Longhorns Country

Did Longhorns Recruit Walk-On Winner At QB?

The Texas Longhorns ended their 2021 recruiting cycle by adding a talent group of walk-on prospects on Thursday, including one that could impact the quarterback competition

Matt Galatzan

The Texas Longhorns officially wrapped up their 2021 recruiting cycle on Thursday, adding the signatures of four talented preferred walk-ons candidates.

While trying to preserve scholarship flexibility heading into the spring in the event of incoming transfers, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was able to secure each player, despite some of them having division one (and in some cases even Power Five) offers. 

Brentwood High School's Cole Lourd was the most recent pledge of the group for Sarkisian, and is one of the more decorated and sought after preferred walk-on candidates to hit the 40 Acres in quite some time. 

Fielding offers scholarship offers from SEC schools such as Ole Miss and LSU, as well as a handful of other programs across the country, Lourd could have a chance to compete with incumbent Casey Thompson, freshman Hudson Card, and fellow incoming freshman Charles Wright for playing time this fall. 

READ MORE: Texas QB Competition: Coach Sark Reveals His 4 Keys

Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds, Lourd completed 333 of 549 passes for 5,132 yards and 57 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions in his final two seasons with the Bruins. Lourd was unable to play during his senior season, due to COVID-19 restrictions in California.

The Longhorns also got a pair of signatures from their own city on Wednesday, in Austin Westlake stars Michael Taffe and Zane Minors. 

Taaffe, who first committed to the Longhorns last week, helped the Chaparrals take home their second consecutive state title, was named defensive MVP of the championship game from his cornerback position, intercepting former Texas commit Quinn Ewers on two separate occasions. It was also Taaffe's second-straight year to bring home the award.

READ MORE: Did The Longhorns Meet Their Team Needs On Signing Day?

Minors, a talented running back prospect, also fielded offers from Air Force, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Army but decided to stay home in Austin to play his football. This past season, Minors ran the football 126 times for 1,068 yards and 20 touchdowns, while helping the Chaparrals win their second state title in a row. 

Last, but certainly not least, Flower Mound kicker Bert Auburn was the first of the group to commit almost two weeks ago, choosing the Longhorns over other established programs including Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Florida State, and Texas A&M. 

For his career, Auburn went 17-of-21 kicking with a long of 50 yards for the Jaguars, while also hitting 136 of 142 extra-point attempts. Doubling as a punter, Auburn averaged nearly 40 yards per punt in his senior season, downing seven of his 42 punts inside the 20. 

CONTINUE READING: Longhorns Expected To Add DFW Area High School Coach To Key Recruiting Role

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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