Horns off and running with 2016 commitment

The Texas Longhorn coaches have found success in recruiting the 2014 and 2015 classes, and on Tuesday night the started off 2016 with a bang by securing a commitment from one of the state of Texas' top overall players in that class.

Manvel wide receiver Reggie Hemphill, who put on a show at a Texas mini-camp, called the Texas coaches on Tuesday night to become the first name on UT's 2016 commitment list.

Hemphill was originally approved for a scholarship offer by Texas after his camp performance. He returned to Austin in late July for the Texas Stampede. About two weeks later, he decided it was time to put an early end to the recruiting process.

"I talked to him about 35 minutes ago and he told me that was what he wanted to do," said Manvel head coach Kirk Martin. "I told him if that truly is your number one school and where you've always wanted to go, that's a no brainer."

Hemphill, who also competed in the Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge presented by Under Armour, has played on the Manvel varsity team as a freshman last year, and it didn't take long for him to make his presence known.

"He's got great speed. He's got really good hands. He catches the ball well in traffic. He can run all the routes. He's a great jailbreak screen runner which takes courage," said coach Martin. "And all this was done for me as a freshman.

"He's only going to get better and better. He's also great student, an A-B student. He's a great leader. He's the total package in my opinion. You're never ever going to hear about him getting in trouble. He's a guy that's going to represent the University of Texas well."

Hemphill also made camp appearances at Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech this summer. There was some thought that Texas A&M may be the team to beat in his recruitment due in part to the Aggies' recent success in recruiting prospects from Manvel, but Hemphill decided to blaze his own path.

"He's loved Texas his whole life. I know he was honored when they offered him," Martin said. "He looked at some other schools but I think it's a great decision for him. I think he will do very well for Texas. He's a terrific kid. He just has a smile on his face all the time. He's an extremely hard worker and mature beyond his years.

"He's just really with it. He's highly intelligent, very passionate, very driven and ultra-talented. This will be a great get for Texas but terrific for Reggie as well."

As a freshman, Hemphill was credited with 10 receptions but averaged 40 yards per catch, scoring 6 touchdowns. He also rushed for 101 yards on 11 carries and completed 3 passes for 25 yards.

Texas has also shown interest in fellow Manvel 2016 prospect Deontay Anderson, a talented defensive back who also excelled at his UT camp appearance.