Texas Basketball: 3 2022 commits Longhorns could get post-signing day

Kyran Ratliff, PF

I wanted to add one prospect to this list that has some potential to be the type of commitment that could have a higher ceiling to contribute to Texas in a meaningful way over the long haul. This is how someone like the underrated three-star Booker T. Washington power forward and Louisiana native Kyran Ratliff makes it onto this list.

Ratliff is not going to be the first prospect that Longhorns fans think about when pondering what target is next for Beard and his staff on the trail for the 2022 class post-Early Signing Period. But he is one that the Longhorns should turn to if they want to add some upside over the long haul and numbers in the 2022 class.

The recruitment of Ratliff thus far is one that heats up and cools down as time moves along. Most of his offers came during the summer of 2020. He’s got offers from the likes of the USC Trojans, Arkansas Razorbacks, Georgetown Hoyas, etc. But nothing has really stuck in terms of a major program giving him a lot of attention and energy.

What Ratliff really brings to the table is a 6-foot-8 and 190-pound power forward that is an excellent athlete, good defender, solid rebounder, and someone that has a consistently developing offensive game. Ratliff is one of the most underrated developing scorers among the non-blue-chip forwards in the 2022 cycle.

If there was one thing that former Texas head coach Shaka Smart did well (and I know Longhorns hoops fans don’t want to talk about him right now), it’s recruiting and lifting under-the-radar bigs from the recruiting trail. Texas did regularly produce NBA-caliber big men in this program during Smart’s tenure on the Forty Acres.

This should be one 2022 target that the staff considers if they need more numbers in this class.