DB John Bonney talks UT offer

Houston Lamar DB John Bonney didn't know what to expect when he made his way to Austin on Sunday for a Longhorn junior day. He really didn't know what to expect when he was pulled aside and told Mack Brown wanted to speak to him, shortly after arriving on campus.

Things couldn't have gone much better for Bonney.

"When I first got there, they pulled me aside and took me to coach Brown's office. I got to meet his wife, and he personally offered me there," Bonney said. "Then I got a chance to talk to my position coach, coach (Duane) Akina, and coach (Oscar) Giles, who recruits my area."

When Bonney was pulled aside at roughly 9 a.m., he didn't know an offer was coming. When he realized he was being taken to Mack Brown's office, his heart rate picked up by a tick or two.

"He's one of the best coaches of all time. It felt pretty good that he has that much interest in me," Bonney said. "That was pretty good. It was the first thing I did when I got there, talk to coach Brown, so that was pretty big.

"I didn't even know I was going to his office at first. I saw his name on the door, went into this big office. When he told me about the offer, I was really happy. Both my parents were happy too. My mom likes the whole situation at Texas and my dad liked Mack Brown and coach Akina."

Bonney was impressed with what he saw at the junior day visit, but he wants to see some other schools before coming to a final decision. In fact, Bonney is planning a busy spring tour of campus visits, starting with a visit to LSU's junior day next week.

"I'm going to Ohio State to see some spring practice, Northwestern, Auburn and I'm going to try to go to UCLA. Those are the out of state teams" Bonney said. "I'll go to Baylor as well. It's going to be busy but I want to get as much in as possible. Soon, I'll make a commitment somewhere. I want to at least narrow my list down."

As for a timeframe on a final decision, Bonney doesn't have a deadline in mind, but he's thinking his recruitment doesn't go past the summer.

"I have to get with my dad, my parents. They have to put what they want into it, give me some advice," Bonney said. "I want to be committed before my senior season starts."

The 6-0, 179-pound Bonney ws told by the Texas coaches that they liked his ability to play anywhere in the secondary, and an in-person scouting opportunity by Akina during the 2012 high school playoffs was enough to seal the deal on an offer.

"Coach Akina really liked the fact that I can play both corner and safety" Bonney said. "He said I fit their scheme and he likes my size as well. Me being six feet, I'm big enough for corner and already have good size for a safety. He got to see me play in person, so he saw my versatility."

Bonney doesn't have a formal list of favorites, but the Longhorns appeared to have made a strong enough impression during the junior day visit that they'll likely remain in the race down to the wire.

"Even when they hadn't offered me, I always felt like it would be a good situation. I was still interested in them," Bonney said. "I've been interested in them since I was little. I've been going to a Texas game every year since I was 10. It feels great for them to offer. They're definitely high up there for me. Now I just have to see how everything else goes."

Along with the offer from Texas, Bonney has picked up scholarships from the likes of Auburn, Baylor, Houston, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and UCLA. Bonney's father, Jerry Bonney, played basketball collegiately for the Houston Cougars.