Texas Football: 3 early enrollees who could breakout in spring camp

3) Early Texas football enrollees ready to breakout in spring

Derrick Harris Jr., Edge Rusher

One of the higher rated early enrollees from the Longhorns 2021 signing class is the talented four-star New Caney 6-foot-3 and 215 pound weak-side defensive end/edge rusher Derrick Harris Jr. As one of the early commits on the defensive side of the ball in the Longhorns 2021 class, Harris Jr. saw his recruiting ranking fluctuate quite a bit.

This spring will be the first time that he can prove his potential that he flashed during his time at New Caney High School while playing on the Forty Acres. Texas does need some new faces to step up in the trenches with the likes of senior defensive end Ta’Quon Graham, junior linebacker Ayodele Adeoye, and star junior edge rusher/outside linebacker Joseph Ossai all gone.

Getting the likes of former Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive end Ovie Oghoufo and LSU Tigers linebacker Ray Thornton out of the NCAA Transfer Portal will help. But Texas needs more long term solutions that could rise to the occasion this year such as sophomore defensive lineman Vernon Broughton, sophomore defensive end Prince Dorbah, and Harris Jr.

Harris Jr. is one of the more potent blue chip commits getting ready to participate in spring ball (which begins on March 23) for the Longhorns. He ranked as the nation’s No. 266 2021 high school prospect, No. 19 weak-side defensive end, and No. 41 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranked him as the No. 32 weak-side defensive end and No. 84 prospect out of Texas.