Big 12 Recruiting Update: Texas Adds Two More Four-Stars, Builds Lead in Rankings

Last week Texas and Tom Herman’s coaching staff took over the top-ranked spot in the Big 12 recruiting rankings. This week that lead has grown.

The staff added two four-star commitments to its 2020 class to further their distance between OU and the rest of the field at the top of the rankings, inching closer to the top 5 of the national rankings. Here’s an updated look at how many commitments each Big 12 program has and the total number of recruiting points amassed to date:

Texas still has fewer commitments overall than three programs in the league, but it is being kept more than afloat by its 93.30 average per-player ranking. Sorted that way, UT is still on top, with OU shortly behind, followed by a huge gap:

As you can see above, Kansas ranks last on a per-player average basis, yet has the most commitments of any program in the Big 12 at 25 — the NCAA-maximum. KU has a four-star pledge and a top-500 corner on the way, but mostly its class is littered with sub-1,000 three-stars. Time will tell if those rankings are accurate, but in the eyes of talent evaluators at 247Sports, Les Miles and the Jayhawks are building with quantity over quality.

Let’s take a look at some high notes from the league this past week.

1. Texas adds two more four-stars

Last week, four-stars Princely Umanmielen, Ethan Pouncey and Jerrin Thompson pledged to Texas. This week it was four-star receiver Quentin Johnson (6-4, 180) and four-star safety Xavion Alford (6-0, 182) who pledged. Alford picked UT over Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, among others.

2. Kansas is at max capacity

Kansas reached its NCAA-maximum of 25 commitments this week. Per NCAA rules, it cannot sign any more than that in the class to avoid over-recruiting. Does Les Miles know this? At this pace he’s on track to sign 65 players and completely overhaul his roster.

KU’s race to the finish was capped this week by additions of three-star Tanner Hooker.

3. Iowa State going WR heavy

This doesn’t happen often, if ever, but Iowa State went into Florida and nabbed three-star receiver (6-2, 171) T.J. Tampa from Saint Petersburg this past week. Tampa picked ISU over nearly two dozen other offers. His pledge gives the Cyclones four receivers in the 2020 class (Tampa, Aidan Bitter, Xavier Hutchinson and Daniel Jackson).