Mario Cristobal’s departure from Oregon could help Texas OL recruiting

The coaching carousel continues to turn in college football, with Monday’s big news the firing of Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz after three seasons and Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal quickly informing his players of his departure from Eugene to head to South Florida.

For Texas Longhorns recruiting in the 2022 recruiting class, the news could have a significant impact on perhaps the program’s most pressing need — landing highly-rated offensive linemen to develop under offensive coordinator Kyle Flood.

Oregon holds commitments from Humble Summer Creek offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, a consensus five-star prospect ranked as the No. 14 player nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and Duncanville offensive tackle Cameron Williams, a 6’5, 360-pounder, who fits the mold of the big-bodied linemen that Flood prefers.

Banks appeared to react on Twitter to the news about Cristobal as it broke.

Banks committed to Oregon in July after taking an official visit to Texas and then reappeared on the Forty Acres last month for a surprise trip that indicated his continued consideration of the Longhorns. If Banks does decommit from the Ducks because of the coaching change, the Aggies could also emerge as a contender — Texas A&M was at one point thought to be the leader for the 6’5, 300-pounder, but Texas might be in the best position to land Banks given his recent visit.

Williams recently said that he was “locked in” to Oregon even though he also took a recent trip to Austin, but those sentiments could change quickly as he processes Cristobal’s decision to leave the Ducks for the Hurricanes. Oklahoma was the other finalist for Williams when he committed to Oregon days before Banks, so with Lincoln Riley leaving for USC, Texas could quickly emerge as the favorite for Williams if he reopens his recruitment.

Riley’s decision could end up helping the Longhorns in several key recruitments, but Cristobal’s departure from Eugene could afford Texas a legitimate chance to land one or both of Banks and Williams.

Stay tuned.