Elite 5-Star RB Camar Wheaton spurns OU, Texas football and picks Bama

The 2021 Texas football recruiting class saw a once big time target of theirs land with the Alabama Crimson Tide on the night of Dec. 23.

What was once one of the biggest targets of the 2021 Texas football recruiting class at any position, the elite five-star Lakeview Centennial running back Camar Wheaton, had a surprising commitment in store on Dec. 23. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex native Wheaton was also one of the most highly touted high school prospects out of Texas for this recruiting cycle.

This 5-foot-11 and 190 pound uber-talented running back had his decision date set just after the conclusion of the Early Signing Period, but a couple of months ahead of National Signing Day. Wheaton’s announcement was likely the single biggest bit of recruiting news around the college football landscape on Dec. 23.

Wheaton was picking between a few finalists, on a list that was narrowed down even further back in August, that included the Oklahoma Sooners, LSU Tigers, and Alabama Crimson Tide. Other competing schools like the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies were some of the key suitors cut by Wheaton in that round of his finalist drop.

Moreover, Wheaton held offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, and more than 20 other schools prior to announcing his Dec. 23 commitment. He wound up committing to the Crimson Tide. But the other highlighting schools on his offer sheet included the Baylor Bears, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Oklahoma State Cowboys, TCU Horned Frogs, Tennessee Volunteers, and USC Trojans.

Wheaton ultimately shocked the recruiting landscape and picked to take his talents to Tuscaloosa and join head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. It looked like head coach Lincoln Riley and the Sooners were the set favorite to land Wheaton’s commitment for most of this college football season. But they were spurned when Wheaton announced his decision on the night of Dec. 23.

With the Longhorns pursuing the four-star Cy-Fair running back prospect LJ Johnson so heavily in the last few months, their pursuit of Wheaton largely died down. It’s not a huge surprise Texas didn’t make his last three finalist schools.

Moreover, what the likes of Oklahoma and LSU are losing in Wheaton is the nation’s No. 26 2021 high school prospect, No. 2 running back, and No. 4 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 59 high school prospect, No. 4 running back, and No. 10 prospect out of Texas.

According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2021 Texas recruiting class still ranks at No. 17 in the nation and in the second spot in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma. The Sooners sit at No. 9 in the national class rankings, and Alabama holds the top spot in the entire country.