Texas lands commitment from four-star cornerback Malik Muhammad

Texas remained red hot on the recruiting trail on Wednesday evening with a commitment from Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff four-star cornerback Malik Muhammad.

Muhammad chose the Longhorns over Alabama and Texas A&M after dropping his top three earlier this month. Texas benefitted from a big final official visit in June, and Steve Sarkisian and his staff were able to lock it up just a few weeks after.

Of his final three, Alabama was the program that first saw momentum in Muhammad’s recruitment after the four-star took multiple visits to Tuscaloosa and grew closer with Nick Saban and his staff in the late fall to early spring. However, Texas A&M came in with a big visit that completely turned the tides into the Aggies’ favor in the late spring, resulting in multiple FutureCasts being tabbed for Jimbo Fisher’s squad.

But after an official visit to Texas on June 17, sources had indicated that the Longhorns were the team to beat, and the info proved to be correct with his pledge on Wednesday.

In looking at Muhammad’s game, there is a lot to like with his already established skill set. Of the defensive backs in the state of Texas, his floor probably sits among the highest due to his overwhelming length and his technique in coverage. Seen as a potential early contributor at the nickel position, Muhammad’s physical profile will allow him to be versatile in the secondary throughout his career in Austin as he could remain at his current size or bulk up to account for tougher competition.

The four-star is a consistent performer with his movement in coverage and his ability to identify and react in the secondary. His quick change of direction gives him the freedom to be aggressive in coverage which will lead to his ability to ball-hawk at the next level.

Considering his versatility with his physical profile, it will be interesting to see how Texas uses him later in his career after seeing him take reps at nickel. His ceiling is just as high at both true corner and safety with his range and coverage skills. Muhammad projects as a multi-year starter and a high-round NFL Draft pick at the conclusion of his college career.