Texas Commit Johnny Shaw Transfers from Center to West Orange-Stark

The East Texas football class of 2015 -- and the Center Roughriders -- took a hit on the first day of two-a-day practices across the state.

Center head coach Kevin Goodwin confirmed with a text message to ETSN.fm that junior safety Johnny Shaw enrolled Monday at West Orange-Stark.

Shaw, who holds offers from the Longhorns and TCU, started at safety as a sophomore for Center in 2012, assembling a strong debut campaign en route to early recruiting interest. Shaw had 88 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries as the Roughriders finished the season 8-3 with a Class 3A Division II Region III playoff appearance.

Shaw originally committed to TCU during a visit to Fort Worth on May 18, but decommitted from the Horned Frogs and committed to Texas on June 10 during a camp in Austin. He was 1 of 100 East Texas prospects in the 2014 and 2015 classes to compete at the ETSN.fm Football Recruiting Combine at APEC training facility in Tyler on May 19, recording a laser-timed 4.66-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds in shoes. His 10 bench press reps of 185 pounds were fifth-best among 16 defensive backs at the event.

Shaw's transfer takes away one of Center's six returning defensive starters from a unit that held opponents to 20.4 points per game in 2012. Goodwin and company will lean even more on senior middle linebacker Kiounis Williams, a 5-foot-10, 194-pounder who led the Roughriders with more than 130 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

West Orange-Stark was a 13-1 Class 3A Division II Region III finalist in 2012, but returns five offensive starters and only two defensive starters from that team. The Mustangs start the season ranked 12th by Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine and 15th by TheOldCoach.com's Friday Night Football magazine, which ranks Center 34th.