Longhorns pick up a monster commit

Just a few days ago, there was a collective gasp from the college football recruiting world when the Texas Longhorns held their first Junior Day and walked away without a single commitment from any of the 11 prospects on hand that received an offer.

Has Mack Brown lost his touch? Have the recruiting dynamics in the state of Texas changed dramatically from the last decade or so? Is this a Brave New World?

No, not so much.

For the second consecutive day, the Longhorns have secured the commitment from one of the 11 players offered and once again this verbal pledge arrives in the form of one the state's truly elite prospects - this time from Fort Worth Arlington Heights defensive tackle/offensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, who gave a commitment to Mack Brown and Co. on Thursday. On Wednesday, Texas picked up a commitment from Rivals100 wide receiver Jake Oliver.

"I just wanted to help Texas win a national championship," Robinson said shortly after committing.

The 6-4, 302-pound Robinson is currently rated as the No.6 prospect on the Lone Star Recruiting Top 100 list and is rated as the No.69 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com. In terms of scholarship offers, Robinson's stock has been red hot in recent weeks, as he collected recent offers from the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, LSU and TCU.

In an interview with Orangebloods.com last month, Robinson listed a number of reasons for why so many schools were pursuing him.

"I think it's my work ethic and my will to never stop trying. And I keep my head on straight with what I want to do," Robinson said. "On defense, I need to work on just getting off the ball a little quicker. I get off the ball pretty quick, but I can still get quicker. What I do best is swarm to the ball, get off blocks and just make plays."

Robinson has the potential to star on either side of the ball, but he's said previously that he'd like to play on defense. On Thursday, he said the Texas coaches have told him he can have his shot on that side of the ball, and Robinson believes he can help Texas on the interior of its defensive line.

"I'm a run stopper," he said. "I can make a lot of impact plays. I feel like I have a lot of playmaking abilities."

Robinson put in the call on Thursday and said he's now ready to close the book on his recruitment.

"It feels good. I wanted to just go into my senior season not having to worry about it and wanted to get it over with," Robinson said. "I'll be there next year to help win a national championship."

Robinson becomes Texas' third commitment of the 2013 class, joining Oliver and fellow Rivals100 member Jake Raulerson, who gave Texas its first pledge on February 3.