Carthage (Texas) four-star athlete Aeryn Hampton has scheduled three official visits for this spring and summer as the East Texas standout will go see UTSA on April 14-16 before heading to Texas on June 16-18 and Alabama on June 23-25.
All three programs have hosted Hampton for unofficial visits during his recruitment and each have East Texas ties that have kept each program in the mix with hometown connections.
For UTSA, the Roadrunners appear as the clear outlier, but Hampton has grown close with head coach and former East Texas high school coach Jeff Traylor during his recruitment. Additionally, one of Hampton's closest friends and former teammate Jakevian Rodgers signed with UTSA in the 2023 class. All in all, Hampton will be one of the most notable official visitors in the history of the program if he makes it to campus.
"You know Coach Traylor is from where I'm from," Hampton said. "His brother coach Kurt Traylor, I have known him since middle school when he coached at Tyler Legacy and that was the high school I was going to if he didn't leave for the UTSA job. If anyone deserves a chance, it's UTSA."
Hampton was previously committed to Texas from Feb. 2022 to Nov. 2022, but the Longhorns still remain a legitimate threat to land his commitment as a result of relationships with multiple staffers including Steve Sarkisian and safeties coach Blake Gideon, who is a fellow East Texas native.
"Coach Sark and the whole staff have been recruiting me hard since I picked up the offer," he said. "I love what Coach Sark is doing and I feel like I should OV there."
Alabama has been a program that has always intrigued Hampton, and now with two East Texas four-stars signed in the 2023 class (Jalen Hale, Jordan Renaud) for the Tide, there is comfortability for Hampton in Tuscaloosa.
"Bama is just Bama," Hampton said. "If you want to be developed and be a great person on and off the field, you go to Bama. I love the development Coach Wiggins and Saban have with the past receivers."
At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Hampton is ranked as the No. 114 recruit in the country for the class of 2024, according to Rivals. He is the No. 7 ranked athlete in the country and the No. 18 recruit from the state of Texas.