Tom Herman will ultimately be evaluated by what takes place on Saturdays in the fall and he would likely be among the first people to admit to that. However, Herman and the Texas coaching staff can go a long way toward ensuring success by recruiting at the highest level and, on Monday, the program secured a big-time commitment from four-star defensive tackle prospect Keondre Coburn.
Shortly after making his announcement, Coburn spoke to Gerry Hamilton of ESPN and provided his rationale.
"I committed to Texas because of the coaching staff, and I look good in burnt orange. I want to to help Texas beat Ohio State for the No. 1 class."
The 6'1, 329-pound senior from Houston ranks as the No. 8 defensive tackle in the country according to the 247Sports composite and this is a major addition for the Longhorns. Schools like LSU, Alabama and in-state rival Texas A&M were in the mix for Coburn until the very end but he was seen as a likely Texas pledge in recent days and that proved to be the case.
One commitment won't stem the tide for Herman but this is a big one and it follows an encouraging pattern for the program. Now, we will see if Texas can translate that success to the playing field.