Herman nabbing local talent has Texas back in business
It doesn't look like it's gonna take very long for Tom Herman to build Texas back into the national powerhouse it was in the past.
The Longhorns head coach absolutely crushed his second National Signing Day with the program, landing the nation's third-ranked class and blowing out the rest of the Big 12 in the process.
Texas turning in a strong recruiting class certainly isn't news, but Herman taking the program from very good to elite is what should have Longhorns fans fired up about going into spring practice.
Charlie Strong was able to deliver the 10th-ranked class numerous times during his tenure with the Longhorns, but he couldn't touch the results that Herman pulled off on Wednesday, and the former Houston coach did so by keeping local talent in-state.
Herman preached that the Longhorns had to focus on landing players from perhaps the most talent-rich state in the country, and he ended the 2018 cycle with nine of the top-15 players from Texas.
| Rank in state | Player | Position | Position rank nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B.J. Foster | S | 1st |
| 2 | DeMarvion Overshown | S | 2nd |
| 3 | Caden Sterns | S | 3rd |
| 5 | Joshua Moore | ATH | 5th |
| 6 | Keondre Coburn | DT | 2nd |
| 10 | Anthony Cook | CB | 11th |
| 11 | Al'vonte Woodard | WR | 15th |
| 13 | D'Shawn Jamison | CB | 13th |
| 15 | Keaontay Ingram | RB | 7th |
Among the notable moves by Herman was the fact he landed the three top players from Texas who also happen to be the three top-ranked safeties in the entire country. In the offense-happy Big 12, having an incredibly deep secondary was clearly a point of emphasis for Herman this year.
Texas was the first Big 12 school to hold all teams below 30 points in conference play since 2006, and that looks to be something the Longhorns are focusing on doing again judging by the recruiting results.
While the Longhorns mostly focused on the defensive side of the football this cycle, Herman did address the nation's 53rd-ranked offense with a couple of big commits in wide receivers Joshua Moore, Al'vonte Woodard, and Brennan Eagles. Add that trio to the nation's seventh-ranked running back, Keaontay Ingram, and Texas has the weapons to be one of the more well-rounded teams in the country.
The Longhorns' 7-6 record in Herman's first season with the program may not have roused the fan base to new heights, but Wednesday's results show that the rebuild in Austin is in full swing - just as the new coach promised.