A Closer Look at Texas Longhorns Upcoming Junior Day
This weekend, the Texas Longhorns will host their first and only Junior Day of the spring with some big-time recruits heading to Austin to over the weekend.
It’s clear that Mack Brown and Charlie Strong differ in their approaches to these weekend events. When Brown was at the helm, he used the visits as opportunities to get kids to commit early, and most of the recruiting class committed during Junior Days; Strong, on the other hand, seems willing to sit back and give the kids some time while building up the relationships.
Texas fans who are hoping for a slew of verbals after the weekend will likely be disappointed, however, they shouldn’t underestimate how important this year’s Junior Day will be.
Some of the biggest recruits in Texas, as well as many from out of state, will be in attendance.
Texas Longhorns
Here’s a look at some of the key players who are expected to attend (though bad weather across the state could result in changes):
Quarterback
Shane Buechele, who committed to the Longhorns early this week, will be in Austin as well as Logan Bonner of Rowlett. There is also an outside chance that Texas Tech commit Tristen Wallace of DeSoto could make the trip. It’s unclear how many QBs the Longhorns plan to take this year, but any Texas fan will tell you that you can never have too many.
Receiver
Current Longhorn pledge Reggie Hemphill (Manvel) will be present and could help to pull in some of the other receivers who plan to attend, including Devin Duvernay (Sachse), whom many consider to be the top receiver in Texas, as well as Camron Williams (Dallas First Baptist Academy) who is also one of the state’s top players, and former Baylor commit Tren’Davion Dickson (Navasota).
Running Back
Trayveon Williams (Houston C.C. King), Kyle Porter (Katy), Devway Whaley (Beaumont Central), Darius Anderson (Richmond George Ranch) and Rakeem Boyd (Houston Stratford) are all expected to be in Austin this weekend.
Tight End
Though the Longhorns are still searching for a game-changing tight end, Cody Mitchell of Jasper, TX, is the only one who is able to attend this year’s Junior Day.
Offensive Line
The offensive line is likely the most important position in terms of this year’s recruiting class and several are planning to visit this weekend, including Zach Shackelford (Belton) and JP Urquidez (Copperas Cove), both of whom could commit to the Longhorns sooner rather than later. Also expected to attend is Jean Delance (North Mesquite) who is currently committed to Oklahoma but still has Texas on his radar.
Defensive Line
Brick Haley will have his first opportunity to meet some of the linemen expected to attend this weekend, including Kendell Jones (Kileen Shoemaker) and Ed Oliver (Westfield), two of the nation’s best.
Michael Williams (Ft. Worth All Saints Episcopal) and Mark Jackson (Cibola Steele) have plans to attend as well.
Linebackers
Longhorn commit DeMarco Boyd will be in Austin this weekend, and he’s the type of kid who could help bring others into the fold, including Jordan Carmouche (Manvel), Erick Fowler (Manor), Dontavious Jackson (Houston Elisk), and Jeffrey McCulloch (Aldine Davis).
Defensive Backs
Eric Monroe (North Shore), Eric Cuffee (Waco), and Obi Eboh (Southlake Carroll) are some of the bigger names planning to make the trip to Austin, and all have shown an interest in the Horns.
Again, it’s important for Texas fans to understand that with Charlie Strong, Junior Day likely won’t end with a slew of commitments but that’s ok. For Strong, it’s all about getting these players on campus and building and strengthening relationships.