Texas football is ‘in the race’ to land skilled 4-Star TE Jaleel Skinner
One potential position of need for the 2022 Texas football recruiting class to hit on in the near future is at tight end. While Texas appears to be holding a good amount of depth at the tight end position on the current roster, they didn’t recruit any blue chips with this group in their 2021 class. They also could use a tight end more suited to the schemes that newly hired head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood will like to run.
Sark and the Longhorns got a huge jolt on the recruiting trail out of the gates for the 2022 and 2023 classes after he was hired to replace now former fourth-year head coach Tom Herman back on Jan. 2. Multiple blue chip commits arrived for each of the next two Longhorns recruiting classes in the couple of months that followed Sark’s hire.
But in the last few weeks, outside of one commitment from three-star North Shore defensive tackle Kristopher Ross, the results on the trail for Sark went mostly silent. Texas could have a big wave of momentum on the trail, though, once official visits resume and the dead period for contact ends this summer.
Official visits will resume for the first time since last spring, in the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, one key prospect for the Longhorns that the program appears to be making some headway with of late is the sizable 6-foot-5 and 210 pound Greer tight end/wide receiver Jaleel Skinner. More of a receiving tight end than blocking, Greer still has NFL level physical tools and could be an immediate threat in the passing game for Sark and Flood.
Importance of Jaleel Skinner to the 2022 Texas football recruiting class
Skinner would bring another level of skill position talent to the Longhorns 2022 class. The Greer, SC, native could join the likes of the elite five-star Junipero Serra pro-style quarterback Maalik Murphy and four-star Lewisville wide receiver Armani Winfield to continue elevating this class at the skill positions.
And according to a Horns247 report (paid content) on April 5, Texas is now firmly “in the race” to land a commitment from Skinner. Texas looks to be in the midst of a group of schools that includes the Florida Gators, Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, and maybe even the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the race for Skinner.
Texas is also reportedly expected to get a visit from Skinner at some point during the offseason. That will be key to get an official visit from Skinner this summer if Texas wants to stay in the thick of things to land a pledge from him.
As of the morning of April 6, the 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions have four expert picks mostly trending to the Gators. One of the expert Crystal Ball Predictions does favor Clemson to land his commitment.
Schools like Texas, Clemson, and Florida, are three of more than 20 schools to have offered Skinner thus far. Some other notable schools on his offer sheet include the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks, and Tennessee Volunteers.
Moreover, Skinner ranks as the nation’s No. 97 2022 high school prospect, No. 3 tight end, and No. 3 prospect out of South Carolina (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 86 high school prospect, No. 3 tight end, and No. 2 prospect out of South Carolina.
According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2022 Texas recruiting class now ranks at No. 8 in the nation and in the second spot in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma. Texas now holds commits from seven prospects in their 2022 class, with the latest coming from the three-star DT Ross.