Fisher, Herman battling for prospects
It’s on. Texas and Texas A&M don’t fight battles on the field anymore. The rivalry is relegated to the recruiting trail. The Longhorns won with the 2018 class, but it wasn’t a fair fight. Tom Herman had a one-year head start on new Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher. The two will square off for the 2019 class, and it won’t be as easy for Herman to claim an in-state recruiting championship again.
Texas A&M struck an early blow with the commitment of five-star safety Brian Williams. The No. 4 player on the Fabulous 55 visited Texas A&M earlier in the month and committed after “feeling something new” on the visit. Williams said at a seven-on-seven tournament in Houston last weekend that he is 110 percent committed and is already helping recruit the top talent in the nation on a “daily” basis.
A&M lost a commitment Tuesday from the top quarterback in the state, Grant Gunnell, but holds pledges from two fellow Fab 55 members, wide receiver Kam Brown and cornerback Bobby Wolfe. They are from the Houston area, a region Herman dominated in the 2018 cycle.
Texas’ lone commitment in the class heading into junior days Saturday and Sunday is from four-star quarterback Roschon Johnson of Port Neches-Groves. Johnson is the No. 21-ranked player on our initial Fab 55.
The Longhorns and Aggies plan to recruit at least a dozen of the same players. Here are 12 uncommitted in-state prospects who hold an offer from both. The team that lands the most recruits from the list is likely to end the 2019 recruiting cycle with the higher-ranked class.
No doubt a few of these players will end up at other schools; most hold offers from the top programs in the country. Still, with fewer players leaving the state in 2018 than in 2017, expect most of the four- and fivestar talent to remain home.