Now that Jordan Hicks’ commitment has taken Texas fans from Planet Ecstasy (after Jackson Jeffcoat’s commitment) to Planet Disbelief, it’s tough to ask for any cogent analysis of what this might mean for the Longhorns. Nevertheless, SB Nation’s Texas blog, Burnt Orange Nation, gamely attempts coherence:
Instant Analysis: What Jordan Hicks Means For Texas
Florida began to fall by the wayside when Charlie Strong left for Louisville, but the death blow probably came when Urban Meyer didn’t visit. It’s hard to say what exactly happened with Ohio State, but the weather, his mother’s relationship with Jeff Madden, Jordan’s relationship with Will Muschamp, and his overall lack of ties to the state of Ohio helped eventually eliminate the Buckeyes from contention when Hicks sat down to make his final decision.
Even picking up Jackson Jeffcoat was an incredible get for the Longhorns to help top off an amazing recruiting class in its own right, but adding Hicks to it as well is almost unfathomable — it will probably take some time to process everything and put it all into proper perspective, but even Bill Walton might have trouble making hyperbolic statements. The class is just that good and that the announcements of both Hicks and Jeffcoat both came within 90 minutes of each other and both favored the Longhorns is just staggering.
Hicks is a stud. Just about everything that Coach Boom could want from a linebacker, Hicks brings to the table. Toughness. Smarts. Speed. Striking ability. The ability to read and diagnose, then make the play when he gets there. Drop into coverage. Come on now, there’s a reason that he’s widely considered the best linebacker in the class. At this point, there’s not much more to say than that.
So… Yeah. This was a big pickup for Texas. The rich get richer, etc. Fans in Austin won’t soon forget the National Championship loss, but even so, you’d have to think this helps numb the pain.
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