Texas Longhorns Get Commitment From Cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem
Texas' secondary got a big boost today with the verbal commitment from Ishmael Ibraheem.
Ibraheem is a 6-foot-1 cornerback from Dallas Kimball High School. He is ranked the No. 13 cornerback, No. 28 player in the state of Texas and No. 171 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
Ibraheem chose the Longhorns over offers from Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, TCU, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Houston, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon State, SMU, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State, Arkansas, Grambling State, Illinois State and Liberty.
It's easy to see where Ibraheem fits into what Chris Ash wants to do on defense with his cornerbacks. He's got all the physical tools to line up in press coverage and pressure opposing receivers off the line. He also has the length to contend against large receivers he will see in the Big 12. He has strong instincts when judging receivers' routes and times jump balls extremely well. He still has plenty of room to get better as he fills out and improves his feet and hips over the next year or two. His speed could also make him a factor in the return game.
When it comes to the bigger picture this is a huge recruiting win in a competitive area of the state for the Longhorns. Texas needed not only a big-time recruiting victory in the Dallas area, but to add a talented cornerback to this class.
Ibraheem's verbal pledge gives the Longhorns 12 commitments in the 2021 class so far. He joins Denton Ryan's Ja'Tavion Sanders and Billy Bowman, Katy Tompkins' Jalen Milroe, Port Arthur Memorial's Jordon Thomas, New Caney's Derrick Harris Jr., Katy Taylor's Hayden Conner, Arlington Martin's Morice Blackwell, Forth Worth Everman's Juan Davis, Halletteville's Jonathon Brooks, Warren Easton (Louisiana)'s Casey Cain and ProKick Australia's Isaac Pearson.
It's also the first commitment in the 2021 class for new cornerbacks coach Jay Valai. He came to Texas from Rutgers after spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Georgia Bulldogs. The Euless, Texas native was brought in to help recruit the Dallas area where he grew up.
The Longhorns have assembled a good portion of this class despite a lengthy ban on in-person recruiting that dates back to mid-March when all team activities were suspended due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus. The ban is currently scheduled to end on July 31, but has been extended by the NCAA three times so far.
Update: Good news travels in pairs for the Longhorns today. Texas didn't just get a commitment from one of the state's top cornerbacks in Ibraheem, it also landed one of the top safeties in J.D. Coffey.
The No. 7 safety, No. 29 player in the state and No. 173 overall prospect in the state of Texas chose the Longhorns today over the other finalists LSU, Oregon, Michigan and Washington.
He becomes the 13th commitment in the 2021 for the Texas Longhorns recruiting class.
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