Who are the program-changers in this class?
National Signing Day is the time for every school to pound its chest and boast of all the recruits they landed.
Texas, aside from preparing for its first trip to the College Football Playoff, has plenty of reason to brag after Wednesday’s signing day brought the Longhorns 24 new signees, including four fivestar recruits. That gives them the No. 5 ranked recruiting class in the country behind Georgia, Alabama, Miami and Ohio State, according to 247Sports.
Texas A&M, which has the 17th-ranked recruiting class so far, has a couple of five-star commits, but both Timpson cornerback Terry Bussey and Lafayette, La., defensive lineman Dominick McKinley have pushed their signings back until February.
That leaves Texas Tech as the only other school in the state with a five-star recruit, wooing Lake Belton receiver Micah Hudson to Lubbock.
Here’s a look at the top signee for each of the 12 FBS schools in Texas on Wednesday: Texas: Ryan Wingo, WR, St. Louis (Missouri)
Wingo is ranked as the 12thbest recruit in the country according to 247Sports, and is Texas’ highest-ranked receiver recruit since Mike Davis in 2009. The 6-foot-2, 205pound speedster chose the Longhorns over Georgia, Michigan and Missouri.
Texas A&M: Blake Ivy, OT, Clear Springs
The 6-foot-3, 280-pound lineman committed to the Aggies over Texas and LSU back in August and stuck to that commitment despite the coaching change in College Station. He’ll play in the Under Armour All-America Game in January.
Texas Tech: Micah Hudson, WR, Lake Belton
The 6-foot, 190-pound Hudson, who is ranked as the No. 18 recruit in the country by 247 and in the Top 10 of other rankings, is the first five-star recruit to ever sign with Texas Tech. He committed in September, choosing the Red Raiders over Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Tennessee. Hudson’s father, Desmond Royal, played defensive line for Texas Tech in the 1980s.
Houston: Maurice Williams, S, Shadow Creek
Williams, along with New Orleans receiver Koby Young, is one of the gems of Willie Fritz’s first recruiting class at Houston. Williams actually flipped his commitment from LSU to UH over the summer and stuck with it even with the Cougars’ coaching change. Williams could play safety or maybe even linebacker as he was all over the field in high school, recording more than 180 tackles, 10 forced fumbles and eight interceptions in his high school career.
TCU: Gekyle Baker, WR, Brownsboro
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound receiver is considered a top-100 recruit by most services. He’s the all-time leading receiver at Brownsboro High School, with 147 catches for 2,616 yards in his career. He was heavily recruited by TCU receivers coach Malcolm Kelly, who starred at nearby Longview.
Baylor: Joseph Dodds, RB, Tidehaven
Dodds led Tidehaven to the Class 3A, Division II state title game, rushing for 2,612 yards and 40 touchdowns in 15 games as a senior. Dodds committed to Baylor over the summer, choosing the Bears over the likes of Stanford, Cal and Missouri.
Rice: Kaleb Blanton, LB, Manvel
Blanton, who is considered a three-star recruit, was the codefensive MVP in District 10-5A, Division I after recording 96 tackles, including five for loss, as a senior.
SMU: Derrick McFall, RB, Tyler
McFall, who is thought of as a four-star recruit, was committed to UCLA before flipping to SMU in November. In high school, he’s played quarterback, running back and receiver. As a senior, he mostly played receiver, catching 48 balls for 818 yards and nine touchdowns.
North Texas: Jaydon Smith, ATH, Ingleside
The 6-foot, 175-pound Smith was a star receiver at his South Texas high school, but he may play defensive back in college. Smith had 82 catches for 1,903 yards as a senior. His 39 touchdown catches this year tied the national high school record.
UTSA: Kenyan Kelly, S, Denison
Kelly is one of the highestrated recruits in Roadrunners history. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety picked UTSA over Arkansas, TCU, Kansas and Missouri.
Kelly had 82 tackles, including four for a loss, an interception and two fumble recoveries as a senior.
Texas State: Kylen Evans, WR, Frisco Emerson
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver chose Texas State over the likes of Memphis and Toledo. He had 43 catches for 1,006 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior.
Sam Houston State: Railyn Adams, ATH, Newton
Sam Houston State lists Adams as a safety, but the 6-foot, 160-pound athlete can play all over the field. He scored 28 touchdowns on offense for Newton as a junior and also intercepted
eight passes on defense. Adams had been committed to Texas State since the summer but flipped to Sam Houston on Tuesday.
UTEP: Shay Smith, ATH, El Paso Franklin
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound athlete was a successful high school quarterback, but he also thrived at defensive back when utilized there. At quarterback, he threw for 1,750 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 1,195 yards and 20 scores. His father, Paul Smith, played running back at UTEP in the 1990s and went on to play seven seasons in the NFL with the 49ers, Lions, Rams and Broncos.