Take Two: Can Texas reel in three in-state 5-star OL in 2021?
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:
Monday: Top 10 revealed
Tuesday: Rivals100 revealed | New five-stars | Mind of Mike | Ranking top QBs
Wednesday: Rivals250 revealed
Thursday: Position rankings revealed
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
THE STORYLINE
There are 11 five-stars in the newly-released 2021 rankings and three are offensive linemen from the state of Texas.
It is one of the best offensive line hauls from that state in Rivals history and it could be a huge recruiting advantage for the in-state and regional powerhouses if those coaching staffs play their cards right.
Fort Worth (Tex.) All Saints Episcopal’s Tommy Brockermeyer is up to fifth nationally, Duncanville, Tex., standout Savion Byrd is now No. 10 and Katy (Tex.) Taylor’s Bryce Foster cracks the five-star rankings at No. 11.
In its 2021 class, the Longhorns already have a commitment from four-star Hayden Conner, who is a teammate of Foster at Katy Taylor. Some believe Texas A&M leads for Foster, but Texas and many others are right in the mix as well.
It’s early but it’s shaping up like the Longhorns are in excellent shape for Brockermeyer and Byrd.
Can Texas close the deal with all three in-state five-stars?
FIRST TAKE: Sam Spiegelman, Rivals.com Texas and Louisiana analyst
“I would say Texas has a unique edge with Byrd and Brockermeyer, who is a legacy there, and Texas already has a commitment from Conner, who’s also among that top group and an early pledge. He’s also an early recruiter for the Longhorns in 2021 so they have the foot in the door for all these elite offensive linemen. The biggest obstacle would be to bring all these highly-rated guys into one class. With Foster, Texas A&M is the favorite for sure.”
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SECOND TAKE: Mike Farrell, Rivals.com national recruiting director
“The way Texas has been recruiting and the roll they’ve been on, I would have to think they’d be the favorite for two out of three of them - Brockermeyer and Byrd. Other schools are going to come into Texas and try to steal them away. It is important for Texas A&M to land one of these guys after I think it’s more important for them especially losing the momentum they had this summer to Texas.
“Right now, I wouldn’t bet against Texas for anybody and I think it gets two out of three.”
