Newton’s Kevin Shorter Commits to Texas

One of East Texas' top 2014 recruits is headed to the state capital.

Newton athlete Kevin Shorter committed to Texas on Saturday, when he made his pledge public at 12:01 p.m. via his Twitter account (@Xx_QuickSix_xX).

Shorter had a monster junior season starting on both sides of the ball for the Eagles, who finished 13-1 and reached the Class 2A Division I state semifinals. Shorter ran for more than 1,800 yards and 31 touchdowns en route to an ETSN.fm Super Team First Team selection at running back, while adding 58 tackles and three interceptions from his safety spot.

The all-around athlete also had a big junior track-and-field season, finishing second at the 2A state meet in the long jump. Shorter and the Eagles are the only East Texas team ranked as a preseason No. 1 by the Associated Press.

Shorter's recruitment exploded during the mid-to-late winter and continued through the spring. The calls from college coaches and media became so overwhelming he decided to get rid of his cell phone.

“When I started getting offers I never thought I'd blow up like I did and it's been fun to see all of the different schools that have recruited me,” Shorter told 247Sports.com's Jeff Howe. “Then the phone calls started. Coaches want to you to call them back at the same time and there's no way you can. Then reporters call and they all ask the same questions. ... I'm just ready for it to be over.”

Shorter also told 247Sports.com that he is "100-percent committed to Texas."

Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis was the first to recruit Shorter for the Longhorns during the spring, but two summer visits to Austin helped him decide to choose the Horns over Arkansas and Texas A&M. Running backs coach Larry Porter was honest with him about his opportunity at Texas, he told 247Sports.com, and he appreciated that.

Shorter will join his cousin, Jasper center Terrell Cuney, at Texas. Cuney committed to the Longhorns during the spring. Shorter is the third player in East Texas' 2014 class to commit to the Longhorns. Longview receiver Dorian Leonard is the other. Texas also has a 2015 commitment from Lufkin athlete KeKe Coutee.

The Longhorns have offered a total of 12 East Texans in the 2014 and 2015 classes -- six in each class.

Shorter's commitment gives the East Texas 2014 football class 19 Division I FBS pledges. The 2013 class had 17 FBS signees. In all, the 2014 class has 31 players with at least one FBS offer.

Longhorn Offers in East Texas

• 2014: K.D. Cannon, WR, Mount Pleasant, 6-0, 160 -- committed to Baylor
• 2014: Terrell Cuney, C, Jasper, 6-3, 260 -- committed to Texas
• 2014: Davion Hall, WR/S, Liberty-Eylau, 6-2, 191 -- committed to Baylor
• 2014: Dorian Leonard, WR, Longview, 6-4, 200 -- committed to Texas
• 2014: Kevin Shorter, ATH, Newton, 6-0, 190 -- committed to Texas
• 2014: Josh Walker, LB, Gilmer, 6-1, 220 -- committed to Texas A&M
• 2015: Kris Boyd, CB, Gilmer, 6-0, 175 (4 offers)
• 2015: KeKe Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 -- committed to Texas
• 2015: Justin Dunning, WR/S, Whitehouse, 6-4, 200 (6 offers)
• 2015: JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 (6 offers)
• 2015: Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 311 (13 offers)
• 2015: Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs, 6-1, 185 (7 offers)

2014 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Terry Ausborne, S, John Tyler, 5-10, 175 -- offer from SMU (1)
• Blake Bogenschutz, QB, Carthage, 6-1, 175 -- committed to UTSA (1)
• Jacob Bragg, OL, Nacogdoches, 6-4, 310 -- committed to Kansas; additional offers from Louisiana Tech, Oregon State, ULM (4)
• K.D. Cannon, WR, Mount Pleasant, 6-0, 160 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Arizona, Clemson, Florida State, Houston, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Purdue, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia (21)
• Caleb Chumley, QB/ATH, Pine Tree, 6-5, 220 -- offers from Houston, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oregon State, Texas State (8)
• Joseph Clark, RB/S, Chapel Hill, 5-9, 175 -- committed to Texas Tech; additional offers from Air Force, Texas State (3)
• Kade Clayton, ATH, Tyler Grace, 6-0, 180 — offers from SMU, Texas State (2)
• Terrell Cuney, C, Jasper, 6-3, 260 — committed to Texas; additional offers from TCU, Texas Tech (3)
• Adrian Goodacre, OL, Carthage, 6-4, 310 -- committed to ULL; additional offer from Houston (2)
• Terian "Tee" Goree, WR, Carthage, 6-2, 168 -- offer from Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, ULL, ULM, UTSA (6)
• Davion Hall, ATH, Liberty-Eylau, 6-2, 191 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, SMU, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• Zaycoven Henderson, DT, Longview, 6-1, 287 — committed to TCU; additional offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Texas Tech (7)
• Willy Ivery, ATH, Sulphur Springs, 5-8, 180 -- offers from Colorado State, New Mexico, North Texas, Texas State, Toledo (5)
• Jamal Jeffery, WR, Lufkin, 5-9, 165 — committed to Texas A&M (1)
• Chris Jefferson, ATH, Athens, 6-2, 200 -- committed to SMU (1)
• Jawuan Johnson, DB, New Boston, 6-0, 195 -- committed to Northern Illinois (1)
• Dorian Leonard, WR, Longview, 6-4, 200 — committed to Texas; offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas Tech (6)
• Reggie Long, LB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 218 -- offer from Army, New Mexico State (2)
• Ben Luckett, RB, Palestine, 6-0, 195 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Patrick Mahomes, QB, Whitehouse, 6-3, 203 — committed to Texas Tech; additional offers from Houston, North Texas, Rice (4); also has Arizona, Arkansas, Houston baseball offers
• Stephan Maxey, DB, Longview, 5-11, 185 -- offer from UTSA (1)
• Jarrell Owens, LB/DE, Palestine, 6-3, 230 -- committed to TCU; additional offers from Texas State, Texas Tech, ULM (4)
• Greg Roberts, DE, Nacogdoches, 6-5, 200 -- committed to Baylor (1)
• Anthony Rhone, LB, Texas High, 6-0, 205 -- committed to SMU (1)
• O'Keeron Rutherford, WR, Carthage, 6-6, 181 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Anthony Sanders, ATH, Athens, 5-11, 185 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Kevin Shorter, RB/S, Newton, 6-0, 190 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Arkansas, Army, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Kansas, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, ULM, Utah (22)
• Brian Thlang, OL, Palestine, 6-2, 290 -- committed ULM (1)
• Josh Walker, RB/LB, Gilmer, 6-1, 220 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (4)
• D.J. Williams, DT, Lufkin, 6-4, 293 -- offers from Houston, Miami, Missouri, North Texas, Oklahoma (5)
• Jeffery Wilson, RB, Elkhart, 6-0, 190 -- offers from New Mexico State, North Texas, Texas State, ULM (4)