Stephan Zabie was a major recruiting target for Tom Herman and the Longhorns, but the Texas native snubbed his hometown team Wednesday, committing instead to UCLA.
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#ESPN300 OT @StephanZabie79 commits to #UCLA on @ESPNU . Bruins began day with No. 19 ranked class. pic.twitter.com/fWjbtX5kAg
— Gerry Hamilton (@GHamiltonOTF) February 1, 2017
Zabie, a 6-5, 290 pound four-star offensive tackle that attended Westlake High in nearby Austin, visited UT just last week, but his Jan. 20 visit out west to UCLA left the biggest impression. He joins a Bruins 2017 recruiting class that as of the early hours of National Signing Day was ranked 20th in the nation by Scout.com.
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Zabie is ranked by 247Sports as the country's No. 23 OT and its No. 247 overall prospect. SBnation.com calls Zabie a quick and well-rounded player whose skill set lends itself well to both the run and the pass:
Zabie's high school tape is impressive. Most four-star tackles are pretty dominant against high school competition, and Zabie definitely is. But what sticks out about his game is how well-rounded it is. Zabie can ride defenders into the turf on running plays or form a wall on passing plays, and he's pretty quick.