TATUM, Texas -- The tips of Jalen Overstreet's dreadlocks have faded into a burnt orange tint, which is fitting considering his announcement that he'll join the Longhorns' 2012 recruiting class.

Overstreet (Tatum, Texas/Tatum) is the second quarterback of the class and the 19th member overall. His decision came one day after Longhorns coach Mack Brown offered him in his office before Texas faced Kansas.

"My biggest thing was that I could tell from looking at the coaches and the team, the way they interacted, and the tradition of the team. That was helpful," Overstreet said of his unofficial visit Saturday. "I don't want to go somewhere where the chemistry wasn't right. I don't want to go into an awkward situation."

No problems there, especially with fellow quarterback commitment Connor Brewer (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chapparal), the No. 3 quarterback in the nation, who has been committed to Texas since Feb. 7.

Jalen Overstreet brings a dual-threat option to Texas' offense. Courtesy Tatum High School

"It doesn't bother me because, year in and year out, it is going to be a competition," said Overstreet, who will take an official visit to Texas in December. "You are going to be competing for a spot."

Overstreet's commitment marks the end of Texas' frantic search for another quarterback. It was something that became increasingly important with Connor Wood's decision to transfer to Colorado on Aug. 31 and Garrett Gilbert's pending transfer, which was announced Oct. 4.

Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bryan Harsin spearheaded the search, which included a stop 20 minutes west of Tatum to see Henderson High School's LaBradford "Del" Barnes.

Texas also inquired about Arizona State commitment T.J. Millweard (Fort Worth, Texas/All Saints), Nebraska commitment Tommy Armstrong (Cibolo, Texas/Steele) and West Virginia commitment Ford Childress (Houston/Kinkaide) among others.

Apparently, Overstreet's size (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) and dual-threat capabilities were enough to bring the search to an end.

"Originally, when they first started recruiting me they wanted me at safety," said Overstreet, whose brother, Tieric Bible-Overstreet, is a junior defensive back at Wylie East. "But they had a completely different situation at quarterback at that point. They told me what they wanted, what they expected and what they were looking for."

While the Longhorns' recruitment of Overstreet began just before his junior year, they began recruiting him as a quarterback about a month ago, when Harsin called Tatum coach Andy Evans. Those talks continued for a couple of weeks.

Then Harsin and Texas offensive line coach Stacy Searels, the Longhorns' East Texas area recruiter, visited Tatum on Oct. 21. Harsin stayed and watched the first half of Tatum's game against New Diana that night before going to Carthage to watch Barnes.

"They just told me that they were looking for a more athletic person back there," Overstreet said. "It came as a big surprise to me as it happened. I was in shock. But I didn't get too overwhelmed with it. When I went there I could definitely see myself playing there."

It was a big deal for Overstreet to play quarterback at the next level, and knowing that the Longhorns want him to do that really played in Texas' favor.

Others offered him at different positions, including Arkansas and Missouri as an athlete and Michigan as a receiver.

"I understand what those other schools need and what they were looking for," Overstreet said. "I am just happy that the teams that wanted me, wanted me."

Overstreet's dual-threat ability is a dimension not often found in quarterbacks Harsin has coached. It's something Overstreet is anxious to put to good use.

"I feel as if I can throw the ball pretty well. I know he will do nothing but make me a better passer," he said. "I think it will also help the whole team as an offense that I can move around in different situations."

It was a vision that he and his father, former Baylor running back Anthony Overstreet, mulled over just before he made his decision Sunday.

"We laid out every situation and put me in them hypothetically," Overstreet said. "We talked about how life after football was so important, and how I would be taken care of after football if I went to Texas."

Anthony Overstreet initially informed the Texas coaches and Jalen called later to confirm. He spoke with Brown again late on Monday to discuss things in more detail.

"I am excited," Overstreet said. "I am happy that I can just concentrate on football again."

That includes a continued focus on staying consistent with his throws and sticking to his fundamentals as a quarterback.

"I want every pass to be consistent," he said. "I also want to rely on fundamentals and technique when it comes to throwing the ball instead of just naturally being able to throw the ball around. I want to do it the right way."

William Wilkerson covers University of Texas football and recruiting for HornsNation

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