On the night of Oct. 6, the 2022 Texas football recruiting class was able to add a huge commitment from the touted four-star Spearman (TX) athlete/wide receiver Brenen Thompson. This big addition to the 2022 class for new head coach Steve Sarkisian gets Texas one step closer to rounding out this group a couple of months ahead of the Early Signing Period. And more could be to come in the very near future.
After landing this commitment from Thompson this week, the Longhorns 2022 class is now up to 22 commits. And Thompson is now the highest-ranked of the bunch, topping four-star Aledo safety commit Bryan Allen Jr. But this is just one step for the Longhorns to truly put the right finishing touches on the 2022 class.
Texas still has a few very important remaining 2022 prospects left on the board this fall. And a lot of those will be in attendance as Texas faces each of the Oklahoma schools in the next two weekends. Since Texas is technically the home team in the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma this weekend, they will get an allotment of tickets to host some key visitors.
And then, Texas has another important looming visit weekend when they host the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Austin on Oct. 16. We should continue to see a lot of action on the recruiting trail for the next few weeks in the Longhorns 2022 class.
Here’s a look into a few key targets on the recruiting trail that could be the next to commit in the Longhorns 2022 class this fall.
Jaleel Skinner, TE
I would say that, of the three prospects on this list, the extremely highly-touted four-star IMG Academy tight end Jaleel Skinner is the least likely for Texas to get a commitment out of. The reason Skinner makes this list in the first place is that there is a sneaky chance for the Longhorns to snatch his commitment from the Alabama Crimson Tide.
And Skinner is the next major prospect up for the Longhorns 2022 class that has a decision date set. Skinner is set to announce his decision on Oct. 8, which was slightly pushed back from his original late September decision date.
Who’s next up for Texas football after landing a commitment from 4-Star WR/ATH Brenen Thompson?
Alabama does look to be the favorite at the moment to win over the commitment of Skinner. There are three or four other schools that technically look to still be alive for his commitment. But the three to watch outside of Alabama, if Skinner does surprise with his decision heading into the weekend, are the Miami Hurricanes, Clemson Tigers, and Texas.
If Skinner does go away from the Crimson Tide with his commitment, it would likely fall to either Miami or Texas. At least that’s what most indications are pointing to.
Banks made Skinner a top priority heading into the fall, and his most recent unofficial or official visit came with Miami late last month.
Skinner would be a surprise commitment for the Longhorns, but a welcome one. While it seems like less than a 25 percent chance at this point that Texas gets a pledge from Skinner, this is still an upcoming decision date worth watching on the Forty Acres.
Arlis Boardingham, ATH
Texas has long kept the three-star Birmingham (CA) athlete Arlis Boardingham on their radar. But it feels like Boardingham has remained more of a backup option if things don’t work out with other top prospects that are still left on the board for the Longhorns 2022 class, such as five-star linebacker Harold Perkins and four-star athlete Larry Turner-Gooden.
Nonetheless, it feels like there is a bit of a resurgence from the Texas coaching staff in pursuing Boardingham. New special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jeff Banks has kept in periodic contact with Boardingham. The same could be said for the likes of the USC Trojans, Colorado Buffaloes, Virginia Cavaliers, and Arizona State Sun Devils.
Even the Ohio State Buckeyes and Boise State Broncos still look to be alive in the race to land a commitment from Boardingham.
It’s hard to tell exactly when Boardingham will announce his decision. But this does seem like a recruitment that could turn in Texas’ favor at any point in time this fall. Texas has kept him as at least a moderate priority throughout much of this recruiting cycle.
If Texas keeps in constant contact with Boardingham this fall, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him make a visit before the end of the season. A visit with USC is also very likely, since that is the most recent big-time offer he’s received.
Boardingham could play at wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, or edge rusher for the Longhorns. The 6-foot-5 and 220-pound California native is one of the more versatile prospects left on the board for the Longhorns 2022 class at this point of the fall.
Devon Campbell, IOL
There are a host of key visiting prospects to watch for Sark and the Longhorns this weekend as the team is set to take on Oklahoma in the annual Red River Rivalry game. Among the 2022 visiting prospects in-state, it will be really important to watch what happens with two elite five-star prospects.
Those two key five-star prospects to watch that are visiting for Red River this weekend are Frisco-Liberty wide receiver Evan Stewart and Bowie interior offensive lineman Devon Campbell.
Likely the top remaining trio of prospects on the board at this point of the cycle for the Longhorns 2022 class are Stewart, Campbell and the elite five-star North Shore cornerback Denver Harris. Two of those three are visiting for one or both of the Longhorns’ games in the next two weeks.
But it seems like the one that Texas could most realistically get a commitment out of in the not too distant future this fall is Campbell. Texas could really lock in on Campbell with a win over Oklahoma this weekend. And if new offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood continues to place a top level of priority on Campbell, it feels like only a matter of time before he lands with the Longhorns.
It is key to watch how Alabama starts trending in the eyes of Campbell since he was in Tuscaloosa for an official visit for the Ole Miss Rebels game last weekend. He’s also got a visit on the books with the LSU Tigers for late November. There is a chance that Campbell could decide before late November if Texas can continue to elevate his interests in coming to the Forty Acres.