4-Star J.P. Urquidez Commits to Baylor: 'I'm Ready to Recruit State of Texas'

Sometimes, being first means something to a college football recruit.

Texas offensive lineman J.P. Urquidez claimed Baylor as his first offer on March 22, 2014. Nearly 13 months and 25 offers later, Baylor still is No. 1 to land Urquidez, as the 4-star offensive tackle verbally committed to the Bears during a ceremony Monday morning at Copperas Cove High School.

Urquidez became Baylor's seventh commitment of the 2016 class. Ranked as the nation's No. 20 offensive tackle, Urquidez chose Baylor over Texas, Oklahoma and Miami.

"I feel great, completely relieved," Urquidez said. "It's been a crazy journey with recruiting and seeing each side of the programs, but I was ready to shut it down.

"It started early with Baylor being my first offer. I looked at each school and thought about which one I saw myself fitting the best at. I asked for 365 [days], can I live there?"

Urquidez's commitment is huge for Baylor, as the 2016 class now has Urquidez and 5-star Patrick Hudson spearheading the offensive line. Hudson is the nation's No. 2 offensive tackle and the No. 12 overall player.

Many believed Urquidez's decision came down to Baylor and Texas, as the 6'5.5", 300-pounder from Copperas Cove, Texas, visited both schools multiple times during his recruiting process. Urquidez has built great relationships with coaches from both schools, but he said he likes where Baylor's been in recent years. More importantly, he chose Baylor because of where he feels the program can be in the immediate future.

"Baylor's the new kid on the block; they're here, and they're now," Urquidez said. "They are back-to-back Big 12 champs and one of the best teams in the country. I have great relationships with the coaches there. I just like the feel of it all."

Urquidez has made unofficial visits all over the country, and since mid-February, he's made stops to all four of his finalists. He took in junior days at Oklahoma (Feb. 15) and Texas (Feb. 28), and he spent part of his spring break in Miami (March 16-18).

Most recently, he visited Baylor for its Friday Night Lights spring scrimmage on March 20. Urquidez has been recruited by assistant coaches Randy Clements, Kendal Briles and Jeff Lebby, and all three have sold the program and the school to him.

"To me, it's not just about winning national championships," he said. "I can't predict the future, but I want to know what I'll be doing when I get there."

Urquidez is committed to play tackle, but he said he is open to playing guard in the system. Urquidez's first mission is to see playing time as early as possible.

"If the coaches came to me and said I could play guard and start right now, I guess I'd get used to playing guard," he said.

Baylor won a recruiting battle against a school that’s been a childhood favorite of Urquidez's in Texas. He said he likes how head coach Charlie Strong runs the program and how offensive line coach Joe Wickline has sent multiple lineman to the NFL.

For his future, however, Baylor proved to be the best fit. And now, Urquidez said, it's time to find additional players to help boost the class.

"Now that my decision is made, it's final," he said. "I'm ready to recruit the state of Texas to bring powerhouses to the school."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles