Texas still in the mix for 4-star S Trey Dean

An out-of-state prospect could join the impressive safety recruiting haul for the Texas Longhorns in the 2018 class, as Hampton (Ga.) Dutchtown product Trey Dean is still considering the ‘Horns.

The 6’2, 180-pounder visited Austin in early June and plans on visiting again at some point in July, according to his 247Sports profile page.

However, it may not be easy to pull Dean out of SEC country — for instance, the consensus four-star prospect has taken numerous visits to home-state Georgia, enabled by the fact that he lives about 75 miles from Athens.

Alabama and South Carolina are also considered contenders, though no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions have ever been cast for either school.

Not so far the Bulldogs, as head coach Kirby Smart’s program received seven between mid-February and the end of April.

The good news for the Longhorns is that the June visit appears to have made an impact on Dean, as four Crystal Ball predictions for Texas came in late that month.

With the ‘Horns clearly in the mix, it’s fair to wonder why position coach Craig Naivar is even considering bringing a fourth safety into the class.

Understanding that though process requires a more accurate reflection of where the coaches actually think the current commits will play. Angleton’s BJ Foster is clearly a deep safety all the way, but Arp’s Demarvion Overshown could grow into a spread-busting linebacker or jumbo nickel back once he gets into the Texas strength and conditioning program. And Cibolo Steele’s Caden Sterns is versatile enough to play any position in the secondary and will likely get a look at cornerback when he arrives in Austin.

So there may only be one pure safety in the group, with Overshown and Sterns capable of playing versatile roles across the defense.

As a result, the staff is still targeting Dean, who is ranked as the No. 270 player nationally, the No. 21 safety, and the No. 27 player in Georgia, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

According to multiple reports, he plans to announce his commitment on July 31, which could make his visit to Austin extremely important.