The twisting and turning road that has been Javonne Shepherd’s recruitment has officially come to an end. Shepherd, a longtime Texas Longhorn commitment who has kept UT fans guessing as he remained in close contact with other programs, put an end to all the speculation on Wednesday and officially signed with Texas.
The move by Shepherd culminates what has been a wild and sometimes unpredictable recruiting ride that saw the Houston North Forest offensive lineman take visits to Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama and Texas in the last month. Shepherd’s final official visit was to Austin last weekend, and he told Orangebloods.com on Sunday night after he had returned home that his mind was made up and he’d be signing with the Longhorns.
The biggest reason Shepherd decided to stick with his commitment was his relationship with the Texas staff and the effort the coaches had put into recruiting him for the better part of the last 12 months.
“It’s just the vibe with the coaches. It’s just how I felt about them. And they still act the same way since they offered me. It’s the same energy since they first offered me,” Shepherd said. “Really it’s all the coaches – coach (Herb) Hand, coach (Oscar) Giles, coach (Todd) Orlando, coach (Tom) Herman, coach (Corby) Meekins – all of them.”
After a back-and-forth recruitment that saw Texas and Texas A&M jockeying for position in front of the pack, the Longhorns began to surge last spring and put themselves atop Shepherd’s list after the 6-6, 325-pound prospect made several trips to Austin in the spring and summer. On July 29 of last year, Shepherd made things somewhat official by verbally committing to Texas, although he maintained at that time he would take other official visits. Shepherd stuck to his plans with the three SEC visits, which kept Texas fans on the edge of their seats, but in the end he decided to stick with his original decision and sign with the Longhorns.
A four-star prospect, Shepherd becomes Texas’ third offensive line signee, joining Rivals100 member Tyler Johnson and Isaiah Hookfin, who both signed with UT in December. Shepherd is Texas’ 24th signee overall.
A terrific talent with a rare combination of size and athleticism, Shepherd is hopeful that he can come in and help the Texas offensive line early in his career. The plan the UT coaches have laid out for him is another reason he ultimately signed with Texas.
“Texas is a great school. It’s a great environment. It’s a good place to be,” Shepherd said. “I’m very comfortable down there. They still have the same plan as they always did, for me to play early.”
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