GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
McAllen Memorial running back Trevor Speights has decommitted from the University of Arizona, but he says the Wildcats remain his top choice.
The decision to reopen his recruitment, first reported by Rivals on Sunday, comes 13 months after Speights announced on Twitter his commitment to join Arizona’s 2016 recruiting class.
“I just wanted to weigh all of my options,” Speights said Tuesday. “I didn’t want to leave that decision that I made from freshman year. I wanted to reevaluate all of my options.”
“My lead is to Arizona, but I have several schools not too far behind,” Speights added.
Since first committing, Speights has picked up offers from four Southeastern Conference schools: Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri and Vanderbilt. He also has offers from Texas State and Rice.
During the past two months, images of Speights visiting A&M, Tennessee and Texas State have been posted to Twitter or Facebook.
“I didn’t think it was fair for me to be committed to Arizona and still taking visits, so I decided to open up my recruitment,” Speights said.
Speights said he came to the decision last Wednesday and talked it over with Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez on Monday.
“He was asking why I changed my mind, and I just let him know that I didn’t think it was fair, me taking visits with other schools,” Speights said. “I wanted to give everyone else a shot. A decision I make freshman year shouldn’t determine my decision as a senior. Of course, my decisions have changed because I grew as a person. As a freshman it’s cool, I don’t mind leaving out of state. But once you get closer to that date where you have to go to college, you start double thinking it.”
Speights plans to study either physical therapy or engineering, and he noted that Texas A&M’s graduate engineering program was ranked 12th in the latestU.S. News & World Report survey.
“That’s very important to me, because that’s what I’m trying to major in, so I’m always looking at that,” Speights said. “I think Kevin Sumlin is doing a great job with the program. He’s really getting it turned around, and I would love to be a part of that.”
This summer, Speights plans to visit A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arizona and Missouri. He said those are the “main leaders” right now, but “it just depends on who offers me.”
With National Signing Day for the 2016 class not until Feb. 3, Speights said he plans to take his time.
According to Rivals, Arizona has a pair of 2016 backs already committed, but Speights said that isn’t a factor.
“I’m not scared of competition,” he said.
Rivals ranks Speights as a three-star prospect and the No. 25 running back in his class. He is unranked by ESPN.
As a junior at Memorial last season, Speights posted the third best single-season rushing total in Valley history, amassing 2,655 yards with 30 touchdowns. Speights has earned both AP first-team All-State status and All-Valley Player of the Year honors for two straight seasons.
As a sophomore in 2013, Speights ran for 2,114 yards and scored 26 total touchdowns.
For his career, Speights has totaled 6,673 yards and 66 touchdowns. He needs just 1,130 yards next season to become the Valley’s all-time leading rusher, and 2,182 would put him fourth all-time in Texas.