For the first time since his arrival, Shaka Smart’s 2018 recruiting class was devoid of a bona fide headliner; a five-star McDonald’s All-American talent such as Jarrett Allen or Mohamed Bamba. This time around, Texas didn’t sign a player ranked within the top 40 nationally, per the 247Sports Composite, and even then, names such as Courtney Ramey and Kamaka Hepa stole the show.
Towering 6’11 power forward Jaxson Hayes, on the other hand, who signed with Texas as the nation’s No. 102 player and No. 21 power forward, was a prospect far less praised, and understandably so, as Hayes was almost entirely out of the spotlight that comes with college basketball recruiting throughout his first three seasons.