SI All-American watch list: 13 Texas Longhorn commits and 32 key UT Targets Named

Highlights and evaluations of the top recruits considering the Texas Longhorns

Texas athlete commit Ja'Tavion Sanders headlines a list of 13 current University of Texas verbal pledges in the 2021 recruiting class. 

Sanders is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect from Denton Ryan High School just north of Dallas. He chose the Longhorns all the way back in September of 2019 and is considered one of the cornerstones of the entire class. 

He has tight end size, wide receiver speed and defensive lineman physicality. 

While he projects as a blue-chip prospect at a couple of positions, many believe he will play the Longhorns' hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end position where his pass-rushing skills should get a chance to shine through. 

He's already committed to play in the Under Armor All American game 

Considering seven new assistant coaches joining the staff since the end of the 2019 regular season, the Texas Longhorns have made significant strides on the recruiting front since the first of the year.

The program always puts a heavy emphasis on locking down as much talent as possible inside the borders of Texas, but the new coaching staff has opened up some other territories and allowed the Longhorns to make some headway with players in parts of the country they don't normally get into. Head coach Chris Ash and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai both came from Rutgers and have heavy ties to the Northeast. The Longhorns have made several key offers along the Eastern seaboard in recruiting hotbeds like the DC area in particular. 

The program has secured nine verbal pledges since the start of 2020 and currently sit at 14 overall for the class. 

Offensive commitments 

Katy Tompkins (Texas) quarterback Jalen Milroe 

Katy (Texas) offensive tackle Hayden Conner

Fort Worth (Texas) athlete Juan Davis

Hallettsville (Texas) running back Jonathon Brooks

 Warren Easton (Louisiana) receiver Casey Cain

Defensive commitments 

Denton (Texas) athlete Ja'Tavion Sanders

Denton (Texas) athlete Billy Bowman

Kennedale (Texas) safety JD Coffey 

Dallas (Texas) cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem 

Port Arthur (Texas) defensive end Jordon Thomas

 New Caney (Texas) defensive end Derrick Harris Jr. 

Pasadena (Texas) cornerback Jamier Johnson 

Arlington (Texas) outside linebacker Morice Blackwell 

Offensive targets 

Lakview Centennial (Texas) running back Camar Wheaton 

All Saints Episcopal (Texas) offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer

 All Saints Episcopal (Texas) center James Brockermeyer 

Cypress Fair (Texas) running back LJ Johnson 

Royse City (Texas) receiver Ketron Jackson 

Katy (Texas) offensive guard Bryce Foster

Duncanville (Texas) offensive tackle Savion Byrd 

Alexandria (Virginia) receiver Malcom Johnson Jr.

Kosciusko (Mississippi) receiver Antonio Harmon 

Monarch (Florida) receiver Jaden Alexis 

Lewis Central (Iowa) tight end Thomas Fidone 

Grandview (Texas) tight end Dametrious Crownover 

Denton (Texas) offensive tackle Erick Cade 

Defensive targets 

Austin (Texas) safety Andrew Mukuba 

Highlind Springs (Virginia) defensive end Kelvin Gilliam 

Houma (Louisiana) defensive tackle Maason Smith

Texarkana (Texas) defensive end Marcus Burris 

DeSoto (Texas) defensive end Shemar Turner 

Pearland (Texas) outside linebacker Terrance Cooks 

Los Angeles (California) cornerback Ceyair Wright

Texarkana (Texas) defensive end Clayton Smith

Centennial (California) defensive end Korey Foreman 

Eastside Catholic (Washington) defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau 

Greensboro (North Carolina) defensive tackle Payton Page 

Duncanville (Texas) inside linebacker Kendrick Blackshire 

Dallas (Georgia) outside linebacker Smael Mondon 

Upland (California) outside linebacker Jonathan Flowe 

Covington (Georgia) cornerback Nyland Green 

Atlanta (Georgia) cornerback Nathaniel Wiggins 

Highland Springs (Virginia) cornerback Damond Harmon 

Lafayette (Louisiana) safety Sage Ryan 

Tallahassee  (Florida) safety Terrion Arnold 

More than 1,000 student-athletes, representing every state in the country, are SI All-American candidates. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages, broken down by state, at SIAllAmerican.com.

Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.

The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr.

The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.