Where does Texas Stand In the 2022 Recruiting Cycle?
Texas's 2022 recruiting class has already changed so much since the beginning of the cycle.
Texas's first two verbal commits are no longer in the 2022 class. Along with Phaizon Wilson, the class’s number one overall player, quarterback Quinn Ewers de-committed and took his talents to Ohio State.
Following Ewers’s de-commitment, the class’s future looks grim. Texas was no longer attracting top prospects.
Despite Ewers's de-commitment, the Longhorns were able to keep 4-star cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau in the class. Guilbeau flirted with de-committing after Tom Herman was fired. He was worried that the new staff would not see him as a priority, but his concerns were alleviated after talking with new head coach Steve Sarkisian.
READ MORE: Meet Longhorns 10-Step Dream Of Recruits For 2022
Texas’s 2022 recruiting class was revamped immediately after Sarkisian was hired.
Top 100 wide receiver Armani Winfield Jr. called Texas wide receivers coach Andre Coleman during halftime of the College Football Playoff National Championship to commit to Texas.
Winfield committed in large part due to the magic show put on by coach Sarkisian and his receivers. Sarkisian was lucky because Armani was holding off on giving a decision to Ohio State.
Andre Coleman is one of two coaches Sarkisian retained from Tom Herman's staff, the other being running backs coach Stan Drayton.
Sarkisian kept Coleman on staff largely due to his long-lasting relationships with Winfield Jr. and many other Texas receivers. Keeping Coleman on staff quickly proved beneficial with Winfield’s commitment.
READ MORE: 'Texas Beats Oklahoma'? In Recruiting, Not Quite Yet
Texas’s most recent commit, #1 in-state running back Jaydon Blue, remained confident in his decision to play for Texas because of his rapport with current Texas running back’s coach Stan Drayton. Drayton had a more developed relationship with Blue than any other school that was recruiting him.
Sarkisian is still playing from behind with lots of targets on his board. While at one point it looked like Ewers's de-commitment and 2020’s failures would jeopardize Texas's recruiting pull with in-state talent, Sarkisian and his staff are quickly making up ground.
Now, with Sarkisian at the helm and an elite recruiting staff, Texas is once again shaping up to build an elite 2022 class.
