Bledsoe announces commitment to Texas Longhorns

Marlin High School’s Jaray Bledsoe announced his commitment to play football for the University of Texas at Austin Monday in a ceremony at Marlin Middle School.

A four-star recruit, the 6’4”, 270-pound defensive lineman is a lifetime resident of Marlin. ESPN has ranked him the #8 defensive tackle in the country (#2 in Texas) and he is listed at #58 in the ESPN Top 300. Bledsoe, whose family has a rich history as Marlin community members, received multiple power-five offers, including Texas A&M, Baylor, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Alabama, among others. By the summer he had narrowed his choices to Oklahoma and his home state’s Texas A&M and Texas Longhorns programs. 

“It feels good,” Bledsoe said. “It took a lot of stress off of me to make this decision. Texas did a good job of making me feel at home.”

On putting Marlin back on the map: “It means a lot staying here in Marlin and committing to a Division 1 school. It’s where I came from. There’s so much talent that comes through here. This just shows that it’s very possible if you stay here and stay committed, that you can make it.”