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Will it be Texas or Texas A&M for top-20 player Bryce Anderson?

Chad Simmons updated head shotby:Chad Simmons•08/04/21•

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Elite safety Bryce Anderson will commit to Texas or Texas A&M, and the announcement is coming soon.

The 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back out of Beaumont (Texas) West Brook is the No. 20 player in the country on On3 and the Longhorns or Aggies are about to get big news.

“My mind is made up,” Anderson said. “I did go back and forth between the schools, but I have known for about a week where I was going.

“Visits to each school were taken time last week and now I am sure. I know the school I will go to.”

A lot of similarities

Since the ban on visits was lifted on June 1, Bryce Anderson hit the road hard and took official and unofficial visits to both schools. He not only grew up in Texas tracking each school, but he spent multiple days at each school’s camps this summer.

He has a great idea of what each program has to offer and Anderson sees a lot of the same things in Austin and College Station.

“It is like looking in the mirror,” Anderson said. “Texas and Texas A&M are great schools with great academics, a lot of tradition and good coaches.

“Each school has what I am looking for and they both have what I need. I know I will be staying in-state and playing for one of them.”

Each coach made their case

Anderson visited Texas and Texas A&M three times each this summer. He got to know each staff well, he heard what they had to say and each gave him a lot to think about.

Texas bringing in Steve Sarkisian and moving to the SEC helped their case.

“I love the SEC, so knowing Texas is going there was big,” Anderson said. “I really like what coach Sark is doing too. He has a lot of experience and some great coaches on the staff. I think they can do big things.

But Anderson was also impressed with the Aggie coaches.

“With Texas A&M, I have talked a lot to coach (Mike) Elko and coach (T.J.) Rushing. I like their style as coaches and what they do with their players. Like Texas, they recruited me hard, too, and put a lot out there for me to think about.

“Both schools made it a very hard decision.”

Now we wait

When will the announcement be made? It looks like it will happen by the end of the week.

“I have not decided yet, but I will probably commit Friday or Saturday,” Bryce Anderson said. “My mom’s birthday is Friday, so I am thinking about that.”

What Anderson has made clear is that he will stay in-state. Alabama was very much involved, and at one time looked like it was in the top two. That changed over time and now it is Sarkisian or Jimbo Fisher that will land the elite safety.

“I decided a while back that I was going to stay home. I am from Texas. Both in-state schools have everything I am looking for. The best in Texas stay in Texas, so that is what I am going to do.”