Versatile 4-star S Caden Sterns signs with the Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns have a big hole to fill in the secondary in 2018 and safety Caden Sterns could be a name to watch as Teas looks to reload on defense. The U.S. Army All-American took advantage of the early signing period on December 20, and plans to enroll early to get a jump-start on his Texas career.

The four-star safety from Cibolo Steele is one of the crown jewels in Tom Herman’s second-ranked recruiting class, ranked No. 35 in the nation and No. 3 in the state of Texas by the 247Sports Composite rankings.

The 6’2 192-pounder was a force in the secondary for the Knights since his sophomore year, playing a pivotal part in three playoff runs in which Steele advanced four or more rounds into the Class 6A playoffs.

Over three years, Sterns amassed 229 tackles, 20 passes broken up and 11 interceptions, including 90 tackles and four interceptions in his senior campaign. In addition to his skills in the secondary, Sterns showed skills with the ball in his hands, returning four of his career interceptions for scores, as well as scoring twice as a punt returner.

In May, Sterns flipped his commitment from the LSU to Texas, after committing to the Tigers in November of his junior year. In a Twitter post, Sterns stated that his desire to remain closer to his family - Cibolo sits just an hour south of Austin - as a deciding-factor in his decision.

Once he reaches the 40 Acres, Sterns could see the field early, as Texas looks to replace DeShon Elliott at safety, with Brandon Jones and John Bonney already on campus. Sterns has the size, speed and ball skills to compete for playing time, in-spite of being part of a class that features the top player at his position, BJ Foster.

Sterns looks to factor into the Longhorns plans early, as he is one of Texas’s four early enrollees for this recruiting cycle, joining Texas for the spring semester and spring camp.