“Oregon Ducks Secure Commitment from Brandon Johnson as Focus Shifts to Elite Cornerback Jabbar Muhammad: Texas Emerges as Front Runner in Intense Recruiting Battle”

Brandon Johnson, a nickel from Duke, committed to Oregon on Wednesday as Dan Lanning and the Ducks continue to add important players to their roster for the next year.

Duck supporters instantly thought of Washington cornerback Jabbar Muhammad as the next player. He’s operating out of the top three states of Texas, Oregon, and Alabama, and he plans to make a commitment soon.

Here’s what I heard this morning on Thursday.

Muhammad is currently on campus with the Longhorns after arriving in Austin on Wednesday for his visit. I was informed that Steve Sarkisian, the head coach, led the way throughout the visit.

That doesn’t make him unusual by any means, but it does demonstrate how important he is to the Texas staff. It appears that the staff was treating him like royalty during his visit, which makes sense considering how badly the Longhorns secondary performed against the pass in 2018.

Moreover, Alabama seems to have gained more momentum as a destination this week than Oregon. Perhaps Tuscaloosa is closer, or perhaps there is a clear coaching link with Kalen DeBoer.

After my most recent contacts on Thursday, I got the feeling that Texas was attempting to secure Muhammad’s commitment and would rather he stay away from Alabama. Once more, it’s not unusual for coaching staffs to make efforts to keep elite athletes from attending rival universities. Imagine that you either recruit a guy so successfully he’s seen everything he needs to see, or you have such a powerful visit that you don’t need to take any more.

Muhammad wouldn’t likely commit to Oregon without visiting Eugene, and a trip doesn’t seem likely just now. Finally, there must be a clear appeal to his being able to play in his home state again.

Given that the Longhorns already have a cousin, Malik Muhammad, on the team, and that their family is so close-knit, I don’t think any school outside of the state could compete with all that the Longhorns have to offer in this recruiting class. Though I’m not saying for sure, it seems increasingly likely that Muhammad is going to Texas.

If he makes any further trips, we’ll find out.