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The 2019 recruiting class for the Texas Longhorns shrunk on Monday evening, as Oklahoma City (Okla.) Millwood wide receiver Demariyon Houston announced his decommitment:
After talking with my parents &’ coaches about what’s best for my future , i am deciding to decommit from The University of Texas &’ reopen my recruitment . i appreciate everything that Coach Herman &’ the coaching staff has done for me &’ i will be forever appreciative . 7️⃣✌
— h o l l y w o o d h o u s t o n (@demariyon5) December 4, 2018
A speedy four-star prospect, Houston announced his commitment to the Longhorns early in the summer on July 7, despite Texas hosting him for just one visit. At the time, Houston became the third member of an increasingly impressive Longhorns wide receiver haul, joining four-star Cuero star Jordan Whittington and four-star Arizona standout Jake Smith.
Throughout the months that followed, though, Texas added even more elite talent to the mix, picking up October pledges from four-star Odessa Permian athlete Peyton Powell, who will get a look at quarterback but likely translates as a receiver, and four-star Missouri product Marcus Washington. What was one a three-man receiver class was suddenly up to four, if not five members, adding further competition to a receiver room that already includes young former high school All-Americans in freshmen Brennan Eagles, Al’Vonte Woodard, and Joshua Moore. Not to mention, the Longhorns still remain heavily in the mix with top-ranked athlete Bru McCoy, a five-star prospect out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei.
Whether or not Texas’ collection of young talent and potential additions to close the class ultimately factored into Houston’s decision to decommit is uncertain, but nevertheless, it’s clear that even after the news that the Oklahoma product was removing himself from the class, the Horns still have a tremendous amount of talent and upside at the position.
Another potential cause for Houston reopening his recruitment could be the home-state Oklahoma Sooners eyeing an opportunity to jump into the mix. Though Oklahoma is yet to offer, the Sooners recently lost a pledge from elite Texas native Arjei Henderson for the second time, so the Sooners may very well be looking at Houston as an option to fill that recently-opened void in their own elite recruiting class.
Oklahoma State is another possible contender, as the Cowboys finished as the runner up when Houston originally made his decision.
A consensus four-star prospect, Houston is ranked as the No. 227 player nationally, the No. 34 wide receiver, and the No. 2 player in Oklahoma, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.