With Texas turning its focus toward the 2020 recruiting class, Tom Herman wasted little time as the Longhorns picked up two new commitments over the weekend.
ATH Mookie Cooper (Trinity Catholic, MO) and OL Jaylen Garth (Port Neches-Groves, TX) verbally committed as the Longhorns hosted their annual Junior Day.
Over 50 recruits from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 classes participated in the weekend event and spent the majority of their time with the Longhorns coaching staff.
Cooper announced his commitment to the Longhorns on Saturday, while Garth committed on Sunday to wrap up the successful weekend for Texas. Herman now holds five total commitments for the 2020 class, with each one being ranked as four-stars per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Garth joins fellow offensive lineman commits Jake Majors (Prosper, TX) and Logan Parr (O’Connor, TX). Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 285 pounds, per 247Sports, Garth is a massive addition to Herman’s already impressive group of offensive lineman commitments for 2020. Garth pledged to the Longhorns over Alabama, Ohio State and Texas A&M along with other schools.
Even with Garth, Majors and Parr committed, Herman will look to add more depth to his 2020 class. Among the visitors at Junior Day were four-stars Smart Chibuzo (Hightower, TX) and Akinola Ogunbiyi (Kempner, TX). Both remain committed to Texas A&M, however.
With all five of the 2020 commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Cooper is the second skill position player of the class. Primarily a running back at Trinity Catholic High School, Texas has recruited Cooper to play as a slot receiver but could see time in the backfield as well. Cooper held offers from a majority of the top programs in the country, including Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State.
Both Cooper and Garth played high school football alongside a pair of Texas signees from the 2019 class. Cooper played with WR Marcus Washington at Trinity Catholic, and Garth blocked for QB Roschon Johnson at Port Neches-Groves.
Only a few weeks removed from the 2019 National Signing Day where Herman welcomed in his second straight top three class, the 2020 class is to be just as good or even better. The Longhorns currently sit at No. 10 in next year’s class rankings, according to 247.
With spring practice slated to start March 11, the coaching staff will have less than one month before starting to work with the early enrollees.
Herman expects to have 10 members of the 2019 class available for spring practice, including LB De’Gabriel Floyd, LB Caleb Johnson, QB Roschon Johnson, OL Tyler Johnson, DL Jacoby Jones, ATH Bru McCoy, DL Peter Mpagi, LB Marcus Tillman Jr., ATH Jordan Whittington and TE Jared Wiley.
