Texas steals massive 4-star DL Josiah Sharma from Oregon

Cam Smith

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Texas steals massive 4-star DL Josiah Sharma from Oregon image

Josiah Sharma, come on down. 

One of the nation's top defensive lineman, Sharma is a 6-foot-4, 325-pound star for Folsom (California). He's both a top-50 defensive line prospect and recruit from the state of California. 

All of that makes Sharma a major recruit, but it's his serious physical potential that has continued to drive so much attention. Consider this: recent second-round NFL draft pick T'Vondre Sweat weighed in at the NFL combine at 6-foot-5 and 366 pounds. Sharma is heading to campus within 40 pounds of Sweat's peak weight already. 

Incredibly, Sharma is the second lineman out of the state of California weighing 320 pounds or more to commit to Texas' class, joining offensive lineman John Mills from San Francisco (Calif.) Ignatius. As Coach Steve Sarkisian likes to say, those are, "Big Humans!" 

Sharma is the kind of prospect who engenders descriptive adjectives like "mammoth," and "gargantuan." Add to that his youthful birthday -- Sharma reportedly played his entire junior season while still just a 15-year-old -- and he's the kind of player that a program like Oregon lusted over ... and will be deeply upset to miss out on. 

The latest addition marks the 16th pledge in Texas' still growing Class of 2025. 

Cam Smith

Cam Smith Photo

Cam Smith is a 20-year sports journalism veteran whose career includes time writing for Yahoo Sports, The Washington Post, USA TODAY and contributions at The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, the Associated Press, Boston Herald and many others. He was born and raised in Texas, but later went to college in the Northeast and never moved back. Now based in Boston, he returns home to Austin as often as he can.