Texas Football: Elite speed added with 4-Star WR Brenen Thompson

In a key commitment on the night of Oct. 6, the 2022 Texas football recruiting class added yet another blue-chip at the skill positions with four-star Spearman (TX) athlete/wide receiver Brenen Thompson. Texas and new head coach Steve Sarkisian added a huge commitment to the 2022 class this week from Thompson to bring the numbers in this group one closer to two-dozen.

Thompson announced his commitment to the Longhorns by way of a broadcast live on CBS Sports HQ on Oct. 6. He chose to commit to Texas over the likes of the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas A&M Aggies. Texas, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M were his top three schools since he narrowed his list on Aug. 20.

This was good work by new special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jeff Banks and second-year wide receivers coach Andre Coleman to win over the commitment of Thompson. There were times when the likes of the Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma State looked like the frontrunners with Thompson.

There were a ton of competing schools on the recruiting trail that had solid pitches to Thompson were putting a ton of effort and attention into him. But Texas was able to win this one over this week.

The last visit that Thompson took was an official back on Sep. 18 on the weekend of the final non-conference game of the regular season, which came against the Rice Owls.

Thompson actually immediately becomes the highest-ranked commitment in the Longhorns 2022 class. He takes that spot from the four-star Aledo safety commit Bryan Allen Jr.

There is also no one else in this 2022 class that has the type of speed and elusiveness that Thompson brings to the table for this receiving corps. He runs around a 21-second 200-meter dash, and he hovers around 10 seconds in the 100-meter. Thompson is the 3A state champion in the 200-meter dash too.

Thompson does not currently play against a high level of competition at Spearman. But Texas got a gem find in their 2021 signing class with the underrated four-star Hallettsville running back Jonathon Brooks. Thompson could provide a ton of value to this program in the coming years too.

At 5-foot-10 and 165-pounds, Thompson will have to put on more size before he’s ready to get regular game reps at Texas. But the former four-star Michigan Wolverines commit and true freshman standout wide receiver Xavier Worthy stands at only 6-foot and 165-pounds. And he’s already making a big impact for Texas this fall.

This is also the prototypical athlete that Sark and the Longhorns are now going after for his offensive scheme heading into the future.

The other biggest wide receiver target remaining on the board for the Longhorns 2022 class, the elite five-star Frisco-Liberty product Evan Stewart, is also of a similar build and skill set in a way to Worthy and Thompson.

It is also exciting to think about all the ways that Texas can utilize Thompson. Sark likes to get Worthy and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Whittington out in the open field with shorter intermediate routes, jet sweeps, and glance routes when the defense starts to shade down. That is something that likely drew Thompson to want to play for Sark and the Longhorns.

Thompson could also be a future special teams threat for the Longhorns. This type of agility and elusiveness, combined with raw open-field speed, is something that tends to bode well for a special teams weapon.

Recruiting at wide receiver could really pick up for the Longhorns 2022 class this fall. Texas had two big-time wideout targets to get in the 2022 class heading into the fall, and one is now committed.

Thompson also helps the overall standing of the 2022 class. He ranks as the nation’s No. 87 2022 high school prospect, No. 11 wide receiver, and No. 14 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 140 high school prospect, No. 23 wide receiver, and No. 25 prospect out of Texas.

Texas is now up to 22 commits in the 2022 class. According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2022 Texas recruiting class now ranks at No. 2 in the nation, only behind the Penn State Nittany Lions.