Commitment Analysis: Three-star OT Jaylen Garth picks Texas over SEC powers

The Bat Signal went up on Friday afternoon, and on Sunday, the verdict was revealed. Jaylen Garth made his commitment to Texas public while back at The Forty Acres for junior day.

The three-star offensive tackle picked the Longhorns over Alabama, Texas A&M and Arkansas, among others. He was even offered by another SEC team -- Tennessee -- just hours before announcing his commitment, but this has long been Texas’ race to lose.

Garth has frequented Texas’ campus early on this spring, attending an elite junior day a month ago. Very quickly, the Longhorns’ coaching staff was able to generate momentum in the Port Neches-Groves (Texas) product’s recruitment, which should come as no surprise given his storied relationship with Roschon Johnson, his former high school football team who signed with Texas in December.

Now, the stage is set for Garth to continue to protect Johnson -- from the Golden Triangle to Austin. Texas signed a trio of four-stars to bolster their offensive line via the 2019 class and are on track to replicate that success in a loaded 2020 crop. Texas already holds commitments from four-star Logan Parr and three-star Jake Majors. With Garth on board early, the Longhorns are on track to land three of the Lone Star State’s best offensive linemen this cycle.

Garth missed a handful of games due to injury last season, but his film is off the charts nonetheless. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder is extremely athletic, which is essential to the development of franchise tackles. He excels in pass protection, has quick feet and efficiently reaches the second level of defenses as a run-blocker. He could play multiple positions along the Longhorns’ offensive line next year.

Garth quietly made visits to a handful of schools as his recruitment began to take off. That includes Texas A&M, Alabama and Arkansas.

The three-star visited Tuscaloosa last summer and was offered on the spot. The Crimson Tide has a strong track record of landing their top targets nationwide, so it’s fair to label this as somewhat surprising. Texas A&M deemed Garth a priority target along the offensive line, and despite a strong haul in 2020, the other in-state team finds itself on the wrong side on a lot of these recruiting battles with Texas for the state’s premier big men. Arkansas was quietly optimistic about its chances of poaching Garth out of Texas despite the pushes from two local programs. He had visited The Hill earlier this month and the staff pushed that Garth was “the guy,” but it did not compare to playing his college ball in Austin. The Hogs will have to turn elsewhere for offensive line help.