40 Acres Sports

The 13 newest future Texas Longhorns have been added to our football recruiting commit list. The top 2010 commits are still listed on that page but you can find the full list of the guys that just signed earlier this month can be found here.

Despite strong performances from freshmen Avery Bradley and the newly patient Jordan Hamilton, the Longhorns continued their freefall Wednesday night at Missouri. The team fell to the Tigers 82-77 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. Video “highlights” of the Horns falling to 6-5 in conference play are below…

Before the first Junior Day for the 2011 class even started Saturday, the new commits started rolling in on Friday. Star wide receiver [tag]Jaxon Shipley[/tag] out of Brownwood (not Colt McCoy’s roommate) was the very first one Friday afternoon and the commits didn’t stop until Saturday night when lineman [tag]Marcus Hutchins[/tag] was the 13th high school junior to tell Mack Brown and Co. he wanted to be a Longhorn.

Here’s the full list of future Horns…

• QB [tag]David Ash[/tag]
• FB [tag]Joe Bergeron[/tag]
• OL [tag]Josh Cochran[/tag]
• OL [tag]Taylor Doyle[/tag]
• DB [tag]Sheroid Evans[/tag]
• OL [tag]Marcus Hutchins[/tag]
• DT [tag]Desmond Jackson[/tag]
• TE [tag]MJ McFarland[/tag]
• LB [tag]Chet Moss[/tag]
• WR [tag]Miles Onyegbule[/tag]
• DB [tag]Leroy Scott[/tag]
• WR [tag]Jaxon Shipley[/tag]
• ATH [tag]Mykkele Thompson[/tag]

We’ll have thoughts on each recruits (as well as ratings predictions) soon.

Antwan Cobb was a lead blocker on many of Texas' 2009 short yardage touchdowns. (Image: Zimbio)

With National Signing Day and the important junior days, February is usually a time when Texas football fans can focus on recruiting and the beginnings of future Longhorn football careers. This weekend, however, the University announced that two current Longhorns were giving up the football careers and focusing on their academics. Wide receiver [tag]Philip Payne[/tag] and running back [tag]Antwan Cobb[/tag] have both decided to forgo their final year of eligibility and will focus on getting healthy and getting their UT degrees.

WR Philip Payne out of Garland will spend this semester working towards his communications degree:

“It was a very tough decision, but after discussing things with my family, we decided that I’m going to focus all my energy on my school work so I can finish my degree this spring. I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time with the football program and I’m looking forward to the next phase of my life. I’ll miss being around the guys and I can’t say enough about everyone in the program and how much I appreciate everything they did for me. I’m so happy to have been a part of the program, from the football family, to The University and our fans and supporters, it has been the experience of a lifetime. I’ll always be a Longhorn and I’ll be pulling for the team to have another great year in 2010.”

Fullback and special teams standout Cobb’s knee injuries had added up:

“Since my knee injury a couple of years ago, I’ve had a series of injuries and just haven’t been able to get well enough to compete at the level I know I’m capable of. I talked to my family and the coaches and think it’s in my best interest to move on and focus on finishing my degree and getting ready for life after football. It was a tough decision and I’m very appreciative of everything the coaches and staff did to help me through the process. I’ve had a great experience here and learned so many valuable lessons on and off the field that will help me for the rest of my life. I’ll miss not being out there with my teammates every day but will be around and helping any way I can. I’ll always be a part of this family and pulling for my Longhorns.”

Good luck to both young men as they pursue their degrees and finish out their careers as Texas Longhorns.

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According to ESPN blogger Tim Griffin, Garrett Gilbert’s job may be the toughest in the Big 12 for 2010…

Texas QB Colt McCoy: He leaves school as the most statistically proficient quarterback in school history, although his career will forever be marked by his near misses in the Heisman Trophy balloting over the past two seasons and his injury in his final college game against Alabama. Garrett Gilbert will be facing some big shoes to replace when Texas practice starts later this month.

Read the full top 5 biggest shoes to fill.

Four of Texas’ incredible crew of 2010 wide receiver recruits hail from the DFW area. They’re already talking to each other and they know that they better show up ready to play.

