The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
2007 Signing Day features another strong class
02.07.2007 | Football
The University of Texas followed its National Championship in 2005 with its sixth consecutive 10-win season in 2006. The Longhorns are the only team in the country that can claim such a streak, which is a reflection of the continuing success head coach Mack Brown has brought to a program that managed at least nine wins just three times in the 14 years prior to his arrival in 1998.
Since Brown hit Austin, UT has posted at least nine victories in each of his nine years. Texas' No. 13 ranking in 2006 marked the seventh time in a row that the Horns finished the year ranked in the Top 13, including four Top 10 finishes and three Top Five finishes during that stretch. Including a 10-3 mark last season, Texas has posted the nation's most victories (93) and the most Big 12 victories (60) over the last nine years.
That success is a direct reflection of what Brown and his staff have done in assembling and developing a series of highly regarded recruiting classes. It should come as no surprise that on National Signing Day 2007, Brown -- the nation's winningest coach over the last 11 years (113 victories / 81.9 winning percentage) and the 2005 Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year award winner -- and his staff have continued to build upon a program that is now a yearly fixture among the nation's elite.
Those early commitments resulted in 25 newcomers signing National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The group, which once again has been pegged as one of the nation's premier classes, will join UT's squad of returning veterans in its quest to build on its school-best three consecutive bowl wins and extend the streak of 10-win seasons.
Among the group of signees, six (CB Curtis Brown, QB John Chiles, OL Michael Huey, DT Dre Jones, CB Ben Wells and RB Foswhitt Whittaker) are already enrolled in school and will participate in spring drills.
The six early enrollees signed "mock" National Letters of Intent with their families on hand at a team meeting on Wednesday.
Among the total group of 25 signees announced on Wednesday, three earned Parade All-America honors. Two of those players were also named first-team USA Today All-USA, while another earned second-team honors. All totaled, 22 were listed among all-state teams, including 13 first-team all-state selections. The class also features several prospects that were honor roll students and most of the 2007 signees have been very involved in community service efforts.
That evaluation process saw Brown's staff once again work with perfect efficiency in narrowing their list of prospects. Texas used only 28 of the 56 official on-campus visits permitted by the NCAA and 25 of those prospects signed National Letters of Intent to join the Longhorns on Wednesday.
The newcomers UT attracted in 2007 are a well-balanced collection that features talented prospects covering every position on the field. Brown, once again, expanded the foundation of his program by building with homegrown talent. Of the 25 Longhorn signees, 24 are from the Lone Star state.
