T'Vondre Sweat has been committed to Texas for so long, it feels like he’s sometimes a forgotten man among the Longhorns’ 2019 recruiting class. The talented defensive lineman gave Texas a pledge back in early February and since that time he’s kept his head down, stayed out of the spotlight and simply taken care of his business at Huntsville High School.
That early decision has probably cost Sweat some headlines, but he’s not losing any sleep. And Sweat will get his chance to start making waves again next week when Huntsville kicks off its regular season. As one of the state’s top prospects and a future Texas Longhorn, all eyes will be on Sweat’s performance and he said he’s up for the challenge.
“Things are going well. I feel really good. We have a lot of energy. We’re ready,” Sweat said. “I’m improving a lot. I’m using my moves a lot more. I just feel blessed. All this just came out of nowhere. I feel like I’m using my hands really well. This year, I want to improve my speed.”
There was a time very early in the recruiting process when some thought Sweat might favor other schools, like Texas A&M. But after the 6-4, 265-pounder visited Texas in January, he was blown away and said it made for a pretty easy decision to commit to Texas.
“I feel good. Austin is home now,” Sweat said. “After this season, I just have to get ready for my new life there.”
Sweat will graduate in May and head to Austin next June. He has big aspirations for his senior season at Huntsville first, but said he is excited to begin the next chapter of his academic and athletic life. As for his decision to choose Texas over a list of offers that included schools like A&M, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, TCU, Ole Miss and several others, Sweat said it was a combination of factors that led him to choose the Longhorns.
“I’ve got a good connection with coach (Tom) Herman and coach (Oscar) Giles. Coach Herman, he used to live where I’m from, so he knows how everything goes around here,” Sweat said. “When they took me around Austin I loved it, and I loved the facilities.”
When he first committed, Sweat noted that other schools were still trying to get him to reconsider. As the months have gone on, most others have backed off.
“I think everybody has given up, honestly. That’s kind of what I wanted though,” Sweat said.
