The Texas Longhorns have been able to maintain a solid recruiting base over the past few years, even as the program has largely floundered between the white lines. However, it appears that Tom Herman's first class as the team's head coach will be weaker at one position than previously expected. On Tuesday, word broke that strong side defensive end commit Lagaryonn Carson will not, in fact, be following through on his pledge to spend his college career in Austin.
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For those around the program, this news does not come as a shock. There have been whispers about Carson's potential inability to qualify at Texas and he was suspended during his final season at Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana. Still, the 6'4", 260-pound defensive end is a very strong prospect, ranking within the top 100 virtually across the board as a consensus four-star prospect. Beyond that, Carson is one of the top ten players from the state of Texas and one of Herman's stated goals will be to "build a wall" around the state of Texas in an effort to restore the Longhorns to national prominence.
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Because of the off-field concerns, Texas likely had some time to prepare for this exit but, on the surface, it isn't the best look. From here, it will be interesting to see how Herman and his staff handle the position, both for 2017 and beyond.
