Anytime you have a five star prospect visit for a game two consecutive weeks, you have to believe things are going well. Well, with five star Cypress Park linebacker Harold Perkins, things are going just fine between him and the Texas Longhorns.
I caught up with Perkins last week following a blowout victory over Cypress Lakes to get the latest on his recruitment and to see where thing stood following the Texas visits.
“They played Rice,” Perkins said about why he wanted to return to Austin for a second consecutive week. “I knew Texas Tech was their conference opener and I wanted to get back and see what they were about.”
Perkins was impressed with the Texas faithful and their attendance for the Rice game.
“That game was packed for a Rice game. I got there late so I didn’t really get the full day experience and stuff like that. So I was like ‘I’m going to go back’ and I left the day before.”
Perkins said the reason for being late the previous week was a delay in his high school game that caused his schedule to back up a little bit preventing him from getting to Austin to see kickoff. Regardless, it spurred enough momentum in his mind to make the return trip back and get the full experience.
“When I went back a second time, the time was raw,” Perkins said.
As for the Texas Tech game, Perkins told me he really enjoyed his time and seeing the Texas team blowout their opponent on the field was a great sign as well. Perkins mentioned having fans at the game ask him for pictures, something that really surprised him.
“I feel like I got more than I expected,” Perkins said. “I didn’t know people knew who I was. People were asking to take pictures and I was like ‘I guess if you want to.'”
It is a full on press from the Texas staff. Led by Jeff Banks, several other Texas staffers are personally involved in this recruitment as well. Perkins mentioned Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, Director of Recruiting Brandon Harris and Senior Offensive Analyst Cordae Hankton as the most active members of the Texas staff that he hears from. Said Sark texted him prior to the kickoff of his game on Thursday night.
As for Banks, Perkins said he and the Texas special teams coach talk every other day for the most part.
“I like Banks,” Perkins said. “He is real down to earth. He’s not like a stuck up coach. I like his spirit, I feel like he has a young spirt to him.”
Perkins was in Baton Rouge this weekend to watch LSU who fell to Auburn at home. Interestingly enough, Texas A&M was anticipating an appearance from Perkins this past weekend, and the trip to LSU ruffled some feathers from the Aggie camp.
As for future visits, Perkins said he had flirted with Florida for a little but opted against making a trip out there. Oregon is getting involved and it appears that Perkins has enough interest in the nation’s No. 8 team to possibly OV out there later this season. Nothing is set in stone, but it is worth watching for the time being. Perkins mentioned Kelvin Banks and Cam Williams as Texas guys committed to Oregon that had caught his attention.
As I mentioned last week, Perkins is taking things day by day and a final school list could come at anytime. A commitment date is firm to the Under Armour All American game and I don’t see him wavering from that timeline.
I do think Texas is sitting within striking distance. A win this weekend and a rise in the rankings to following will go a long way here.
If official word comes out about Texas joining the SEC for the 2022 season, I would expect a commitment to Texas from Perkins. Until then, it is a waiting game.