4-star edge J’mond Tapp signs with Texas

One of the top defenders in the 2022 class is now officially a member of the Texas Longhorns with Donaldville (La.) Ascension Catholic edge J’mond Tapp officially faxing in his National Letter of Intent during the early signing period on Wednesday.

The Longhorns landed the talented edge rusher on a day where they double-dipped on the defensive line in late August, showing off the recruiting prowess of the defensive staff and the need to improve quickly along the defensive line. Sitting at No. 127 overall in the 247Composite rankings, Tapp is the second-highest rated defensive lineman in the 2022 class, just five spots behind another defensive line bookend — Jaray Bledsoe.

Tapp was believed to be a strong lean to the LSU, as it’s rare for schools to land players out of Louisiana when the Tigers are in the mix. So even though he played his high school football less than an hour away from the LSU campus, Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowsi managed to capitalize on the uncertainty with the Tigers’ coaching staff and reel in an elite defender.

He is one of four edge rushers in the 2022 class, along with Justice Finkley and Derrick Brown, giving the defensive line room an instant injection of much-needed talent.

Measuring at 6’3, 245-pounds, he’s a violent rusher who uses his length to his advantage and shows a natural ability to find the quarterback in spite of traffic. A year after the Longhorns finished No. 7 in the conference in both tackles for loss and sacks, Tapp is a player who could potentially figure into the rotation early and often.