Texas set to host important official visit weekend

The track record for head coach Tom Herman and his Texas Longhorns staff in creating big impressions on recruits during official visits is impeccable during this cycle and could help close out the 2018 recruiting class with some fireworks.

As many as four high school prospects and one graduate transfer are expected on campus this weekend — it will likely be the largest post-December visit weekend heading into National Signing Day.

Here’s a look at the list of expected attendees.

Rice graduate transfer offensive tackle Calvin Anderson: Arguably the most important target expected on campus this weekend, Anderson is from Austin and has twice hosted Texas coaches in Houston. Additionally, one of the coaches who visited last week was new Longhorns assistant Herb Hand when he was still with the Tigers.

The pitch to Anderson will be about the staff’s ability to get him ready for the NFL — that’s the biggest factor in his recruitment.

As of Wednesday, he was still waiting for an offer from Notre Dame, but already had Auburn, Duke, Louisville, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pitt, Purdue, TCU, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia. Tennessee is also in contact with him. While it’s still too early to say which schools are the biggest competitors, Pitt has made an impression on him, interestingly enough. So have Auburn and Oklahoma.

Yoakum wide receiver Joshua Moore: Originally set to visit last weekend, Moore wasn’t able to make it in, but quickly re-scheduled his trip. The former Nebraska commit plans on using his last two visits on Florida State and Oregon, so there are some developments left to happen in his recruitment. However, there’s a growing sense of momentum for the Longhorns after re-offering Moore in December — the last week produced three 247Sports Crystal Ball picks for Texas.

Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College defensive end Caleb Okechukwu: Much like Oklahoma product Courtre Alexander, Okechukwu is a late-rising prospect. He took an official visit to UMass in December, but now holds offers from Arkansas and Tennessee in addition to interest from Texas. An offer from the ‘Horns seems likely this weekend and would likely place Oscar Griles and company in an excellent position to land him, assuming that the numbers work out. With so much momentum in other recruitments, it’s possible that Texas won’t have room to take him.

Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School athlete Mike Williams: The Longhorns offered earlier this week during an in-home visit and expect Williams on campus this weekend. LSU already has eight commitments along the defensive line, so it’s doubtful there’s still room at home in Baton Rouge for the jumbo athlete. So Tennessee looks like the biggest competition here after his official visit last weekend. However, that trip didn’t stop a flurry of Crystal Ball picks for Texas after he picked up his offer. This one looks good for the Longhorns.

Lake Travis kicker Cameron Dicker: Dicker the Kicker, soon to be known only as The Kicker, signed during the early period and will have a chance to compete for the starting job in preseason camp. He’s the No. 4-ranked kicker in the country.