Five-star Kirk picks Texas AM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Sometimes, a solid lead is hard to squander.

While Arizona State and Auburn seemed to close the gap down the stretch, and Texas A&M lost its wide receivers coach at the most inopportune of times, five-Star wide receiver Christian Kirk will still be an Aggie.

Kirk announced his commitment to Texas A&M in a ceremony at his high school on Tuesday afternoon. Applause rang out inside Saguaro High School and was likely matched by cheers in the A&M football offices thousands of miles away, but nobody was happier than Kirk himself.

More than 35 offers yielded one commitment. And Tuesday's announcement yielded one elated wide receiver.

"It feels awesome," Kirk said. "I feel like a giant monkey is off my back. It's been a lot in the last few weeks ... I loved all three schools, but A&M is where I need to be to be. People told me to go with my gut feeling, and A&M was my gut feeling."

Kirk chose the Aggies over a long list of offers, but A&M truly held off finalists UCLA, Auburn, Arizona State, Ohio State and USC. His recruitment was, as one would expect, not a simple one. So while Arizona State was said to have made a late push to land the Scottsdale-based star, the Sun Devils couldn't match the allure of the SEC and the draw of Kevin Sumlin's staff.

"It was a lot; it was football and outside of football." Kirk said. "It was about things like where I'll be living and the system and all of that. But in the end, I trusted Coach Sumlin. That was the biggest thing, the trust factor."

In the day and age of the early commitment, Kirk took his time with his decision. There was never part of him that considered quick commitment. This process was -- like Kirk himself -- methodical.

"It became clear to me (Tuesday) morning," Kirk said.

The No. 3 wide receiver and No. 29 overall prospect in the class of 2015, Kirk accounted for 3,349 total yards and 46 touchdowns this season. He also led his Saguaro team to a second straight state title.

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