Texas Lands States Top Running Back
Although it might not have seemed like a rhetorical question when first asked, Pflugerville, Texas running back Erick Hardeman gave the perfect response when asked why he had officially committed to Texas today.
"Where else would I go," Hardeman asked with a laugh.
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If you're a fan of the University of Texas, truer words were never spoken.
The 6-1, 205-pound Hardeman, who has been leaning to the Longhorns for months, made things official on Wednesday when he called Mack Brown with the news of his intentions.
"My decision was made months ago," Hardeman said. "I called Coach Brown today and went ahead and got it out of the way. When it was all said and done it has the best combination of academics and football. I just felt at home there."
As the consensus choice as the state's top running back, Hardeman gives the Texas coaching staff the verbal pledge of the only running back that they have seriously targeted.
"I'm just ready to get down there and I'm ready to get on the field," Hardeman said with enthusiasm that couldn't be held back.
Despite playing with a partially torn hamstring, Hardeman put himself on the map as a junior, rushing for almost 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns. His stock soared this spring when coaches from across the country visited Pflugerville and saw him in person.
Among the schools that offered the star back scholarships were Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, UCLA, Arkansas, LSU, Colorado and Nebraska.
But, there was almost never any doubt that Hardeman would end up wearing burnt orange.
Now that his decision has been made, he's ready to focus on finishing up some unfinished business.
"I'm just ready to go down (to College Station) this weekend and win the seven-on-seven title," Hardeman said. "My team is the most important thing to me. I owe them."
Hardeman is currently the only running back in the state that has been given a four-star ranking by Rivals100 and he's currently rated as the No. 15 player in the state in the July update of the Lone Star Recruiting Hot 100 List.