The Texas Longhorns already have one offensive lineman committed for the 2017 recruiting class, and first-year UT OL coach Matt Mattox continues to build relationships with other prospects with hopes of adding to his haul.
One player who is high on UT's radar but has kind of flown under the radar is tackle Chuck Filiaga. It's not Filiaga's talent level that has kept him out of the spotlight, it's more the fact that he stays fairly quiet through the media and he's a player in a bit of transition.
The Vista Murrietta (CA) product will finish up his junior season in California before moving to Texas in June, where he'll reside in Aledo and be part of a powerful Bearcats program. That move to the Lone Star State has helped put the University of Texas on Filiaga's radar.
"I'm actually excited to be out there, going to Aledo," Filiaga said. "I met them on my spring visit. The players are a great bunch of guys. (Offensive lineman) Wesley Harris, he's a great guy. I'm looking forward to be playing on the same side of the ball with him. Overall, I'm just excited to go out there and meet the coaching staff."
Earlier this spring, Filiaga visited Aledo and he also made a tour of college campuses, including stops at Texas, Baylor, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Auburn and Alabama. The Rivals250 member said he liked what he saw of UT while in Austin.
"I actually loved visiting Texas. Coach (Charlie) Strong and his coaching staff, they have a great bunch of guys there," Filiaga said. "They're ready to get things back on track."
A lot of insiders feel Southern Cal is the team to beat for Filiaga, but the 6-6, 335-pound prospect said he hasn't begun to formulate a list of favorites just yet.
"I'm still open to every college and future choices. I'm exploring my options right now to see which one best fits me," Filiaga said.
A four-star prospect, Filiaga said he'll likely begin to narrow his list towards teh end of the summer or early in the fall. Nobody has officially made the cut yet, but Filiaga knows some of the criteria that will go into his decisions.
"Most definitely it will be education," Filiaga said. "And somewhere I feel at home, great guys on the coaching staff. But I have to be comfortable because coaches can change. Somewhere I go if the next staff comes in, I feel comfortable and already ready for change. I've been moving my whole life, so I'm used to adapting. You learn a lot of new things when you move around."
Since picking up his Texas offer and visiting UT in March, Filiaga has stayed in contact with the UT coaches, including Strong and Mattox. He doesn't have anything definite set up, but Filiaga said he will make a return visit to UT sometime this summer.
