4-star OLB Amari Gainer names Texas in Top 4, sets commitment date

It’s possible Tom Herman’s 2018 class adds yet another highly touted out-of-state prospect in the very near future.

On Tuesday evening, Tallahassee Lawton Chiles (Fla.) outside linebacker Amari Gainer released a top four of Texas, Alabama, Florida State and Miami and announced that he’ll be choosing between his finalists this coming Friday.

For obvious reasons, the hometown Seminoles are considered the overwhelming favorite in the hunt for Gainer’s services. To date, Florida State holds all of Gainer’s 16 Crystal Ball projections. EJ Holland of 247Sports recently noted that the Longhorns are in a much better position with Gainer than many may believe, but in any case, Texas will likely need a significant push throughout the next 48 hours or so to pull off the recruiting update.

That said, Herman and his staff have already established quite boldly that they’re capable of making Texas a factor is virtually any recruitment.

In the 2018 class alone, Texas has flipped Justin Watkins from Florida State, Cameron Rising from Oklahoma, Caden Sterns from LSU and landed Oklahoma native Ron Tatum over the heavy favorite Sooners.

We’ll know by Friday if Texas can pull off another remarkable recruiting victory over a national powerhouse. Gainer hasn’t visited Austin yet, but the staff has traveled to The Sunshine State numerous times to check in on one of their key linebacker targets.

At 6’2.5, 204 pounds, Gainer ranks as the nation’s No. 319 player, No. 23 outside linebacker and the No. 53 player in Florida, per 247Sports Composite.