Take Two: Will Oklahoma pounce on Texas decommitment?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
MORE: Fact or Fiction: Texas is in trouble
THE STORYLINE
Joshua Eaton committed to Texas in late August and it was another major defensive commitment for the Longhorns, but his pledge didn’t even last until the end of October as the four-star cornerback is back on the market.
Oklahoma has already received an official visit and the Sooners could have an edge in the next leg of his recruitment. But there is going to be major competition.
Alabama and LSU are getting more involved with the Aldine (Texas) MacArthur standout. Miami and Illinois are also two other programs that Eaton is going to seriously consider but seem like long shots in his winding recruitment.
Things can always change in recruiting, but it looks like after backing off his Texas pledge, Eaton has moved on to a new group of teams and the Longhorns are probably out of it for now.
Will Texas’ loss be Oklahoma’s gain or is Eaton’s recruitment too unpredictable to make a solid pick on his next choice?
FIRST TAKE: Sam Spiegelman, Texas and Louisiana analyst
“LSU and Alabama are both recruiting him heavily, but you have to view Oklahoma as the team to beat. He made his first visit to Norman a couple weeks before he committed to Texas and if he made a couple more trips there before his decision, he might be committed to Oklahoma right now.
“He’s opened up his recruitment and LSU and Alabama are jockeying for position, but they still have to stand up to Oklahoma in the end.”
SECOND TAKE: Mike Farrell, National recruiting director
"Not a lot of prospects have flipped from Texas to Oklahoma. They are two recruiting rivals that you think this would happen a lot more often, but it’s been pretty rare over the years.
“I’m not sure what went into Eaton’s decision and whether it’s how Texas is playing on the field or whether he feels he’s a better fit someplace else, but it looks like Oklahoma is now the team to beat and anytime you can beat a rival for a kid you covet and a kid from the state of Texas, it’s a huge deal for Oklahoma. The others have a chance, but Oklahoma looks best right now.”