4-Star TE Prospect Malcolm Epps Commits to Texas over FSU, Texas A&M, More

The Texas Longhorns landed a big, athletic playmaker Tuesday, as tight end Malcolm Epps committed to play for the school in 2018.

Epps told Jason Suchomel of Rivals about his decision to join the Longhorns.               

"It's just home," he said. "It's just one of those schools when you grow up in Texas and get to go to Texas. Vince Young is probably one of my favorite college quarterbacks. Pretty much, Texas was a decision for my entire family."

According to Scout.com, Epps is a 4-star prospect who is the No. 201 overall player, No. 9 tight end and No. 2 player at his position from Texas.

Epps committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide in February 2016, but he made the decision one year later to decommit and reopen his recruitment.

Epps had no shortage of suitors to choose from, as Florida State, LSU, Michigan and Texas A&M were among the schools near the top of his list, according to Scout.

While Epps has to work on the intricacies of playing tight end, including blocking, at 6'5 ½", he is a huge target with impressive pass-catching ability.

As seen in this video from The Opening, courtesy of SicEm365's Damon Sayles, Epps has great agility for a man his size:

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#RollTide TE pledge Malcolm Epps showing footwork drills.#TheOpening pic.twitter.com/aFsO2Qf8H9

— Damon Sayles (@DamonSayles) February 4, 2017"

At only 218 pounds, he can afford to add some bulk to his frame in order to become more effective at the point of attack as a blocker.

Epps' speed and explosiveness are what set him apart from most other tight end prospects, though, and it will be important for him to not compromise it too much while adding mass.

Epps has a body type similar to former Michigan tight end and current Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess, a player he would be wise to emulate at the college level.

Texas is working to return to its previous status as a national powerhouse, and that started with the hiring of Tom Herman as head coach in November.

There is little doubt Herman did his due diligence with Epps during his time at Houston since the big tight end is a Houston native, and the Longhorns may now have a future superstar waiting in the wings at the tight end position.

Texas' 2018 class is off to an excellent start with 17 total commitments after Epps' pledge. The class now boasts 14 players rated as 4-star prospects or better.

All recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com unless otherwise noted.