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Texas among college football teams that need big 2022 recruiting classes

For Texas to become a College Football Playoff contender, new head coach Steve Sarkisian needs to help the Longhorns improve from their No. 15 ranking in the 2021 class. Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

It's still the early stages of college football's 2022 recruiting cycle, and there is a lot of uncertainty.

What is apparent are the teams in need of big returns.

Whether it is to take the next step toward becoming a championship-contending program or to revitalize a program, here are five teams in need of a successful year on the recruiting trail.

Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns' 2021 cycle was far from poor, as they finished among the top 15 nationally. However, this is a new era in Austin, and expectations are sky-high. Texas cannot afford to sit behind rival Oklahoma, a program that has won six straight Big 12 titles, in the class rankings again.