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An official visit to the Texas Longhorns didn’t materialize as previously planned before the dead period, but Monday’s decommitment from the Georgia Bulldogs by Houston Langham Creek running back Toneil Carter could be good news for the ‘Horns:
This was so hard but i gotta do what's best for me . #ingoditrust pic.twitter.com/BhOVV1OuYI
— Toneil Carter (@CarterToneil) December 19, 2016
be cool , it was all a big misunderstanding, i was 100% and things went south, i still love georgia but i had to do what's best for me https://t.co/ArhR2rdJbE
— Toneil Carter (@CarterToneil) December 19, 2016
Head coach Kirby Smart and his assistants clearly planned for at least one of the the team’s two star running backs, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, to declare for the 2017 NFL Draft.
When both players unexpectedly decided to remain in Athens for one final season, Carter was left without the spot the coaches had planned for him to enroll early.
And with early playing time at a premium now, Carter decided to move on from the commitment he made back in July.
Texas wasn’t really heavily in the mix for the 5’10.5, 197-pounder, but the hire of new head coach Tom Herman revived Carter’s interest in the Longhorns — he was briefly expected to visit before the dead period before canceling those plans.
As with former Nebraska tight end commit Reese Leitao, Texas now appears to be in a strong position with Carter, who could choose to visit Austin following the dead period and before enrolling early or could decide to put off his early enrollment altogether as he pursues further options.
However, based on the fact that the Longhorns are trending in the 247Sports Crystal Ball with 20 projections on Monday and have a need at the position following the departure of D’Onta Foreman, Herman appears to be in a strong position to land one of his first potential impact recruits at Texas.
If Carter does decide to take an official visit, there is one weekend after the dead period and before classes begin on January 17. Two years ago, US Army All-American safety Tim Irvin used it to visit Auburn before flipping his commitment and enrolling with the Tigers, thereby ending his brief tenure as a Longhorns pledge.
Carter is a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 137 player nationally, the No. 7 running back, and the No. 21 player in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Over the last three seasons, he’s run for over 3,700 yards and scored 54 rushing touchdowns at Langham Creek.