Texas lands commitment from 4-star WR Marcus Washington

For the second time this week, a loaded Texas Longhorns 2019 class added yet another key piece, as coveted Saint Louis (Mo.) Trinity Catholic wide receiver Marcus Washington became the latest to announce his commitment to head coach Tom Herman’s program on Friday in an announcement on local television.

“When I went down there, it felt like a family environment,” Washington said of his decision to commit to Texas. “I’ve been watching them throw the ball a lot and I feel like I can excel in their offense.”

So Washington donned the Longhorns gloves he had available for the purpose of announcing his pledge.

Though Washington now becomes the latest to join the top-10 recruiting haul for the Longhorns, the addition of the highly-touted Missouri product was expected dating back to mid-September.

Originally scheduled to announce his commitment in early August, Washington was widely projected to pick Ohio State. However, that was prior to the dismissal of Buckeyes wide receivers coach Zach Smith due to domestic violence allegations, and head coach Urban Meyer’s alleged knowledge of the situation. Consequently, Washington delayed his decision, and in doing so, the door swung wide open for Texas to take control.

The Longhorns did exactly that, thanks in large part to Washington making an official visit to the Forty Acres for the 37-14 win over USC. Both he and his father headed home to Missouri extremely impressed with the program, and the momentum became apparent as 19 Crystal Balls came in throughout the following month projecting Washington to pick Texas.

With those projections now having come to fruition, Washington is the fourth addition to a Longhorns wide receiver haul that also features four-star do-it-all Cuero product Jordan Whittington, four-star Scottsdale (Az.) Notre Dame Preparatory star Jake Smith, and four-star Oklahoma City (Okla.) Millwood standout Demariyon Houston.

More of a traditional outside receiver than the Longhorns other three wide receiver commits, Washington is a 6’2, 191-pound possession target with a knack for plucking the ball out of the air over defenders. Furthermore, in a fashion resemblant to that of Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Washington is more than a mere big target in that he owns the elusiveness and footwork to make something out of nothing or simply add additional yards after the catch.

With a verified 4.75 40-yard dash, a 4.28 shuttle, and 32-inch vertical leap, Washington is a solid athlete for his size. And while the vertical leap is the most pure measure of explosiveness, the shuttle time for Washington is an excellent number for a taller wide receiver.

Thus far this season, those traits have paved the way for Washington to haul in 21 receptions for 343 yards and four touchdowns.

Washington is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 202 player and as the No. 32 wide receiver, per the 247Sports Composite. In committing to Texas, he now becomes the 20th addition to a class ranked No. 7 nationally, and of those 20 pledges, Washington is the ninth out-of-state addition.

Texas is now right on the heels of Oklahoma for the top class in the Big 12 and the No. 6 class in the country, though the Horns do have two more commitments than the Sooners.

• Tyler Johnson — 4-star OT
• Jordan Whittington — 4-star WR
• De’Gabriel Floyd — 4-star OLB (California)
• Jake Smith — 4-star WR (Arizona)
• Brayden Liebrock — 4-star TE (Arizona)
• Kenyatta Watson II — 4-star CB (Georgia)
• Demariyon Houston — 4-star WR (Oklahoma)
• Chris Adimora — 4-star S (California)
• Marcus Washington — 4-star WR (Missouri)
• Roschon Johnson — 4-star QB
• Derrian Brown — 4-star RB (Georgia)
• David Gbenda — 4-star ILB
• Javonne Shepherd — 4-star OT
• Tyler Owens — 4-star S
• Peyton Powell — 4-star ATH
• Marcus Tillman Jr. — 3-star OLB (Florida)
• Peter Mpagi — 3-star WDE
• Marques Caldwell — 3-star CB
• T’Vondre Sweat — 3-star SDE
• Jared Wiley — 3-star TE