Quick Hitters on Andrej Karic’s Commitment To Texas

The train of recruiting momentum for the Texas Longhorns kept chugging right along this morning in the form of Southlake Carroll offensive tackle Andrej Karic. Karic was offered last month after an unofficial visit to Austin and it didn’t take long for the Texas staff to put the hard sell on him and get him into the class.

Karic is the fourth offensive line commitment of the 2020 recruiting class to go along with Jaylen Garth, Jake Majors, and Logan Parr, which potentially leaves one final spot up for grabs with Chad Lindberg still uncommitted.

ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton reported that Karic is up to 269 pounds, which is up from the 240 pounds he is listed at on recruiting services.

Summary

Andrej Karic is a three star offensive tackle prospect out Carroll high school in Southlake, TX. Karic is heading into his third year as a starter for the Dragons, having logged snaps at left tackle, right tackle, and left guard. At 6’5, 269 pounds, Karic possesses good size and length for the position and has already stacked on good weight after being listed at 240 pounds during his junior season. Karic possesses good athleticism and agility that shows up on tape, as he is a very easy mover both laterally and linearly. Karic’s athleticism really shows up when you see him get tasked with setting edge and see him space. Karic’s agility is very impressive for his size and is something that will translate to the next level as he continues to add more weight to his frame. As a run blocker, Karic shows that he will get off the ball with urgency and tenacity, as he is able to get on defenders in a hurry. Karic shows he is capable of displacing defenders off the LOS and possesses good power in his hands that is capable of shocking defenders. Karic does a great job of bringing his feet with him once engaged with defenders and once he senses he has you on skates he is looking to finish. On top of looking to finish consistently, Karic is consistently looking for work and not just content to be taking up space on the field while the play is going. Karic does have a tendency to pop up out of his stance and play a little high, and will still need to improve his functional strength as he continues to fill out his frame. As a pass blocker, Karic’s athleticism shows up in his feet and his ability to mirror defenders and as well in his ability to recover when he is beat. Karic does a good job of getting his hands on defenders first and slowing down their rush, but he needs to improve on staying square and not turning his shoulders as much.

Final Verdict

Karic fits in very nicely with what the Longhorns already have in the fold for the 2020 recruiting class. Karic gives them another high upside, athletic offensive tackle to go along with Garth, which gives them two very nice cornerstones to build off of going forward.

To me, Karic profiles very similarly to current Longhorn offensive tackle Sam Cosmi when he came out of Atascocita a couple years ago. Much like Karic, Cosmi was slightly undersized and was a guy who was going to need some time in the incubator before being able to contribute and also like Karic he possessed good athleticism and moved very well. If Karic takes to Yancy McKnight and Herb Hand like Cosmi did, the coaching staff will be more than content given the trajectory Cosmi is on right now.

With Karic now tucked neatly into the class, the question now becomes if the staff continues to pursue Chad Lindberg or do they close up shop at offensive line. Personally I think they should stay after Lindberg and take the best five they can get in 2021, but with the 2021 offensive line crop looking to be as loaded as the state as seen in some time I see why some might want to move forward full steam ahead in that direction.