June 15, 2020 has proven to be a great day for Longhorns football thanks to the commitments of two highly touted defensive backs, Ishmael Ibraheem and JD Coffey. Both rising seniors are regarded as four-star prospects and will contribute to the Longhorns secondary upon their arrival.
With the additions of Ibraheem and Coffey, where does the Longhorns 2021 recruiting class now stand?
Longhorns Commits (Statistics via 247Sports):
Quarterback: Jalen Milroe – Tompkins High School. Katy, TX. (Four-Star)
Milroe’s athleticism sets him apart from other quarterbacks as he possess a big arm that accompanies his track speed. Jalen’s passing has improved and should be something to keep an eye on during his senior season. He is set to join a crowded quarterback room as the Longhorns added two four-star quarterbacks during the previous recruiting cycle (Hudson Card and Ja’Quinden Jackson).
Running Back: Jonathon Brooks – Hallettsville High School. Hallettsville, TX. (Three-Star)
The Longhorns were the first school to offer Brooks, a shifty runner with big play ability, when they did so late in 2019. Brooks will have to fight for carries with the arrival of highly touted freshman, Bijan Robinson.
Wide Receiver: Casey Cain – Warren Easton High School. New Orleans, LA. (Three-Star)
Cain announced his commitment to the Longhorns exactly one month ago. The 6’2″ receiver is best known for his ball skills and excels at using his frame to position himself against the defense.
Offensive Tackle: Hayden Connor – Taylor High School. Katy, Texas. (Four-Star)
Connor, a two-time MaxPreps All-American, already stands in at 6’5.5″ and 317 pounds. Following the 2020 season, Texas will potentially lose up to four of their starting five offensive linemen, making Connor an even more valuable addition to the team.
Defensive End: Jordon Thomas – Memorial High School. Port Arthur, TX. (Four-Star)
Unfortunately, Thomas missed the majority of his junior season after suffering an injury in week one. However, Thomas has since recovered and looks to be in great shape. In addition, many have noted that Thomas has one of the best motors that they have ever seen, something that the Longhorns will gladly welcome on defense.
Defensive End: Derrick Harris Jr. – New Caney High School. New Caney, TX. (Four-Star)
Harris is an excellent edge rusher who has the potential to be molded into a great defensive end or outside linebacker. The lengthy 6’2.5″ prospect recorded 88 tackles and 17 tackles for a loss during his junior season.
Outside Linebacker: Morice Blackwell – Martin High School. Arlington, TX. (Four-Star)
Quite frankly, Blackwell is a stat sheet stuffer. Following his junior season, he was named as the unanimous District 4-6A Overall MVP after totaling 128 tackles, two sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions. Once Morice arrives on campus and is under the guidance of Longhorns strength and conditioning coach, Yancy McKnight, Blackwell will have the potential to be a dominant defender at the college level.
Cornerback: Ishmael Ibraheem – Justin F. Kimball High School. Dallas, TX. (Four-Star)
Ibraheem is a lengthy 6’1″ cornerback that has decent speed. Ishmael is another player that will thoroughly benefit from coach Yancy McKnight’s strength and conditioning program as he needs to add weight to his frame in order to play at the college level. Ibraheem has the potential to really help out the Longhorns secondary, one that has struggled as of late with injuries.
Safety: JD Coffey – Kennedale High School. Kennedale, TX. (Four-Star)
Coffey is a safety that possesses great ball skills, which has helped him to tally 14 interceptions so far throughout his high school career. In addition, JD totaled 71 tackles last season and was named as the District 6-4A-I Defensive MVP. Coffey also has a certain level of nastiness on the field and is not afraid to lay his opponent out.
Athlete: Ja’Tavion Sanders – Ryan High School. Denton, TX. (Five-Star)
Sanders has the athleticism to be a playmaker at both defensive end and wide receiver for Denton Ryan. He stands at 6’3.5″ and weighs 220 pounds, yet runs like a gazelle. Ja’Tavion has the potential to become an elite pass rusher, or tight end, for the Longhorns and can develop into an early NFL Draft pick.
Athlete: Billy Bowman Jr. – Ryan High School. Denton, TX. (Four-Star)
To speak in layman’s terms, Bowman is very fast. Bowman also has a nose for the ball and is adept at making something out of nothing. At the game’s biggest stage, in the 2019 state championship game, Billy made his presence felt with two interceptions. In addition, Bowman has showcased his versatility as he has caught 29 touchdowns for Ryan and can be used as a defensive back or wide receiver.
https://twitter.com/Billy2Bowman/status/1215310464982437888?s=20
Athlete: Juan Davis – Everman High School. Fort Worth, TX. (Three-Star)
Davis is listed at 6’4″ and 217 pounds and has played just about every position offensively for Everman. He shows promise at the tight end position as he recorded 499 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns as a sophomore, before playing more of a role as a quarterback and running back in 2019.
https://twitter.com/CERGIOP01/status/981368747041665025
Punter: Isaac Pearson – ProKick Australia. Australia. (NR)
Prior to trying his hand (or foot) at punting, Pearson was working as a mechanic in coal mines. He will hope to follow the recent success of Australian punters in Austin, such as Michael Dickson and Ryan Bujcevski.
https://twitter.com/Jake_M_Garcia/status/1269776771404173318?s=20
Now What?
Two key groups to expect Tom Herman and the Longhorns to really target is offensive linemen and wide receivers. As previously mentioned, the Longhorns will have to replace a majority of their starting offensive line following the 2020 season. Landing Tommy and James Brockermeyer (five-star and four-star prospects respectively) would be huge for the Longhorns, however recent 247Sports crystal ball predictions have the pair going to Alabama. The two brothers have family ties to the University of Texas as their father, Blake Brockermeyer, played there in the early 1990’s and their other brother, Luke, is currently a linebacker on the team.
With the loss of seniors Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay, the Longhorns will need someone to step up in 2020. Furthermore, it is essential that Texas adds more talent to the wide receiver position in their 2021 recruiting class, as the class currently has only one true receiver, Casey Cain.
