Parker Braun set to take re-scheduled visit to Texas

Originally scheduled to visit Austin on the weekend of the February Junior Day, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets graduate transfer offensive guard Parker Braun will take his official visit with the Texas Longhorns this weekend, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A two-time All-ACC selection, Braun is one of the most coveted graduate transfers on the market and the top target for the Longhorns, who have also hosted former Virginia offensive guard RJ Proctor this offseason.

Shortly after announcing his intention to play his final season of eligibility somewhere else, Braun has taken a visit to Florida with his younger brother, 2020 offensive tackle Joshua Braun. When he spoke with the Journal-Constitution, he was in the process of setting up a visit to Auburn and was in contact with Ohio State. Since then, the Buckeyes have added Scarlet Knights transfer Jonah Jackson, but remained in pursuit of Braun, with a visit scheduled for March.

He’s looking to pursue his graduate degree in anthropology — Florida and Texas are both ranked among the top 25 programs in that field nationally — while considering a switch to center. At 280 pounds, Braun knows that he needs to add some weight before he finishes so career, so the strength and conditioning programs at the schools under consideration will factor into his decision. So will the fit with the coaching staff and overall team.

Given Braun’s ties to Florida, the Gators seem like the most obvious fit, but head coach Tom Herman and offensive line coach Herb Hand have the recruiting chops to pull off this recruitment. The success of Rice graduate transfer Calvin Anderson last season and the presence of Yancy McKnight capably leading the Texas strength and conditioning program should help, too.