It appears the door to one member of Texas’ 2017 recruiting class arriving in Austin this summer has opened a little wider.
In late February, Reese Leitao was arrested at his Oklahoma high school on a charge of possession/delivery of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to sell within a thousand feet of a school, a felony. Tuesday, the Austin American-Statesman is reporting, Leitao pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug possession charge.
As part of the plea agreement, Leitao received a four-year deferred sentence; provided he stays clean during that time, the charge will be wiped off his record. The American-Statesman writes that, "[a]ccording to Leitao’s attorney, Leitao has ‘some probationary work,'including speaking engagements at schools, and will be under the supervision of the district attorney.” A $1,000 fine was part of his punishment as well.
The ball is now in the hands of first-year UT head coach Tom Herman as to whether Leitao will have a football future with the Longhorns.
“I’m happy,” the attorney, Allen Smallwood, told the newspaper. “Hopefully the University of Texas will be happy.”
At the time of Leitao’s arrest, a statement attributed to Herman said that "[w]e’re collecting information, will talk to Reese and his family, let the legal system run its course and then address it further at the appropriate time.” As of this posting, the university has yet to publicly address the development.
Leitao was a three-star 2017 signee, rated as the No. 19 tight end in the country and the No. 8 player at any position in the state of Oklahoma.