Elite 4-star WR Jaime Ffrench visiting Texas this weekend
Texas is one of the many programs that has pushed hard for Jacksonville Mandarin four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench following his decommitment from Alabama in January.
Ohio State, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Tennessee are among those charging hard for the elite pass-catcher, but Ffrench is set to head to Austin for a visit with the Longhorns this weekend, he confirmed on Thursday.
Texas is charging for a top-10 recruiting class this cycle, and Steve Sarkisian and Co. are hopeful Ffrench could become the centerpiece pledge on The Forty Acres. Ffrench has also already locked in a June OV with the Longhorns as he works through his recruitment for the second time.
“I definitely want to hit the reset button with my recruiting process because of the retirement of coach Saban and also, there is nobody currently there at Alabama who previously recruited me,” Ffrench told On3 following his decommitment. “I feel that it’s not fair for the schools who are head-over-heels about me, so I wanted to hit the reset button and take another look at things.”
Longhorns battling Ohio State, others at the top for Ffrench’s pledge
After visiting Texas on April 6, Ffrench will make a quick turnaround and head to Knoxville for a visit with Tennessee on April 8. It’s Ohio State that’s currently trending for Ffrench, however.
“My RPM is on Ohio State, one of the first ones I locked since joining this network,” On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong said. “I think that they’ve set the bar in this recruitment with what Brian Hartline & Co. have done at the position. I think he sees it as a place that he can really excel.”
“Watch out for Tennessee,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said. “Kelsey Pope, Josh Heupel — those guys did a great job getting him on campus in March. Really hit a home run not just with him, but I’m told with his parents as well. Of course, Florida State has always been there. He was back at Miami here recently. I agree with Steve, right now setting the pace is Ohio State. But watch out for a school like Tennessee here.”
Texas Class Breakdown
The class was kicked off with a bang back in June, as Saraland (Ala.) four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey pledged to the Longhorns. The gunslinger has continued to rise in the On3 Industry Ranking and now checks in as a top-10 player at his position.
“So some of the main things that stood out to me about Texas were how much they value relationships,” Lacey told On3 upon his commitment. “What coach Sark and coach Milwee preached to me was that they don’t just offer quarterbacks because they are talented. They also want to know what type of person you are towards your teammates and peers and see if the leadership role comes to you naturally or not.
Lacey has since been flanked by four others since December. Calhoun (Ga.) four-star tight end Emaree Winston and Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie four-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown committed to UT on back-to-back days.
Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek three-star EDGE Anthony Williams and Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove four-star athlete Lance Jackson each pledged in January to add some in-state defensive flair to the pledge list in Austin.