Texas among teams standing out to coveted 4-star 2021 OT Reuben Fatheree

Reuben Fatheree has no plans on rushing the recruiting process.

The towering 6’8, 305-pound offensive tackle out of Richmond Foster is among the more coveted recruits in the 2021 class, owning 27 offers to date, and at least for now, each program actively involved is still an option.

Fatheree isn’t aiming to announce his initial top 10 list until late July or early August, which will leave more than a dozen programs on the outside looking in, but a few regional recruiting powers appear to be in an ideal early position with the four-star prospect.

“LSU, Texas A&M, Texas,” Fatheree told BON’s Wescott Eberts of which teams are standing out at the moment. The effort those programs put forth recruiting Fatheree is likely the reason for the recognition, as he named those three as the teams recruiting him the hardest at the moment, along with Oklahoma.

In the meantime, Fatheree has been making his rounds on the recruiting trail, with his most trip taking place in Austin last weekend for the Longhorns’ Heat Wave pool party.

“That was pretty cool. I’ve never seen that pool before,” Fatheree said with a laugh.

Elsewhere, Fatheree has made trips to some of Texas’ recruiting rivals, with recent visits to Texas A&M and Baylor. In fact, the Aggies and Bears are recruiting Fatheree to play both football and basketball, and Baylor has actually placed an offer on the table to do just that.

If possible, Fatheree would like to play both sports at the program of his choosing.

To that end, Fatheree has a solid idea of what he’s searching for when evaluating which program he’ll ultimately pick. The first thing Fatheree noted was the ability to pursue a profession in law enforcement, and an extensive alumni network is ideal, as well.

Then, of course, there’s the boxes that will need to be checked by the coach he’ll eventually spend three-to-four years learning and developing under.

“Treats me like family, treats me with respect,” Fatheree said of what he wants from his future offensive line coach. “And he’s going to coach me to my full extent, get the best out of me every day.”

It remains to be seen if Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand checks those boxes better than the opposition, but Fatheree is a fan of what he’s seen from Herb thus far.

“He’s a very awesome dude,” Fatheree said of Hand. “He’s energetic, loud. Pretty nice dude.”

If things go according to plan, Fatheree will be back in Austin before long, and he’s eyeing a return trip to Texas A&M, as well. However, the plan is also to keep his recruitment open for the next year and a half and ultimately announce his decision during the late National Signing Day in 2021.

Fatheree is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 122 player and No. 16 offensive tackle, per the 247Sports Composite.