Gilmer’s Demarco Boyd Signs Financial Aid Agreement With Texas + Will Join Longhorns In January

Demarco Boyd's recruitment is officially over.

The Gilmer athlete signed a financial aid agreement with Texas on Monday and became the very first East Texas football recruit in the Class of 2016 to legally bind himself to a college football program. He is now obligated to join the Longhorns and will do so in January after graduating Gilmer High School one semester early.

There are definite perks to signing early.

Boyd (6-0, 215) has the opportunity to receive up to 21 semesters of free education if he redshirts his first season and 17 semesters if he plays immediately, factoring in two summer school semesters per year. That could go a long way toward helping the Gilmer star obtain not only a bachelor's degree but also a master's degree before his collegiate career is over.

The more immediate reward is the Longhorns program can publicly acknowledge Boyd's existence from today to the end of time. Per NCAA rules, athletics programs are not able to discuss specific recruits prior to the recruit sending in official paperwork during a specific signing period.

It gets even better for Boyd.

The athlete will be reunited with his brother, true freshman Texas defensive back Kris Boyd, and former Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor once on campus. Traylor was hired as the Longhorns' tight ends coach and special teams coordinator a month after winning the 2014 Class 4A Division II state championship.

Demarco Boyd's signing isn't the only good news Texas fans have received from East Texas in recent days. Bullard tight end Major Tennison, a junior, committed to the program last week as did junior Liberty-Eylau defensive end Lagaryonn Carson.

Coincidentally, Demarco Boyd and Tennison will square off head-to-head Friday at 7:30 p.m. inside Gilmer's Jeff Traylor Stadium. It's a District 5-4A Division II game and the winner will take control of first place within the league with just two more games to play afterward.

Demarco Boyd has played a big role for Gilmer through its active 23-game winning streak. He'll enter the Bullard game with 582 total offensive yards and 24 tackles.

Players without enough credits to graduate high school a semester early, or recruits that just want to spend one last spring at home, will first become eligible to sign with any program that offers them on Feb. 3.

2016 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers