3-star Texas OG commit Xavier Newman may remain a Longhorn, after all|Texas Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

A missed visit and Oklahoma pledge by a Texas target may keep the DeSoto product in the Texas class.

DeSota offensive guard Xavier Newman has been the Texas Longhorns’ only 2017 lineman pledge after committing back in April, but there was legitimate concern throughout the summer that he’d ultimately flip to Oklahoma. That concern of a flip began to seem almost inevitable when Newman was scheduled for a recent visit to Norman,

However, after not making it to the Sooner State and Monday’s addition of Texas target Creed Humphrey, an in-state center prospect, it’s looking more and more like Newman may remain a Longhorn, as the Sooners are now likely full along the interior offensive line with three commits.

For one, Texas had extended offers to five other interior linemen and all have committed elsewhere, which makes keeping Newman on board that much more significant for Texas. That’s something Newman may know as well, as he’s reportedly been recruiting for the Longhorns, according to The Football Brainiacs:

Spoke to a source on whether Newman was solid with Texas and I was told, “Well he’s out there recruiting Devodrick Johnson, Baron Browning and all the other guys with the other Texas commits, so I’d say so.”

Considering Texas’ youth on the line, it may take a while for Newman to break the rotation, but as we’ve seen with the lack of interior depth and talent of years past, there’s always room for additional big bodies.

Here’s a look at a quick scouting report Wescott Eberts previously wrote:

At DeSoto, Newman plays left tackle, guard, and some center for DeSoto because of his excellent mobility, but projects as a pure guard at the next level unless he has a late growth spurt. Since he does need to add some mass and strength, he’s a likely redshirt candidate unless he can a significant amount of weight over the next year. Newman also doesn’t have the most naturally powerful punch in his class, so that’s another major reason why he needs to continue adding strength.

On film, his best attribute is probably his motor — once Newman gets his hands on his opponents, he consistently keeps his feet moving and plays to the whistle, much like 2016 early enrollee Zach Shackelford.

Newman ranks as the No. 25 offensive guard in the nation and No. 69 player in Texas.