Nation's No. 1 Offensive Lineman Devon Campbell Is Officially A Longhorn
AUSTIN -- Texas Longhorns offensive line coach Kyle Flood's momentum continues to roll.
The Longhorns landed one of its biggest targets in the 2022 class on Wednesday when Bowie (Arlington, TX) guard/tackle Devon Campbell signed his letter of intent.
Campbell will join tackles Kelvin Banks, Malik Agbo, Cameron Williams, and interior linemen Neto Umeozulu, Cole Hutson, and Conner Robertson in what is arguably the best offensive line haul in program history.
The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Campbell ranks as the nation's No. 1 offensive lineman, regardless of position, and the nation's No. 13 overall player, per SI All-American's SI99 rankings.
"Texas is really a good school," Campbell told Longhornscountry.com last spring. "I like the colors because my school is the same colors as Texas so, I think that wouldn’t be a big leap of something different going into football."
Texas was far from the only elite program chasing Campbell, however, with Alabama, LSU, USC, and Oklahoma, each making a push down the stretch.
Campbell had narrowed down that list, with Texas and Oklahoma making the final cut, before ultimately choosing the Longhorns.
At first glance, it looked like those schools, especially the likes of Alabama and LSU, could have had the advantage over the Longhorns, with Campbell's priorities focused on the program that he feels is best to get him to the next level.
However, there were other contributing factors as well.
"Producing me on and off the field, developing me, and getting me ready to get to the next level," Campbell said. "I also want to see the life of a student, more than being just a football player there."
You can view Sports Illustrated recruiting expert John Garcia's full scouting report of Campbell below:
We may run out of space on the assignment of things to like about Devon Campbell on tape and as a senior, where he cemented his status as the nation's No. 1 interior offensive line recruit. In the summer we suspected he would but he left no doubt in 2021 from the preseason through the All-America Game week in January. Campbell is a line prospect with balance, body control and some of the best feet in the trenches relative to a 300-plus pound frame. What he lacks in length, he makes up for with technique, hands and a redirection game that likens him to a full back as much as it does an interior talent. There is efficiency and polish throughout his game to the point he is not built to sit around in college.
There's a play on his tape where lined up at right tackle, pulled to his weak side before chipping one defender, pancaking the next and then all but escorting the running back 68 yards into the end zone in a dead sprint. We don't do one play evaluations at SI but if we did, that one would be it. Campbell has the motor, elite footwork, punch and leverage to master the interior of the offensive line and a college weight room will only build on the strengths. He lacks tackle length and that's about the only knock on the future Longhorn we can dig up. He carries his weight well, plays with incredible intensity and has starting experience across the line in a talent-rich state like Texas. Campbell is the top lineman in the SI99 rankings for a reason and his most recent samples haven't given a single reason to change our collective mind.
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