Silsbee DE Josh Skinner committs to Rice

[AggiesAreWe]

May 28, 2008

Jordan Wallace

AggieYell.com

Talk about it in Football Recruiting Board

The small town of Silsbee in the Golden Triangle area of Texas has had its fair share of college recruits throughout the years. It is no different in the class of 2009 as some big time college coaches have come by as of late.

The center of attraction is defensive end Josh Skinner. The 6-foot-5, 225 pound defender picked up his first offer from Rice and committed to the Owls on the spot. However, schools have not been deterred and several college coaches have still come through in the last couple weeks.

"LSU, Tulane, Texas A&M, Texas, Colorado, UL-Lafayette and some others," Skinner said as to who has been by the school this spring. "There has been a bunch of them."

While he is quite the football recruit, Skinner says Rice has an advantage in that they are giving him an opportunity to be a dual-sport athlete at the next level.

"They offered me to play football, but they said they would give me the chance to play baseball as well," he said.

Another offer may be on the way soon as A&M offensive line coach Jim Turner stopped by to see Skinner recently.

"They said they were really interested in me," Skinner said of the Aggies, "but they straight up told me I wouldn't be able to play baseball there. I told them I would like to have the option to play baseball.

"[Turner] still said I could expect to receive an offer. He said that the spring is real important and that I just wouldn't be able to play baseball."

Skinner's future on the football field may hinge mostly on his chance to play baseball. It would most likely take the Aggies having a change of heart on their stance for Skinner to have a change of heart on commitments.

"I'm pretty solid with Rice," he said, "but if they can guarantee me a spot on the baseball team as well then I'd consider switching."

Skinner earned first-team all-district honors this past season.

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