Arkansas DB coach Clay Jennings is a candidate for Texas job

Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong is doing his due diligence in finding a replacement for dismissed defensive backs coach Chris Vaughn, as FootballScoop.com is reporting on Tuesday that Arkansas Razorbacks defensive backs backs coach Clay Jennings is a candidate for the position. According to Orangebloods and The Football Brainiacs, Jennings was scheduled to be in Austin on Tuesday for an interview.

The news of Texas interest in Jennings comes four days after Horns247 reported that Purdue Boilermakers defensive backs coach Taver Johnson was expected to be the pick by Strong.

The advantage that Jennings has over Johnson is that he played his college football in the state of Texas and, including his years as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, North Texas, has made four different stops as a coach in the state at Houston, Baylor, and TCU.

His tenure with the Horned Frogs was the longest, as he served as the cornerbacks coach there from 2008 to 2013, helping develop cornerback Jason Verrett into a two-time All-American, Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and first-round draft pick.

Since making the move to Fayetteville to replace Johnson in 2014, Jennings has had several players show marked improvement, including Texas native Tevin Mitchel.

So from the standpoints of teaching acumen and Texas recruiting experience, Jennings checks off what are perhaps the two most important boxes as a candidate.