The Longhorns received another gift today in the form of a commitment from Harker Heights outside linebacker Naashon Hughes, who will reportedly grayshirt and join the team as a scholarship player in 2014 if need be. With the large haul of signees in the 2012 class, Texas is likely facing a shortage in scholarships.  Naashon’s willingness to greyshirt allows Texas to retain Hughes’ talent while having the flexibility to further assess position needs and scholarship numbers before signing day next year.  Hughes’ preference to play at Texas has been publicly known. His brother, Camrhon, was part of the 2012 signing class at Texas, which makes Naashon’s desire to play for the Longhorns even stronger. There is still a possibility a scholarship spot will be available in 2013 but it is too early to tell.
Hughes is 6’4″ and 210 lbs. and has offers to play at LSU, South Carolina and Baylor. For him to turn down scholarships and 2012 playing time at these schools says a lot about Naashon and what kind of person and player he is. Texas has also extended a scholarship offer to Hughes’ Harker Heights teammate and guard Darius James. Naashon Hughes becomes the 11th commit for the Longhorns.