Camden (Ark.) Fairview offensive tackle Stacey Wilkins will be playing football against the Texas Longhorns at the next level, as opposed to playing with them.
On Friday evening, the four-star talent became the latest Longhorns target to commit elsewhere, as he sided with the Oklahoma Sooners over offers from Arkansas, USC, TCU, and numerous others.
Committed !!!!
— Stacey Wilkins (@Wilk_65) August 4, 2018
(Video by @TFB_Sooners & @theporchnorman) pic.twitter.com/kpGaAeslKJ
Although all signs pointed towards Oklahoma as of late, Texas was once firmly in the mix in regards to his top schools. Wilkins visited the Forty Acres for Junior Day in February and notched his Longhorns offer following the trip. Texas was among Wilkins’ top 10 and even considered to be in the top half of that group, although still chasing Oklahoma and the home-state Razorbacks, at the least.
As his recruitment progressed, though, it appeared to become more of a matter of when, not if Wilkins would commit to Oklahoma, as all 23 of his Crystal Ball projections favored the Sooners. On Friday, those projections proved true and Wilkins in now the latest addition to Lincoln’s Riley’s top five recruiting haul.
That said, Wilkins’ recruitment may not be over just yet.
When Wilkins announced his commitment date in mid-July, he noted that he would be making an early commitment in order to “make sure I have a spot if things go a certain way.” If Wilkins does, in fact, remain open to other options while committed to Oklahoma, the Longhorns may very well still be firmly in the mix. Prior to his pledge, Wilkins was aiming to make a return trip to Texas for an official visit on Sept. 15 for the USC game. Texas may not be quite as appealing as it once was with a pair of four-star offensive tackle prospects committed in Tyler Johnson and Javonne Shepherd, but if Wilkins will listen, the Longhorns will likely keep talking.
The same can be said for programs such as Arkansas and TCU.
As for now, Texas will have to look beyond its current offers if the ‘Horns hope to add another offensive tackle to their 2019 class.