It isn't often that a fellow commit breaks the news of a future teammate on Twitter, but that's exactly what 2012 Austin High WR Cayleb Jones did Friday afternoon, announcing the commitment of 2012 Athens athlete Kendall Sanders minutes before it was confirmed through multiple other sources.
Sanders opened up his recruitment recently after having been committed to Oklahoma State since the spring. A visit for banquet weekend is in the works, where Sanders will join an all-star list of visitors as a Texas commitment.
Sanders has been on the Texas radar throughout the process, but it appears that it wasn't until Texas suffered some attrition at the wide receiver position that the coaching staff felt it had enough room to bring the explosive athlete on board. While many have thought for some time that Sanders has the frame and measurables to be be an NFL prospect at defensive back, with the desperate need for playmakers at the wide receiver position, it appears that's where Sanders will get his start in burnt orange.
Sanders joins Jones and Dallas Skyline wide receiver Thomas Johnson in the class at wide receiver, with brief A&M commit Marcus Johnson also on the board, with a commitment from the Clear Springs star also looking imminent -- as long as his offer still stands with the decision by Sanders, which it likely does.
The 6-0, 175-pounder with reported 4.4 speed and a 40-inch vertical is ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals and one of the top 10 players in the state. During his senior season at Athens, Sanders was used as a running back, wide receiver, and a quarterback at times, turning wide receiver screens into big games with his explosiveness and ability to make defenders miss, while essentially doing the same on end arounds and jet sweeps.
He's expected to provide similar versatility for the Longhorns when he enrolls and it's not out of the question that Texas co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin could quickly develop a package of plays that highlights that playmaking ability, which is probably on par with Thomas Johnson in the class and ranks among the best in the state.