Jaylen Garth has been committed to Texas for the better part of three months, and the Port Neches-Groves standout took his UT official visit over the weekend. Garth, a four-star offensive lineman, said it was a good experience overall, especially the opportunity to hang out with the current Longhorn players and fellow Texas o-line commitments Logan Parr and Jake Majors.
“What stood out was just how well the players already treated us when we got there,” Garth said. “We had our hosts and we really got to bond with the other offensive linemen. It was just great to be there.”
During the official visit, Garth and the other prospects spent time seeing the UT facilities, they ate good food and even hung out at Texas head coach Tom Herman’s house for a bit on Saturday. On the football side, Garth said he got a lot of opportunities to talk with the Texas coaches, including offensive line coach Herb Hand. In his talks with Hand, Garth said it was shown to him that he should be able to settle in quickly to Texas’ offensive line practices once he gets to campus.
“Coach Hand was telling me how easy the transition should be. Not playing wise – you have to work for that - but at my school we basically do the same things Texas does,” Garth said. “He was showing me some of the things we do and it’s the same as what they do at Texas.”
Garth was hosted by former Port Neches-Groves teammate Roschon Johnson, who is in his first semester at Texas. Johnson, an early enrollee, told Garth that the transition to college can be taxing but if you stay the course, things quickly fall into place.
“He was saying his head was spinning, that it was pretty hard at first,” Garth said about his conversations with Johnson. “But he said you just have to manage your time and you’ll be fine.”
The 6-5, 285-pound Garth is still recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss about half of the 2018season, but he said he’s well on his way back to full strength. He’s considering graduating in December and said after this weekend, he’s completely locked in with his UT commitment.
“I’m still solid. Nothing’s changed. I don’t know how to explain it," Garth said. "They just treat me so well. It just feels like it’s home. I know I can do well there.”
