4-star 2021 TE Lake McRee announces commitment to Texas

Tom Herman’s 2021 class is no longer a one-man band.

On Tuesday morning, Austin Lake Travis tight end Lake McRee jumped into the mix and took to Twitter to announce his commitment to the Texas Longhorns.

With 15 offers in hand, McRee chose the Horns over notable options including USC, Texas A&M, TCU, North Carolina, Baylor, and Arkansas. However, there was little reason to believe that McRee would take his talents anywhere other than Texas.

A local product, McRee grew up a Texas fan, and on April 25, just days after his his first offseason trip to Texas for the spring game, McCree earned the opportunity to take his talents to his favorite program. Several weeks later, McRee camped with Texas in early June, and then returned yet again for the Heat Wave pool party, where he spent time with former Lake Travis and current Texas tight end Cade Brewer.

Though he initially told Burnt Orange Nation’s Wescott Eberts that he aimed to take each of his five official visits before announcing a decision, those plans, of course, changed, and McRee’s decision to stay home now comes sooner than initially expected.

Though two seasons remain before McRee ultimately does suit up in burnt orange, he should be able to hit the ground running courtesy of extended experience with an offensive scheme similar to what Texas employs.

“I think I’d fit in pretty well,” McRee said of how he would mesh with the tight ends in the Longhorns offense, noting that the offenses are similar, as Lake Travis offensive coordinator Will Stein previously spent three seasons as a quality control coach at Texas. “It would be an easy transition.”

Last season, McRee hauled in 17 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns, all of which came throughout the final six games of the season, and those numbers will likely only improve in 2019 as he develops as a key option for Texas 2020 quarterback commit Hudson Card. 2018 marked McRee’s first full season as a tight end, as he previously played quarterback as a freshman.

A 6’4, 202-pound talent, McRee is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 355 player and No. 12 tight end, per 247Sports. McRee becomes the second member of Texas’ 2021 class, joining four-star Dallas Skyline receiver Quaydarius Davis.