Commitment Spotlight: Jaylen Garth

Texas quarterback signee Roschon Johnson enjoyed a decorated high school career at Port Neches-Grove, putting up video game numbers and proving himself to be one of the top quarterbacks in the state. Johnson enjoyed playing behind an offensive line that featured one of the best tackle prospects in the state for the 2020 class, Jaylen Garth. Garth quickly found himself on Texas’ radar, and Herb Hand wasted no time in prioritizing him, earning a commitment from another important piece to the offensive line puzzle.

Garth is currently ranked as the 37th best offensive tackle in the country and the 43rd best prospect in Texas. He held offers from Texas A&M, Alabama, Houston, Ohio State and Arkansas.

[one-half-first]

Pros:

• Garth uses his hands really well to move defenders with ease and is able to steer them where he wants to take them.
• His pass protection is further along than many high school offensive lineman. His feet help him keep a good base.
• He always does an excellent job of finishing his blocks, particularly in the run game. He frequently finds himself in the second level and will put defenders on their backs.
• Garth is explosive off the ball and is quick to latch on his man and move bodies. He has very little wasted effort in his steps.
• Very athletic. Garth moves well and is able to get a hat on multiple defenders in the same play. [/one-half-first]

[one-half]

Cons:

• Garth profiles more as a RT or interior player as opposed to someone who could protect Roschon Johnson’s blind side. Playing LT at his current height and weight would be a tall task.
• He has a tendency to play too high from time to time, which he will need to avoid at the next level. [/one-half]

Summary

When you turn on the film, the first thing that stands out about Garth is his finishing ability. Whether it is in the run or pass game, Garth always seems to finish plays on top of defenders. He does an excellent job of playing through the whistle and displaying the type of physicality required in the trenches. Garth’s footwork is good, but he will need to maintain it as he bulks up with Yancy McKnight. A huge positive for Garth is that the offense Port Neches-Grove ran featured a lot of similar concepts shared by the Texas offense, which should make his transition to the college game a little smoother.

There is not a lot to dislike about Garth’s game. Like many high school lineman, there are times he relies on his size and strength to win at the point of attack, but many of the fundamentals his displays projects for future success, even when matched up against quality competition. Similar to most offensive lineman entering college, Garth will need a redshirt season, but all the tools are present for him to become a multi-year starter.

Final Verdict

The 2020 offensive line class in the state of Texas is loaded, and Texas is off to an excellent start. Garth joins Logan Parr and Jake Majors as offensive line commits in the 2020 class, and the trio will surely be in the ear of elite tackle Chad Lindberg. Perhaps more importantly, the quality offensive line will be a positive in the recruitment of five-star RB Zach Evans, who has not been shy is stating he wants to run behind some of the best offensive linemen the state of Texas has to offer.

Tom Herman and company appear to be taking a more aggressive approach in the 2020 class compared to 2019, and it has paid dividends already. The aggressiveness, combined with the on-field product shown in 2018 is already paving the way for what should be another top 10 recruiting class.