Cliff-notes: The Longhorns picked up commitment No.4 for the 2021 class on Tuesday morning when Katy (Texas) Taylor offensive lineman Hayden Conner committed to Tom Herman and his staff.
Rankings: Conner is a 5.9 mid-four star prospect in the current Rivals.com rankings and is currently slotted as the No.13 offensive tackle in the Rivals 2021 national rankings. Conner ranks as the No.20 player in the state of Texas in the current Rivals Texas 2021 Top 100.
Key Offers: Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida State and Texas A&M
Evaluation: The 2021 offensive line class in the state of Texas is as loaded with top-rated offensive lineman as it has ever been in the last 25 years and Conner is one of my favorites. Perhaps the best thing that could be said of the 6-6, 290-pound mountain of a junior-to-be is that he'd absolutely be a take at a school like Texas based on his sophomore film evaluation alone. The thing I probably love the most about Conner is that he loves to maul people, and not just in the run game. Any time this kid gets a chance to put someone on the ground and off their feet, he's going to take it. He's one of those play through the whistle type players that has a motor that doesn't quit and the kind of size to make anyone he plays against absolutely miserable. Also, don't mistake the mauler part of the game with him being a stiff and unable to move around, as he shows the pass-protection chops in terms of his footwork, balance and later quickness that should give him a chance to play on either side of the line at tackle at the next level, depending on how his body continues to develop at the next level. The smart money is on him eventually settling in on the right side at tackle. For a kid entering his junior season, there's more polish on this kid that you could hope to imagine and I think by the time he arrives on campus in a couple of years, we might be looking at one of the best offensive line talents the school has signed in two decades.
Former Texas player he reminds me of: A more aggressive and physically dominant Adam Ulatoski
What Rivals said about him about the Rivals Three-Stripe Camp: "(Conner) flashed his raw strength at offensive tackle. The four-star overpowered plenty of defensive linemen and won a good amount of reps against those who wanted to bull rush."
Why it matters: The 2021 class is truly off and running after the events of the last 48 hours, which has seen the Longhorns land two high-level junior commitments from the Katy area, which is we're being honest has never been an area of success for the Longhorns on the recruiting trails. As Conner's stock continued to soar this summer, it seemed to turn into a Michigan vs. Nebraska vs. Texas battle for his commitment, but the Longhorns were always considered the heavy favorite and the news on Tuesday morning confirms that the reading of the tea leaves on his recruitment were absolutely right. He's the first piece in what could be the best offensive line class the Longhorns have ever pieced together in my 25 years of covering Texas recruiting.
Last edited:
