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Scouring California for cornerback talent is in the Longhorns best interests

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook06/05/25josephcook89
Davon Benjamin
Davon Benjamin

Texas is hosting Corona (Calif.) Oaks Christian cornerback Davon Benjamin for an official visit this weekend. Benjamin is On3’s No. 20 overall prospect, the No. 1 corner in the country, and the No. 2 player in California.

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Benjamin leads a strong cornerback class for the Golden State. He’s one of four Californians in the top 15 of On3’s cornerback rankings along with No. 2 Brandon Arrington, No. 12 Havon Finney, and No. 14 Brandon Lockhart.

In recent years, one of the common complaints for USC fans and others who have gone into California in an attempt to bolster recruiting classes is that the nation’s most populous state hasn’t produced the type of beef needed to make up College Football Playoff contending rosters. The complaint has not gone as far to say the skill talent in California is drying up. In fact, the skill talent on defense remains strong in the secondary.

So, should Texas continue to mine out west for prospects like Benjamin and expect there to be a number of top cornerbacks on the Pacific Coast every year? Or are there other places that might be a bit more fruitful for continued attention from Steve Sarkisian, Duane Akina, and Mark Orphey?

Some surprising data gives the Longhorns an answer.

Florida is the far and away leader in producing top cornerback talent with 30 prospects in the top 20 of On3’s cornerback rankings. Though Texas has produced good talent that the Longhorns have taken advantage of like Malik Muhammad and Kobe Black, California has actually produced more high-end corners over the past five cycles and including the 2026 class.

What about the truly elite talent, the five-star cornerbacks?

  • 2021: Alabama, Georgia
  • 2022: California, Texas, Texas, Michigan
  • 2023: Ohio
  • 2024: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Alabama
  • 2025: Florida, Alabama, Texas, Texas, Florida
  • 2026 (potential five-stars): California, California, Maryland

Recruiting is cyclical in many respects. Some regions may have a strong running back class offset by a weak offensive line class. But there are consistent trends that can be seen in following the data closely.

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The Texas football program is smart to focus on in-state talent or on in-region talent at most positions, as the Horns are doing at cornerback in this cycle Hayward Howard. But heading out west is proving worthwhile as well considering that California is outpacing Texas as far as producing high end cornerback talent.

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