Add a name to the list of visitors for the Texas Longhorns on the first weekend after the dead period ends, as Gilmer cornerback Kris Boyd announced on Sunday via Twitter that he will visit Austin at that time:
Official visit to UT this weekend!
— ✨Kris.Boyd!✨ (@kris23db) January 11, 2015
The 2015 US Army All-American had previously planned to visit College Station that weekend, but has apparently changed his mind. An official visit to Baylor is scheduled for the 23rd. Boyd does not currently have any visits planned for the final weekend before National Signing Day, but Alabama could be in the mix after Boyd added the Crimson Tide to his final five and dropped the Horned Frogs recently.
Head coach Charlie Strong and his staff may have a chance to close with Boyd on the visit, as the consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 7 cornerback nationally by 247Sports and his younger brother Demarco, a 2016 linebacker, were spotted just before Christmas throwing the "hook 'em Horns" hand sign after Gilmer won a state championship:
Next up? Texas targets @kris23db and @demarco_boyd throw Horns up after winning state #HookEm (via @TrevorPeeleETFS) pic.twitter.com/o7kbJYEDcd
— Orangebloods.com (@OBWire) December 19, 2014
Considering this came shortly after the commitment of five-star linebacker Malik Jefferson to Texas and Boyd had announced a planned decision on Christmas Day, significant momentum seemed to be pointing to the Longhorns.
However, Boyd downplayed any meaning behind the gestures when he spoke with SB Nation Recruiting during Army Bowl week.
"It was nothing big," he said. "This game I'm probably going to throw up Florida State or Baylor or TCU or Roll Tide. It could be pretty much anything."
For fans of the other schools still under consideration, one of the important questions has been the impetus behind Boyd pushing back that decision.
"I just felt like it was the time, but then again maybe it wasn't because people are enjoying their family on the holidays," said Boyd.
However, the Longhorns still remain the heavy favorite to land Boyd, as the school currently sits with 62% of the predictions in Boyd's 247Sports Crystal Ball. A&M is in second place with 24% of the projections, but canceling his visit to College Station won't be seen as good news in Aggieland, though he could certainly use it on the 30th.
Interestingly enough, fellow Texas cornerback target Holton Hill re-confirmed his own intentions to visit on that weekend only minutes after Boyd.
Coincidence? Perhaps not.