Sooners lead slightly for Franklin. Expected to announce his decision some time in the next two weeks, Marshall linebacker Aaron Franklin hasn't revealed much about his current thoughts, but does say that he feels more comfortable with the Oklahoma Sooners at present, the result of a longer length of time getting to know the coaching staff. He also says that he does not plan on making another trip to Austin, making it more difficult for the Longhorns to close that gap. At this point, it's safe to say that the decision will come down to Oklahoma and Texas, with the Sooners holding the slight edge because of his comfort level in Norman.

New 2009 baseball commit. As the 2010 Texas baseball roster stood after losing to LSU in the College World Series back in June, sophomore-to-be Jordan Etier was the main candidate to replace departed senior Travis Tucker at second base. With the recent addition of Concord De La Salle High School's Noah Perio, Etier has some competition. A middle infielder with plus athleticism, Perio is a lefty with a line-drive swing that projects to increase in power as he gains strength -- he did, however, manage to hit six home runs as a senior, along with his .422 batting average. Perhaps more impressively, he only struck out eight times on the season, while demonstrating his ability in the clutch by recording four walk-off hits. A slot receiver and defensive back for his school's football team, Perio used his athleticism to steal 23 bases as a senior and once stole second, third, and home over the course of four pitches.

Lamb latest to surface on 2010 radar. As the July evaluation period winds down and the Longhorns hone in on their final few 2010 targets, Northcross, GA's 6-4 combo guard Jeremy Lamb now registers as more than a blip on the Texas radar -- he now has a Longhorn offer. Like the other fresh 2010 names (James Johnson, Michael Cobbins, and Keith Davis), Lamb's impressive play on the summer circuit after only two years of high school basketball has drawn the notice of top coaches across the country. At only 170 pounds, Lamb is extremely thin at this point, but has an excellent mid-range game (a la Avery Bradley) and can knock down the three-pointer consistently, along with the quickness to get where he wants to go on the court. His ESPN page lists only Georgia State and UNC-Greensboro as the schools Lamb is currently considering, so expect the Longhorns to jump near the top of the list as Lamb begins to re-evaluate his options after his recent strong performances, with UConn and Kentucky other top programs that have recently offered the Georgia native.

From the Land of Miscellany. Jake Matthews committed to Texas A&M ($). No surprise there. The big surprise, though, is just how strong this Aggie recruiting class is becoming. Mike Sherman may be buying himself some time...Word out of the early pick-up basketball games is that Matt Hill is playing with increased mobility now that his foot problems are completely behind him and may be a factor in the deep frontcourt rotation this year...Dogus Balbay now has the cast off of his broken left hand...Darius White probably won't make a decision until NSD...Barking Carnival has 7-on-7 news from last week's scrimmage against Texas State.