Texas WR commit John Burt eyeing Signing Day decision

Ever since Texas Longhorns wide receiver commit John Burt took two visits to see the Auburn Tigers, his decommitment has seemed imminent, especially when a trip to Austin didn't help with solidity of his pledge.

Now, Burt has told Rivals that he plans on waiting until National Signing Day to make his final decision, putting him in a similar position as current Tennessee linebacker commit Cecil Cherry, who has a similar timetable to make his final choice.

For weeks, the discussion about Burt making a decision has felt ominous given the two visits to Auburn and the fact that it's much easier for his family to make that trip than to journey to Austin.

And it's not clear how much Burt's affinity for Texas is a result of his family connections and how much he actually likes the new coaching staff, including wide receivers coach Les Koenning, who so far has failed to make a positive impact on the recruiting trail at his position or with Houston-area recruits.

The problem for the Longhorns that will emerge is how the staff chooses to manage recruiting at the position. Former head coach Mack Brown hated decisions on Signing Day because if he lost out in a recruitment, it meant missing on that prospect and the prospect that would have otherwise taken that spot in the class.

Of course, Burt could still inform the staff beforehand to allow them to seek other options, but he's conflicted enough at this time that he may not have a final decision made until that date.

Will Texas hold a spot for Burt regardless or would the staff take a commitment from Georgia Prep wide receiver Gilbert Johnson to essentially fill the program's big for a bigger receiver in the 2015 class.

As the top-rated commit in the class and the only current wide receiver pledge, Burt has significant value to the class in a number of years, including the fact that he's a big-body wideout in the mold of John Harris who could help replace the 1,000-yard receiver, though there are several receivers who signed in 2014 with similar attributes.

Finally, one of the storylines with Burt surrounds the potential for him to take an official visit to Texas before early February. If he does make it in, the staff will have another opportunity to sell him on the Longhorns. If not, it's hard to imagine him signing with Texas when Signing Day arrives.