It’s the day before the final National Signing Day of the 2021 cycle, but it was one of the country’s top 2022 prospects that stole the headlines on Tuesday afternoon.

Rivals100 running back Jaydon Blue, the No. 2-ranked running back in the entire country in the 2022 class, announced via Twitter that he has committed to the Texas Longhorns.

Blue, out of Klein Cain, holds roughly 35 scholarship offers, including invitations from some of the top programs in the country, but Texas has always been a school that’s been high on his list. This week, he decided to put an early end to the recruiting race by joining the Longhorn commitment list.

“I could be anywhere in the country the next 3-4 years playing college football and pursuing a degree in engineering,” Blue said via Twitter. “Today I would like to announce that I will be committing to the University of Texas.”

The 5-11, 205-pound Blue has had Texas at or near the top of his list for the better part of a year but Alabama recently began to gain favor with him. With Texas bringing in several Alabama assistants, including now UT-head coach Steve Sarkisian, Jeff Banks and Kyle Flood, plus the decision to retain running backs coach Stan Drayton, Texas again shot to the forefront of Blue’s recruitment.

At one point last month, Blue was considering an early commitment but he recently told Orangebloods.com that he’d likely wait things out a bit so he could see the new UT coaches in action next fall. It turns out, his relationships with the new staff and trust he’d built with guys like Stan Drayton, Brandon Harris and the new staff members.

“I talk to Brandon (Harris) pretty much every week. Coach Drayton too,” Blue recently told OB. “When I heard coach Drayton was staying, that was one of the reasons I kept UT as one of my schools. I have a good relationship with him.”

Blue becomes the Longhorns’ third commitment in the 2022 class, joining defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau and wide receiver Armani Winfield. A four-star prospect, he ranks No. 56 on the Rivals100.