Link: Texas-bound receivers say they ‘can make Dallas proud’

Probably my favorite press conference every year, Texas head coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] is finally able to talk about the incoming recruits and sits down and goes over film of each one of them. Great to hear him talk about the entire incoming class and about the strengths of each player. Definitely worth your time to watch the entire thing:

Some great photos of the future Longhorns making their college choice official yesterday. The photos of Taylor Bible from Inside Texas are awesome. His choice of a Texas fishing/hunting choice is perfect if you heard how country he is during Under Armour game interviews. Check out a selection of the photos below:

Reggie Wilson

Darius Terrell

Jackson Jeffcoat

Tevin Jackson & Adrian Phillips

Taylor Bible

Be sure to head over to Inside Texas, Statesman.com, and DallasNews.com for more photos of these recruits and all the future Horns.

Texas head coach Mack Brown talks to ESPNU about the incredible haul of recruits he brought in today and about Garrett Gilbert replacing Colt McCoy. Watch…

The first Wednesday of every February is the big one for recruitniks. [tag]National Signing Day[/tag] is the first day high school seniors can sign their National Letter of Intent to play college football. A Letter of Intent is a binding agreement between a player and a school so more changing their mind or flip flopping after their name is on the paper.

The Texas Longhorns don’t expect any big news, they got their big fish last Friday, but this is the day when the members of the Horns’ fantastic 2010 recruiting class can make it truly official. Three players are already enrolled and on campus, so 25 22 young men will be faxing in their letters today.

We’ll have updates throughout the day as the letters come in on Twitter at @40AcresSports and here on this page. Most of the action should take place in the morning so stay tuned.

Confirmed* Letters of Intent

• [tag]Taylor Bible[/tag]
• [tag]DeAires Cotton[/tag]
• [tag]Ashton Dorsey[/tag]
• [tag]Dominic Espinosa[/tag]
• [tag]Jordan Hicks[/tag] (first one in at 6am)
• [tag]Chris Jones[/tag]
• [tag]William Russ[/tag]
• [tag]Reggie Wilson[/tag]
• [tag]Aaron Benson[/tag]
• [tag]Greg Daniels[/tag] (this one had me a little nervous after weekend rumors)
• [tag]Tevin Jackson[/tag]
• [tag]Adrian Phillips[/tag]
• [tag]Traylon Shead[/tag]
• [tag]Darius White[/tag] (after how long it took to bring him in over OU, glad he was in early)
• [tag]John Harris[/tag]
• [tag]Trey Hopkins[/tag]
• [tag]Darius Terrell[/tag]
• [tag]Bryant Jackson[/tag]
• [tag]Mike Davis[/tag]
• [tag]Carrington Byndom[/tag]
• [tag]Jackson Jeffcoat[/tag]
• [tag]Demarco Cobbs[/tag] (last one is in!)

Spring Enrollees

• [tag]Case McCoy[/tag]
• [tag]Adrian White[/tag]
• [tag]Connor Wood[/tag]

Updates…

RT @InsideTexas: Aaron Benson has signed his Letter of Intent to play for Texas. 12 to go. #ut (8:25am)

DE Greg Daniels, LB Tevin Jackson & DB Adrian Phillips are in. Daniels came up in recent decommit rumors so good to see his LOI in. #ut (8:40am)

According to @InsideTexas, record setting Cayuga RB Traylon Shead has sent in his LOI. #ut (9:10am)

RT @gkketch: Breaking news in recruiting. Multiple outlets have Dallas Skyline LB Corey Nelson signing with OU instead of Texas A&M today (9:25am)

RT @gkketch: Just spoke with Fort Worth WR Darius White and he told me that he’s signing and faxing to Texas as I type. 19 of 25 confirmed. (9:30am)

Only a few guys left to sign. A little nervous that Jackson Jeffcoat and out of state ATH Demarco Cobbs are 2 of them. #UT (9:37am)

RT @gkketch: 24 of the 25 commitments for Texas have signed and faxed in their letters. We’re only waiting on DeMarco Cobbs, who signs a … (10:44am)

RT @jeff_howe: Just talked with Demarco Cobbs. He has signed and sent his LOI to #ut. Texas has now signed all 25 verbal commitments. #ut (11:20am)

*Information on confirmed LOI from Orangebloods.com and Inside Texas.