SI All-American watch list: 13 Texas Longhorn commits and 32 key UT Targets Named
Texas athlete commit Ja'Tavion Sanders headlines a list of 13 current University of Texas verbal pledges in the 2021 recruiting class.
Sanders is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect from Denton Ryan High School just north of Dallas. He chose the Longhorns all the way back in September of 2019 and is considered one of the cornerstones of the entire class.
He has tight end size, wide receiver speed and defensive lineman physicality.
While he projects as a blue-chip prospect at a couple of positions, many believe he will play the Longhorns' hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end position where his pass-rushing skills should get a chance to shine through.
He's already committed to play in the Under Armor All American game
Considering seven new assistant coaches joining the staff since the end of the 2019 regular season, the Texas Longhorns have made significant strides on the recruiting front since the first of the year.
The program always puts a heavy emphasis on locking down as much talent as possible inside the borders of Texas, but the new coaching staff has opened up some other territories and allowed the Longhorns to make some headway with players in parts of the country they don't normally get into. Head coach Chris Ash and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai both came from Rutgers and have heavy ties to the Northeast. The Longhorns have made several key offers along the Eastern seaboard in recruiting hotbeds like the DC area in particular.
The program has secured nine verbal pledges since the start of 2020 and currently sit at 14 overall for the class.
Offensive commitments
Katy Tompkins (Texas) quarterback Jalen Milroe
Katy (Texas) offensive tackle Hayden Conner
Fort Worth (Texas) athlete Juan Davis
Hallettsville (Texas) running back Jonathon Brooks
Warren Easton (Louisiana) receiver Casey Cain
Defensive commitments
Denton (Texas) athlete Ja'Tavion Sanders
Denton (Texas) athlete Billy Bowman
Kennedale (Texas) safety JD Coffey
Dallas (Texas) cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem
Port Arthur (Texas) defensive end Jordon Thomas
New Caney (Texas) defensive end Derrick Harris Jr.
Pasadena (Texas) cornerback Jamier Johnson
Arlington (Texas) outside linebacker Morice Blackwell
Offensive targets
Lakview Centennial (Texas) running back Camar Wheaton
All Saints Episcopal (Texas) offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer
All Saints Episcopal (Texas) center James Brockermeyer
Cypress Fair (Texas) running back LJ Johnson
Royse City (Texas) receiver Ketron Jackson
Katy (Texas) offensive guard Bryce Foster
Duncanville (Texas) offensive tackle Savion Byrd
Alexandria (Virginia) receiver Malcom Johnson Jr.
Kosciusko (Mississippi) receiver Antonio Harmon
Monarch (Florida) receiver Jaden Alexis
Lewis Central (Iowa) tight end Thomas Fidone
Grandview (Texas) tight end Dametrious Crownover
Denton (Texas) offensive tackle Erick Cade
Defensive targets
Austin (Texas) safety Andrew Mukuba
Highlind Springs (Virginia) defensive end Kelvin Gilliam
Houma (Louisiana) defensive tackle Maason Smith
Texarkana (Texas) defensive end Marcus Burris
DeSoto (Texas) defensive end Shemar Turner
Pearland (Texas) outside linebacker Terrance Cooks
Los Angeles (California) cornerback Ceyair Wright
Texarkana (Texas) defensive end Clayton Smith
Centennial (California) defensive end Korey Foreman
Eastside Catholic (Washington) defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau
Greensboro (North Carolina) defensive tackle Payton Page
Duncanville (Texas) inside linebacker Kendrick Blackshire
Dallas (Georgia) outside linebacker Smael Mondon
Upland (California) outside linebacker Jonathan Flowe
Covington (Georgia) cornerback Nyland Green
Atlanta (Georgia) cornerback Nathaniel Wiggins
Highland Springs (Virginia) cornerback Damond Harmon
Lafayette (Louisiana) safety Sage Ryan
Tallahassee (Florida) safety Terrion Arnold
More than 1,000 student-athletes, representing every state in the country, are SI All-American candidates. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages, broken down by state, at SIAllAmerican.com.
Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.
The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr.
The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.
