UT fans get their wish

With only the Christian Scott saga left for Longhorn fans to follow in the 2007 recruiting season, the burnt orange fan base has turned more and more of its attention towards the state's top juniors.

One of the top early storylines for the 2008 group centers on Van's Jermie Calhoun, regarded as the easy choice as the state's top running back. Specifically, the talk among UT fans focused on the fact that Calhoun has listed Texas as his early leader but had yet to hear much from the Longhorn staff.

To the relief of the Texas fan base, that changed this week. UT running backs coach Ken Rucker stopped by Van this week to get a closer look at the hotshot tailback.

"Texas came by the school yesterday," Calhoun said. "They said that they liked my film and that it was unbelievable. He's going to take the film to coach Brown and they're going to call in a few days."

Calhoun picked up an invitation to the Longhorns' second junior day, scheduled for February 25, and he said he'll make sure he's in Austin for the event. He'll head to Norman this Saturday for an Oklahoma junior day, which could help clear the picture between the two schools that sit atop his wish list. Heading into the visits, Calhoun rated Texas as a nine and OU as an eight, and he said he's looking forward to getting a close look at each program in the coming weeks.

One concern that has been discussed with Calhoun – and a reason that some schools have been slow to add him to their recruiting board – is his ability to qualify, and Calhoun said he understands that he needs to take care of business academically.

"I need to take my ACT and everything will be good after that," he said. "(Texas) said they just need me to get that score and make good grades next year."

So how does the recent news affect the Longhorns' chances?

"They're still up there, they're still number one", Calhoun said. "I'm pumped about it."

The following are Calhoun's thoughts on his two favorites:

Oklahoma - I like how the coach (Bob Stoops) came in the other day. He talked to my coach and said I reminded him of Adrian Peterson. He liked how I ran the ball, said I run the ball hard and that I have breakaway speed.

Texas - I love the colors, just love how they do stuff up there. They kind of fit my profile. He said the same thing about the way I run the ball.

Orangebloods.com subscribers, look for more on Calhoun in this week's War Room.