5 2022 early signees that can make an instant impact for Texas

Justice Finkley, Edge Rusher

Texas is definitely deepest in the trenches in the 2022 class on both sides of the ball. For a good while, the Longhorns were deepest in the 2022 class along the defensive front, specifically along the defensive line and among edge rushers, until the days leading up to the first signing period.

Defensive line coach Bo Davis did some great work recruiting for his position group this fall. And one of the big-time commits he got earlier in the fall came from the touted four-star Hewitt-Trussville (AL) edge rusher Justice Finkley. The 6-foot-2 and 255-pound Alabama native edge rusher is one of the highest-rated commits in the Longhorns 2022 class.

There are a number of commits in the Longhorns 2022 class along the defensive front that could make an early impact. But Finkley’s mature skill set and large frame make it so that it looks like he is a prime candidate to get some early reps in 2022 for the Longhorns compared to the rest of his competition.

Finkley’s strength and quickness off the line of scrimmage, combined with a wide array of moves to get around opposing offensive linemen quickly, makes him a threat to make an impact on the pass rush right away. And considering some of the inconsistencies that the Longhorns got from the linebacker position, and the lack of a pass rush in 2021, it would make sense that co-defensive coordinators/linebackers coaches Pete Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate move some personnel around.