Rumors are swirling around the commitment status of Dallas Skyline wide receiver Thomas Johnson regarding the possibility that the Texas commit will take visits to other schools and even some talk that he has already de-committed.
In some sense, these rumors are nothing new, as there has been chatter throughout the high school football season that Johnson could be looking around and considering taking visits, but they've always been shot down in the past.
This time, however, the rumors seem more persistent, perhaps fueled by the additions of two other receivers to the Texas 2012 recruiting class in recent weeks -- Marcus Johnson of League City Clear Springs and Kendall Sanders of Athens.
Perhaps because of the instability at the quarterback position. Or perhaps because the Longhorns often play with only two receivers now instead of the three-receiver sets that would feature Johnson in the slot, the position at which he will probably be most effective in college.
Perhaps because there is actually some merit to the rumors.
The schools most frequently mentioned in connection with Johnson are Cal and Oregon, with Baylor surfacing in recent days, though there is a strain of thought that connects the rumors to dissatisfaction from Baylor head coach Art Briles with the Longhorns after Mack Brown pulled a Jersey Shore-style robbery that would have made the Situation proud and grabbed Mineral Wells safety Adrian Colbert before he could take his official visit to Waco. Briles told Colbert he thought that was unfair.
You know, unfair like being at worst the third best team in the country and being voted fifth in the final poll. STFU, Briles.
Point being, at least some of these rumors seem to be coming from sources close to the Baylor coaching staff, so it wouldn't be a shock if Briles is sending out some of this information as retaliation for losing Colbert. If the Bears do receive a visit, RGIII is likely on to the NFL after the bowl game and Baylor doesn't exactly win a lot of head-to-head battles with the Longhorns.
For his part, Johnson hasn't been speaking much publicly since the rumors surfaced, though at this point the rumors have gained enough steam that whatever comments he might provide about the solidity of his commitment probably don't mean much until his signature gets faxed to Bellmont in early February. Most recruits are 100% until they aren't, right?
Teammates Ra'Shaad Samples and Peter Jinkens, a 2012 Texas commit himself, reported to Recruitocosm that Johnson is solid to Texas, but again, the veracity of those claims is roughly on par with any public statements that Johnson might make at this point.
It's not exactly time to push the panic button -- save that until Johnson actually schedules a visit or visits -- but the steadiness of these rumors is cause for concern.