Underrated LA DT Gerald Wilbon commits to Texas

The Texas Longhorns addressed a major need in the 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday evening with the commitment of Destrehan defensive tackle Gerald Wilbon:

I am proud to say I am committed to the University of Texas!!! #Texas #Longhorns #HookEm pic.twitter.com/gQDW44pi64

— Gerald W (@Big_Geezy97) June 18, 2015

The 6'3, 311-pounder made the decision less than a week after visiting Texas and deciding to stay in Austin for an extra night. At the time told the Football Brainiacs that he was "loving" his time on campus.

A Wednesday commitment wasn't exactly his intention, but a conversation with head coach Charlie Strong caused him to end his recruitment, according to Horns247.

"Coach Strong just made me feel comfortable," Wilbon said. "He just reassured how I felt about Texas and told me great things about the program. I asked him about my plans after college, and he said they would make sure I get where I need to be."

Still unrated by 247Sports, Wilbon is a consensus three-star prospect ranked as the No. 67 defensive tackle and the No. 63 player in Louisiana. He currently holds 12 offers, including Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Tech, and Central Florida. Texas offered in late May, just days after the top three in-state defensive tackles committed to Houston and Alabama, respectively.

His 247Sports Crystal Ball used to hold two predictions for the Red Raiders, but the Longhorns don't typically lose recruiting battles to the conference rival on the South Plains and Wilbon seemingly left Central Texas with Texas in a highly favorable position. In fact, those predictions switched from Texas Tech to Texas following the trip.

Describing his biggest strength as run-stuffing, Wilbon projects as a pure nose tackle at the next level. With a verified 5.64 40-yard dash, he doesn't have especially impressive explosiveness or change-of-direction ability, but his size and decent ball get-off do allow him to cause some disruption in high school. As a result, he's a solid and much-needed take for the Longhorns, but not the game-changing defensive tackle that Texas needs to eventually land in the 2016 class.

Wilbon has good upside as a prospect who could eventually hold the point of attack and provide a few plays behind the line of scrimmage, but the ideal scenario here is to pair him in the class with at least one three-technique defensive tackle with the quickness to consistently penetrate offensive backfields.