By John Dawson, Special to Burnt Orange Nation
John is a former recruiting reporter for the Birmingham News in Alabama. You can also read John's blog at Caffeine and Irony.
At less than 10 weeks until National Signing Day (Feb. 6) Texas appears to be in a defensive posture. Of the remaining uncommitted recruits on the Rivals100 list, none seem to have Texas on their radar.
But it's not necessarily a bad thing. Barring some late flops away from the Longhorns, Texas appears to have locked up the recruiting title once again. So Texas' job in the next 10 weeks is basically to hold serve. There are signs the Longhorns coaching staff recognizes this.
The last time Mack Brown tied up the top-rated Rivals class it included Vincent Young, who headlined a top class that would eventually propel Texas to a National Championship. This year, Texas' isn't pulling down the top player like Young, but the Horns are holding the verbal commitment of five-star quarterback John Brantley.
Much has been made about the strength of the Ocala, Fla. quarterback's commitment. After all, Brantley gave Texas his word eight months ago as a high school junior. Lots of things can change. And coaches like Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier have been pressing the Ocala family hard. Ditto Urban Meyer at Florida.
But if you're looking for good news on Brantley, I've got some. If there was a day that Texas coaches could point to and say, `If only we can make it here with an intact commitment, we should make it to the finish line,' today is that day. According to the schedule, Brantley makes his official visit to Austin this weekend in conjunction with the team's annual awards banquet. And yesterday a local report mentioned that Texas assistant coaches were present in Florida when Gatorade named Brantley their National Player of the Year.
So there you go. Some good news on the recruiting front: Texas is still No. 1 and the Longhorns have the weekend to firm up any wobble left in Brantley by using the Horns No. 1 recruiting tool: The City of Austin.
--JD--