Elite CB Malik Muhammad leans on family with his Texas commitment

Malik Muhammad was ready to put a bow on his recruitment, and by July 20 it was becoming increasingly clear which program fit best.

Muhammad, the nation’s No. 2-rated cornerback and a top-60 player overall on the On3 Consensus, committed to Texas on Wednesday. Texas A&M and Alabama finished behind the Longhorns, who surged to the top with the four-star Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff standout ever since the spring when Steve Sarkisian, Terry Joseph and Jeff Banks kicked it into another gear with one of the state’s best recruits. The full-court press for Muhammad was aided by Brandon Harris as well as Director of High School Relationships Chris Gilbert, who is originally from the Dallas Metroplex.

“Sark is a very cerebral guy and Coach Joseph has been picking it up and keeping in contact with me,” Muhammad told On3. “Coach Banks has also been great. Coach B. Harris and Coach Gilbert, they played a big role … a big role. Coach Gilbert went to SOC and he knows my dad and my uncles, so that played a big role.”

They played a big-enough role for Texas to overcome the Aggies, which had surfaced as the favorite for the state-champion defensive back in the months following their state title run. The Longhorns staff began amplifying their efforts with Muhammad — and his immediate family — throughout the spring.

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Over the course of several visits to Austin, including his official visit last month, Texas continued to close the gap. In June, they finally grabbed hold of the lead.

“At first, me and Texas were rocky,” Muhammad admitted. “After a couple of visits, them keeping in touch with me and my parents … on the official visit, I brought my whole family down and they showed us great hospitality. My family loved it, I loved it, and they had a good time at Texas and I had a good time at Texas.”

“They were showing great hospitality and they were letting my parents know that I would be taken care of,” he continued. “They showed great hospitality on that official visit and it wasn’t just me — it was the rest of my siblings and the whole family.”

Ultimately, winning over the family in June won over Muhammad by July.

Muhammad is the nation’s No. 56 overall player in the country regardless of position according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.