4-star Texas S target Jalen Catalon names Texas in his final 4

Mansfield Legacy safety Jalen Catalon added to Texas Longhorns momentum on the recruiting trail Monday night when he released his final four schools.

As expected, the Longhorns are among those still in the mix for the four-star talent, who is also still considering Oklahoma, TCU, and Arkansas.

Catalon was offered in October of 2017 and Texas has remained a heavy presence in his recruitment ever since.

The Longhorns made Catalon’s top eight when it was announced months ago in May. Since receiving his offer, the Mansfield Legacy product has been a mainstay on the Forty Acres, making five unofficial visits with the most recent taking place on Sept. 15 when Texas turned a corner in its season with a big win over No. 22 USC.

Catalon, who also wants to play baseball at the Division-I level, is set to take his official visit to the Forty Acres later this fall. Catalon is expected to make his official visit to Arkansas on Oct. 6, a huge weekend on Texas’ 2018 schedule. The Longhorns are on pace to arrive in Dallas for the Red River Showdown ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 2012. A win over Oklahoma, one of Catalon’s final four schools, could go a long way in Catalon’s decision making process.

Catalon plans to announce his commitment on Jan 31.

The one pitfall for the Longhorns in the race for Catalon’s commitment could be the very position he plays. Texas already has two four-star safeties committed in the 2019 class, as Plano East product Tyler Owens’ announced his pledge today, joining California native Chris Adimora.

Nevertheless, the Longhorns are considered to have a convincing lead in Catalon’s recruitment, as each of his seven Crystal Ball projections favor Texas.

A 5’9, 188-pound product, Catalon is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 172 player, No. 14 safety, and as the No. 25 player in Texas, per the 247Sports Composite. His career at Mansfield Legacy was cut short early as he recovers from a leg injury.