The Texas Longhorns signed the best defensive backs recruiting class ever
And it’s all thanks to in-state talent.
A few hours into college football’s Early Signing Period on Wednesday, the Texas Longhorns have made history by accomplishing this:
Only two teams (2010 Florida, 2002 Oklahoma) since 2002 have signed 5 of the country's top 25 DBs in one class. Texas has 5 committed in 2018 with a serious chance for 6. It would be arguably the greatest DB class ever signed.
— Ryan Bridges (@RyanBridgesCFB) December 16, 2017
There are no guarantees that this class will turn out a bunch of hall of famers. The most notable DB from the ‘02 Oklahoma class is probably Brodney Pool, who went on to have a seven-year pro career. From Florida in 2010, the biggest name is Jaylen Watkins, a cornerback who’s now playing for the Eagles. But it’s still better to recruit a ton of blue-chip DBs than to not, and Texas has loaded up this year.
Each of the six top-25 DBs already signed to the Longhorns is an in-state prospect. They come from all around the state: two in Houston and three in smaller towns around Central, Southeastern, and Northeastern Texas.
Meet the six UT commits from the top 25. Texas doesn’t have any other defensive back commits lined up for 2018, and it won’t need any:
B.J. Foster (the country’s No. 2 DB)
The No. 1 safety in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. The five-star Angleton, Texas, product is one of the class’ hardest hitters, with the athleticism to be a real problem in coverage. He committed to Texas in June.
Anthony Cook (No. 7)
Cook is another Houstonian. He has long arms and a long stride, and his 6’0 frame gives him nice size for a corner with his athleticism. Cook’s been a big LSU and Ohio State target, but the Longhorns held on and won his signature in the end.
Caden Sterns (No. 8)
The country’s No. 3 safety. (Only Ohio State commit Jaiden Woodbey is between No. 1 Foster and No. 3 Sterns.) Sterns is an excellent athlete and one of the smartest DBs in the class, with a knack for being in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time.
Sterns is from Cibollo, Texas. He was committed to LSU before Texas flipped him in May 2017. Tom Herman’s staff has managed to hang onto him since then.
Jalen Green (No. 11)
The Houston native is the country’s No. 6 cornerback. His big thing is that he’s physical as hell, with an ability to jam receivers at the line that’s almost unparalleled in this class. He’s a ball hawk, though that description applies to all of these guys.
Elite CB Jalen Green has all the toolsJalen Green is an elite cornerback with length, so it's not a surprise that everyone wants him.
Posted by SB Nation College Football on Wednesday, May 17, 2017
DeMarvion Overshown (No. 16)
The No. 6 safety in the class of 2018 is the No. 3 safety in the class at his own school. Overshown is 6’4 and 200 pounds, giving him the length and size to be both punishing over the middle and really hard to beat deep. He’s from Arp, Texas.
D’Shawn Jamison (No. 22)
Jamison is one of the class’ most aggressive corners, from a mold not that different than his fellow Houston product Green’s. Jamison’s physical enough to body up receivers at the line and fast enough to go stride-for-stride with them downfield.
The Horns are building a DB juggernaut.
Texas once had a pretty good case for being college football’s real DBU, with NFL defensive backs coming out of the school pretty much all the time.
It’s been a few years since that case really started to wane. Maybe these guys will get Texas back to its old DBU billing.