Texas Longhorns

IRVING, Texas -- Though it’s essentially meaningless now that he’s on campus and a member of the Longhorns, Texas offensive line signee Rami Hammad still can’t get over the fact he was deemed a three-star prospect.

He won’t soon forget that. It’s been a driving force for the Irving, Texas, offensive guard for the past year, and he’s confident he’ll dispel any doubt about his talent by competing for a starting job immediately this summer and fall.

Thanks to the Bennie Wylie workout plan this spring, the 6-foot-5 lineman went from 335 pounds on signing day to 308 pounds today. He’s done everything he possible could to prepare for his arrival and his freshman debut.

Before he left for Austin, Hammad sat down with HornsNation to discuss is plans for 2013 and how far he’s already come.

HN: It seems like your goals for your freshman season are pretty obvious. How do you map them out?

Hammad: First things first. I’ve got to take care of academics and adapt to college life. I don’t think it’ll be that tough for me considering I don’t like to party or do anything wrong. My main goal is to play in Year 1. I don’t want to settle for anything else.

HN: Think back to a year ago. How would you have felt had you been told you’d end up a Longhorn?

Hammad: Man, I’d probably think you’re crazy. They never talked to me then, and it was pretty much last minute when I caught their attention. I like to earn my things, and I think I earned it. People doubted me throughout the way, even at my own high school. I’m really glad I proved myself.

HN: Why do you think it took so long for Texas to target you?

Hammad: I don’t know. I think they might’ve overlooked me. I wasn’t as solid-looking my junior year, and it was my first year on varsity. I really don’t know.

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For the third day this week, and the second time on Saturday, the Longhorns welcomed a new member to their 2014 recruiting class.

The latest is John Thomas, a 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. Thomas, who was in Austin this weekend on an unofficial visit, told HornsNation the news on Saturday evening.

"I'm very excited," Thomas said. "It's actually my favorite college when I was younger."

He is Texas’ 19th commitment in 2014, which is four more than it had all of last year, and the fourth player in as many days to give his verbal pledge to Mack Brown.

Wide receiver Dorian Leonard (Longview, Texas/Longview) committed on Thursday, punter Corbin Daly (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) committed on Friday after visiting Texas for a camp, and former TCU wide receiver pledge Emanuel Porter (Dallas/Lincoln) committed earlier Saturday.

Thomas, who attended Bossier City (La.) Airline high school, had originally committed to LSU in March of his junior year but didn’t qualify academically and was forced to go the juco route.

He had offers from Arizona and Missouri in high school as well and has since added offers from Auburn and Texas. But the Longhorns won out and have to feel good about their pass-catching prospects for the future. Combined with the wide receiver commitments, Texas now has six on board in 2014 and all but one (Roderick Bernard) is 6-foot-3 or taller.

Emanuel Porter (Dallas/Lincoln) had always felt like his home for college resided some 45 miles west at TCU. He was such a believer that he committed to the Horned Frogs on Aug. 13, shortly after he attended a TCU camp and was offered.

But things changed. Other schools, particularly Texas, started chasing Porter harder than before and now he’s headed south to become a Longhorn.

Porter told HornsNation that he’s given his verbal pledge to Texas. This comes just six days since he was offered at Texas’ June 9 camp and five days since he decided to decommit from TCU.

"I really just feel comfortable with the program and the coaches that they have," said Porter, who came to Austin with his mother on Friday. "They know how to push you and make you better not only on the field but off the field, too. The vibe when you get when you are with them is a good feeling."

The former basketball player-turned football standout must have had a big change of heart over the past few days to lead him to this decision. He told HornsNation on Monday, just after he’d decommitted from TCU, that the Horned Frogs were still No. 1.

But that was then, and he’s a Texas commitment now. He couldn't be happier.

"I mean I just have been thinking and to be at a program like this just means a lot," Porter said. "I talked it over with my family and just wanted to do what I wanted to do. It's my decision. I feel like it is a good fit for me."

Porter is the second wide receiver to commit to Texas in three days. The Longhorns got a surprise commitment from Longview (Texas) wide receiver Dorian Leonard on Thursday when he called Texas’ coaching staff to become the 16th member of the class.

With Porter and Leonard on board, the Longhorns now have commitments from five receivers in 2014.

Lorenzo Joe (Abilene, Texas/Cooper) and Roderick Bernard (Houston/Sharpstown) have been with the class for months (Joe was the class’ first pledge), while Garrett Gray (Marble Falls, Texas/Marble Falls) committed on Monday, one day after he was offered at Texas’ June 9 camp.

"I don't know any of them right now," Porter said. "But I'll get to know them."

Texas is surely done with receivers for 2014, right? Not so fast. The Longhorns would actually like to take six in this class and could wrap that up soon with a commitment from Armanti Foreman (Texas City, Texas/ Texas City), who was supposed to be in town Friday along with his brother D'Onta Foreman.

But that domino has yet to fall. Two gigantic ones have in the past two days and that has to give Texas plenty to smile about. The height that they’ve accumulated out wide is one notable feature of this group. Porter is 6-foot-3 and 189 pounds, then you've got Gray (6-4 205), Leonard (6-4, 200), and Joe (6-3, 196). Bernard is 5-10, 175 and Foreman, should he commit to Texas, is 5-11, 175.

All 2014 punter Corbin Daly (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) could do was wait on the comfortable couches of the Texas players lounge. For two and a half hours.

Meanwhile the Texas' coaches, somewhere in the back, were discussing whether or not to offer the 6-foot-3, 185-pound punter after a day spent booming punts high into the Austin sky at a Longhorns camp.

Finally, Daly was asked back into Texas head coach Mack Brown's office for the verdict.

“He took me in there with my mom and told me I was the best one he's seen and that he knew that it would have been a long way to come for him not to give me a scholarship,” Daly said. “He told me I earned it, and then he asked me if it would be OK with my mom, because it would be so far away. I told him that she would follow me anywhere I go to watch me play football. She said she would follow me to Texas. So I committed.”

Daly is the 17th member of Texas' 2014 class, which got commitment No. 16 on Thursday from receiver Dorian Leonard. A commitment from former TCU receivers pledge Emanuel Porter is expected at any moment.

Daly's wait in the players lounge was taxing. He'd just attended a camp at Alabama last week and saw the Crimson Tide offer another punter instead. He didn't want to leave Austin without an offer.

“I was a little worried. I didn't know what to expect,” he said. “I didn't know if it was going to be a good two and a half hours or a bad two and a half hours.”

It turned out to be a great couple of hours to cap a whirlwind few days for Daly. He didn't start to hear from Texas until this week.

“Coach [Major] Applewhite actually Facebooked me on Monday or Tuesday and asked if there was any way he could make it to Texas, because we are really interested in you and might have a scholarship for you,” he said.

Daly showed up alright and dazzled with punt after punt right in front of Applewhite, Brown and several other coaches.

“Having to kick in front of all the coaches made me step up my game that much more,” he said.

As a result, through a little waiting, he earned himself a full ride to Texas and couldn't be happier.

“I grew up loving Texas football, because I knew it was the biggest and the baddest,” he said. “It feels great. I can't wait to play for that school. I can't wait for the state of Texas.”

Chris Sailer, Daly's kicking coach, couldn't agree more with Texas' decision to offer.

"Corbin is one of the best pure punters that we have seen in years," he said. "A great athlete with a huge leg and tremendous upside. I expect Corbin to dominate for the University of Texas."

Damon Sayles and Max Olson break down recent additions for the Bears and Longhorns, respectively. Baylor added its 19th commitment overall – and seventh this month – in four-star ILB James David, while Texas continued its 2015 recruiting in style.