Ryan Newsome to Texas: 4-Star WR Flips from UCLA to Longhorns

Coveted wide receiver recruit Ryan Newsome committed to UCLA a couple of weeks ago but has changed his mind and joined Texas' 2015 class on national signing day.

Ryan Bartow of 247Sports broke the news. Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram passed along a statement from the wideout, who explained why he ultimately signed with the Longhorns:

"

First and foremost I would like to honor and thank coach Jim Mora, coach Eric Yarber and the UCLA family for sticking with me through this entire process. That program and those people are as good as it gets and it is truly a special place. However after a lot of prayer and tireless consulting with my family I decided that I will start my collegiate journey at the University of Texas. It has by far been the toughest process of my life especially deciding between these final two schools but I feel that it came down to my family and friends being able to see me play and getting to share these precious moments right along with me. My heart is where my family is and my family is in Texas.

"

More than anything else, the late flip is a reminder of how difficult these decisions are for high school athletes. Newsome originally thought UCLA was the right choice, but after taking more time to think about it, he felt Texas was the better fit. 

Clearly, family considerations were a major part of the choice. In the end, he decided he'd be more comfortable if he stayed close to home. 

Newsome is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 225 recruit in the class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also among the top 30 wide receivers, coming in at No. 27. 

He projects as a dynamic weapon at the collegiate level. He lacks size (5'8'', 170 pounds), which could limit his overall impact, but if you get the ball in his hands, he'll make things happen.

The Aledo High School (Texas) product is lightning-quick, can make defenders miss with tremendous agility and has the speed to beat defenses over the top. Texas will best utilize him in limited doses.

His first impact may come on special teams. The skill set mentioned above can help the Longhorns in the return game, while he waits for his role on offense to increase.

It's an unexpected late coup for Texas and provides a nice boost to the 2015 class.