4-star Plano East ILB Anthony Hines commits to Texas A&M

Less than 24 hours after five-star Kennedale linebacker, Baron Browning, committed to Ohio State, yet another Texas priority target is off the board with four-star Plano East linebacker, Anthony Hines, committed to Texas A&M.

Hines chose the in-state Aggies over TCU, Ohio State, UCLA, Florida and Penn State.

Similar to Browning, Hines excluded the ‘Horns from his latest list cuts last week and though Texas was a legitimate option up to that point, it rarely seemed as if Texas was the team to beat. A losing season and a coaching staff change provided further reason for Hines to head elsewhere.

As a senior at Plano East, Hines was an absolute menace, combining for 238 total tackles and 38 tackles for loss in 11 games

Ranked as the nation’s No. 2 inside linebacker and the No. 11 player in Texas, Hines compiled a staggering list of 90 total offers stemming from nearly every major FBS program.

Hines’ commitment to the Aggies doesn’t necessarily mean Texas is entirely out of the mix, though. Per Horns247, Hines will still host Texas head coach Tom Herman for an in-home visit next week. Herman and his staff will have a short window, though, as Hines plans to enroll early.

In the meantime, barring a flip, the question now becomes where does Herman and Texas go from here?

A starting point may be three-star Plano West linebacker and Houston commit, Mohamed Sanogo. The previous regime under Charlie Strong never offered Sanogo, but now that the it appear the bulk of the Houston staff is headed to Austin, it’s possible and even likely that Herman and his staff now recruit him for another program.

Sanogo doesn’t possess the elite athleticism that Hines does, but he’s a prospect with great size and a nose for the ball. Sanogo ranks as the nation’s No. 18 inside linebacker.

Another Houston commit, Marqez Bimage, is a name to know. The three-star Brenham inside linebacker and weak-side defensive end committed to the Cougars nearly a year ago, but for the same reasons as Sanogo, the staff that recruited him to Houston now possibly does the same thing at Texas with key options now committed elsewhere.

At the next level, Bimage looks the part of a versatile pass rusher that plays with a sense of urgency and tenacity, reminiscent of Malcolm Roach.

Bimage ranks as the nation’s No. 25 inside linebacker and the No. 95 player in Texas.