Rivals100 DL Vernon Broughton commits to Texas

The long-winding recruitment of Vernon Broughton has reached its final chapter.

The Rivals100 defensive lineman committed to Texas over the likes of Texas A&M and Ohio State on Monday. Broughton also had Arkansas, LSU and Alabama as finalists.

Broughton's decision to follow through to Texas is another huge in-state pickup for Tom Herman and co., who have been picking up steam on the recruiting trail as the weather heats up over the summer. Broughton follows fellow Rivals100 prospect Prince Dorbah to commit to the Longhorns in the past month. He now counts as the ninth commitment in Texas' 2020 class -- all from the Lone Star State. Broughton is also the sixth four-star in the class and the third member of the Rivals100 in the fold.

Broughton was admittedly a Texas lean at the top of the year, though he continued to make visits to both Austin and Aggieland for a good portion of the junior day stretch. The Longhorns were the first team to host the Rivals100 defensive end for an official visit, which coincided with the spring game. The current members of Texas' 2020 class put in the time to try and bring Broughton on board.

The four-star ventured off to Arkansas, LSU and Ohio State for official visits and ended the tour with a stop at The Station. As expected, the Texas A&M staff had a large contingent of the 2020 class on hand to sway Broughton. More importantly, the Texas A&M coaches pushed the narrative of his future position along the defensive line.

Broughton, listed as a strong-side defensive end on Rivals, intended to play on the edge of a four-man front at the next level. That technically narrowed the field down to Ohio State, Arkansas and Texas A&M — at least for the month of June, which had the Aggies in the driver’s seat — at least temporarily.

However, the Longhorns' staff brought Broughton back on campus for the Heat Wave and continued to sell Broughton on playing close to home and being an impact player in the trenches -- regardless of position. One person who has major say in Broughton's decision, his mother Yolanda Wells-Broughton, who put her belief in the Texas staff.

For a good chunk of his recruitment, Broughton was a heavy Texas lean, and the staff was able to survive some lost momentum on the trail and still find a way to close with a priority target. They overtook Texas A&M’s move to capitalize on his future position with stronger relationships with both the player and his family.

Broughton's commitment is certainly the biggest for Texas out of the Houston area in this recruiting cycle at a critical position of need.

“They’re doing a good job of making bonds with me and creating a family feel. That’s it," Broughton told Rivals this spring. “Getting to know me and my family. That’s it. If you’re cool with me, if you love me, I will love you back. One of those schools is doing a little better (job) than the other. I’d probably have to say Texas.”

"Texas did a good job," Broughton told Rivals at the Five-Star Challenge this summer. "They have been showing me love. All the schools are nice, though, but I'm seeing who's gonna sit me down and talk to me about my position and where they see me at. It's a 3-4 defense and they see me in there."

It's incredible to see a prospect as unique as Broughton is -- a rare combination of size, explosiveness and athleticism bundled in one defensive lineman.

At 6-foot-6 and 285 or so pounds, Broughton is capable of playing defensive tackle or defensive end at the highest level. He is adamant about lining up on the edge of the defensive front, where he can utilize an effective swim move, brute strength and intriguing ability to bend around even the best offensive tackles. He’s an ideal fit at end in Texas’ three-man front.

Broughton has that sought-after blend of size and speed to keep opposing offensive linemen guessing. He has long arms that allow him to reach the quarterback even easier. They were measured at 32.5 inches with a total wingspan of 80.5 inches.

On film, Broughton is a standout playmaker at defensive end for Cypress (Texas) Ridge. Broughton splits reps as a 4- and 5-technique. He plays with a high motor with fantastic closing speed. He is limited in his pass-rush arsenal but utilizes an effective swim technique paired with a bull-rush. That allows Broughton to make a bevy of plays behind the line of scrimmage in the run game. That athleticism and notable agility also allows him to run across the line of scrimmage for a ton of tackles.

Much of the same traits that make Broughton so impactful on the edge would also translate very well at defensive tackle. He would be a match-up nightmare for some interior linemen, who would have to adjust to block someone as versatile and athletic as Broughton.

Broughton has only been playing football for three years, so what he shows on tape and in camp settings is just a small sample size of his game compared to his ceiling. As he continues to develop and sharpen his skill-set and pass-rush moves, it is very likely that his best football is still ahead of him.