When the Longhorn season ended after a disappointing finish against TCU, Max Cummins was not a name on the Longhorn recruiting radar. Cummins would commit to Connecticut on December 11, but he didn’t know that his recruitment was about to heat up. In order to tell the full story you have to go back to Austin where Cummins played at St. Andrews high school. Cummins was a stand out at the Austin area private school, but their program was in serious decline. Cummins and his family made the decision to seek a new opportunity in order to better his future, and in December of 2015 they made the trek to Fort Worth in order to meet with the All Saints Episcopal staff. “It was going a little bit downhill, and so the best decision for me was to come down hereâ€, said Cummins. “The coaches up here deserve all the credit. They did all of my recruiting for me. They even did things over Christmas break for me to get me on the radar. They made my physique what it is todayâ€.
Cummins was one of the hottest prospects in the state during the month of January. After de-committing from Connecticut shortly after the new year, offers came in from Houston, Baylor, and eventually Texas. TCU and Oklahoma also showed quite a bit of interest in the massive defensive lineman, but he had his eye on one school. Once Texas offered him, he accepted almost immediately, and he credits his belief in the new Texas staff for the quick decision. “Coach Orlando, Coach Herman, and Coach Giles have the mentality that’s going to be championship mentality and a winning mentality. We’re going to go in there and turn this program around. There are facility upgrades they’ve been talking about, and they have a phenomenal strength and conditioning program, and a phenomenal nutrition program. We’re going to work together to make this program a championship contender againâ€.
Cummins is no stranger to the weight room. His father is a former athlete who still carries a division one level physique, and Cummins has been hard at work to prepare him for the rigors of college football. “I’m going to get my workout plan, and I’m going to get to work. I’m gunning for playing time, and possibly a starting position. I know there are going to be a lot of skeptics out there, but I’m going to put all of my effort into that goalâ€. There is certainly an opening for Cummins to make an early impact. Tom Herman stated multiple times that all positions are up for grabs, and the Texas defensive staff pitched Cummins on a versatile role in the Texas defense. “They’ve told me I’m going to fit nicely into the 4i position, and that I’m going to fit nicely into the overall defense because of the way I played at All Saintsâ€.
From unknown to a Longhorn signee, Cummins was happy to make everything official. “It’s unreal for sure. I’m really excited to become a Longhorn, and I’m really excited to make all the coaches and fans proudâ€. Mack Brown was famous for telling fans not to worry about who they didn’t get on signing day, and to focus on who they did get. While Cummins might not tilt the recruiting rankings, he’s hard at work and ready to prove he deserves a spot in major college football.
