Texas hosting last visit weekend before National Signing Day

With National Signing Day looming next Wednesday, the last official visit weekend for the 2018 recruiting class begins on Friday and the Texas Longhorns are taking advantage of the cycle’s final hours.

Arkansas linebacker commit Andrew Parker and uncommitted Houston Cy Woods offensive tackle Christian Jones will both be on campus this weekend, with Parker starting his visit on Friday:

Texas offered Parker on January 26, only days after the late-rising prospect took an official visit to Arkansas and then committed to the Razorbacks. Getting the 6’2, 225-pounder on campus was hardly an easy task — Texas A&M offered Parker before Texas and then TCU entered the picture. Originally set to visit Fort Worth this weekend, Parker instead opted for Austin.

With one 247Sports Crystal Ball pick in for the Longhorns already, defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has a legitimate chance to flip the Louisiana native and add another much-needed linebacker to the class.

The staff was in communication with Jones for a longer period of time, according to Orangebloods, but only recently got serious about recruiting the raw offensive lineman, extending an offer last Friday. The 6’6, 285-pounder was scheduled to visit Vanderbilt, but changed his mind late in the week after receiving an in-home visit from head coach Tom Herman several days ago.

There are now seven Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Texas with Jones, who also visited Cal late in the recruiting process.

In big news that broke on Friday afternoon from Horns247, Houston Westfield defensive tackle, Keondre Coburn, a longtime commit who opted not to sign during the early period, will be on campus. Coburn took an official visit to Miami in early January, but now looks like a lock to sign with Texas next Wednesday.

Signed prospects like offensive tackle Rafiti Ghirmai and linebacker Byron Hobbs will also join the official visitors in Austin to help with the recruiting process:

Joining them will be influential recruiters like Natalia Vaughns and Yolanda Royston, mothers of current signees who earned a justified reputation during the recruiting process for helping make prospects and their families feel at home in Austin.

And, for good measure, several top targets in future recruiting classes will also be in Austin, with star 2019 wide receiver Garrett Wilson of Lake Travis expected to make it in, as well as rising 2020 running back Zachary Evans, a standout at Galena Park North Shore.

With Assistant Director of Player Personnel Bryan Carrington having already teased several silent commitments on Twitter, the Longhorns appear poised to close out the 2018 recruiting class by addressing every remaining need.