with their now-former first-year defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chris Ash, or look elsewhere for this hire.

The coordinator hires in general will still take a bit to figure out.

Nonetheless, Sark and Banks would do well to zone in on targeting the underrated former Notre Dame Fighting Irish commit and four-star Mansfield Legacy strong-side defensive end David Abiara. This talented and lengthy 6-foot-4 and 250 pound native of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex doesn’t really look to have a solid program to sign with yet.

Texas is one of the three most recent schools to offer Abiara. And what helps out Texas if they get more firmly in the race to land a commitment from Abiara is the fact that Banks was one of the assistants pursuing him with Alabama.

Abiara ranks as the nation’s No. 358 2021 high school prospect, No. 24 strong-side defensive end, and No. 51 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the No. 40 strong-side defensive end and No. 104 prospect out of Texas.