Had 2013 Fort Bend Dulles defensive back Maurice Smith received a Texas offer way back at the second Junior Day in late February, the Texas Longhorns might currently hold a commitment from the coveted defender.
Instead, Texas may now be facing an uphill battle following Smith's trip to Tuscaloosa over the weekend to take in the Alabama spring game.
Now, it's hardly unusual for a prospect to speak highly of a recent visit -- in fact, it's rather shocking if they don't. As a result, it's worth placing any immediate post-visit comments in the context of what could be described as post-visit euphoria.
Smith certainly sounded impressed ($) after the game:
We got on the field, and it was ridiculous. I had never seen a crowd like that before for a spring game. They had about 78,000 people.
As we were walking on the field, I got to see where the cornerbacks were doing their drills. I got to see Coach (Nick) Saban do what he does best and how he interacted with the players. It was great. The crowd was on their feet the whole time, and it was just wild. The whole thing was wild.
Talking to 'Bama head coach Nick Saban also seemed to have an impact on Smith:
We got to talk about how I would fit it on the defense. He was just telling what they have to offer. Any school I would go to is great, but the way he said it, it just really made sense. It was an honor (talking to him).
The end result? Some favorable movement for the Tide:
Right now, as far as a list goes, I don't really have one, but if I did, I think they would be on top for sure.
An interesting hypothetical, to be sure.
There's still a long way to go in Smith's recruitment, as his current timetable calls for a decision following his senior season. However, it looks like the 'Horns may have some ground to make up now. Smith has maintained in the past that location isn't an issue, but when it comes time to make his commitment, how will his family feel about him potentially playing football in Alabama?
As always, proximity should help Texas in the end, but it isn't clear at this time whether it will be a significant or potentially game-changing factor.