As the Texas Longhorns attempt to finish the 2020 recruiting class with two key targets along the defensive line, one of those targets is back on the Forty Acres for the second time in last several weeks, this time for an official visit, Manor product Princely Umanmielen told Jason Suchomel of Orangebloods.
Like Bastrop Cedar Creek defensive end Alfred Collins, Umanmielen visited Austin two weeks ago for the big recruiting event built around the Texas basketball game against Kansas. So to get him back on campus is a significant development for defensive line coach Oscar Giles and the Longhorns.
Last week, Giles and new defensive coordinator Chris Ash stopped by Manor to check on Umanmielen. On Thursday morning, Giles was back, this time with head coach Tom Herman and Director of Recruiting Bryan Carrington, who is currently filling the final on-field assistant role. The staff was ultimately successful in their push to get the 6’4, 249-pounder back on campus.
“(Ash) showed me some of the clips from Ohio State’s defense when he was over there,” Umanmielen said after his recent visit. “He said that they’ll be running something very similar to that and that he’ll be using me mostly in a five (technique).
“I’m more interested than I was before. So they’re up there now.”
Umanmielen committed to Texas in early August, then took a visit for the game against LSU, but opted to reopen his recruitment in October, several weeks after taking an official visit to Oklahoma. He’s also taken official visits to Baylor in December and Florida last weekend. A final official visit is planned to Auburn this weekend.
So where do things stand for the Horns with the consensus four-star prospect? Auburn, Baylor, Florida, and Texas are his finalists. Baylor is not as strongly positioned following the coaching change and one of the SEC schools could surge, but the Bears were the leader after his decommitment, leaving four undecided 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. Proximity is also a factor for his parents, suggesting they would prefer for Umanmielen not to leave the state.
While recommitments aren’t especially common in football recruiting, they do happen occasionally and getting Umanmielen on campus twice in such a short period of time to meet with Ash and Giles is a good sign.
Umanmielen is ranked as the No. 241 prospect nationally and the No. 9 strong-side defensive end, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.