Texas Basketball: 3 rival commits Chris Beard could flip

Back on April 1, the trajectory of the Texas basketball program changed likely for the better with the hiring of the former Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard to assume the same role on the Forty Acres. Beard is set to replace the now-former sixth-year Texas head coach Shaka Smart after he bolted from Austin to take the same role with the Marquette Golden Eagles.

It was back on March 26 that Smart left Austin after six years as the Longhorns head coach to take the job with Marquette out of the Big East in his home state of Wisconsin. Smart left Austin before Texas athletic director Chris del Conte was able to publicly announce anything regarding his job status following a disappointing end to last season in March Madness.

The 2020-21 campaign ended for Smart and the Longhorns on a sour note after getting upset in the Round of 64 by the 14-seed Abilene Christian Wildcats and head coach Joe Golding.

What’s ahead for Chris Beard and Texas basketball?

Beard and the Longhorns faced a lot of roster attrition and volatility on the recruiting trail following his hire more than two weeks ago. But a big week last week for Beard out of the NCAA Transfer Portal helped to provide a clearer picture for what the roster will look like next season.

Texas also got some help on the recruiting trail for their 2021 class, after losing all previous signings in the last few weeks, when they flipped the commitment of the elite four-star John Paul II small forward Jaylon Tyson. There still needs to be some help for the Longhorns program before the start of next season with so many losses, and a lone commitment from Tyson in the 2021 class.

Here’s a look at three potential commitment flips that Beard and the Longhorns could look into this offseason for additional roster help.