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Four-star athlete J.K. Dobbins has been firmly committed to Ohio State, but Tom Herman is trying to keep him close to home with the Texas Longhorns. 

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When Tom Herman took the job at Texas, there was an uphill battle lying in front of him.

The Longhorns currently have the No. 39 recruiting class in the 2017 rankings with seven total commits, and time is not in Herman’s corner. The recruiting dead period sets in on Dec. 12, and there are about two months left before National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

There is no quick fix for getting Texas back on top, but targeting the Lone Star State’s top prospects isn’t a bad first step.

Herman reportedly met with 4-star athlete J.K. Dobbins on Monday, according to 247Sports. The 5-foot-10, 199-pound Dobbins will most likely play running back at the next level and has been pledged to Ohio State since March 6. However, he is from La Grange, Texas, which is about an hour drive away from Austin.

Dobbins is set to be an early enrollee, which means a decision will have to come sooner rather than later. It’s unlikely Herman can flip Dobbins from the Buckeyes, but there’s always a shot. And Dobbins isn’t the only highly touted prospect Herman is trying to put in burnt orange.

It has been reported Herman will meet with 5-star recruit Anthony Hines, the nation’s No. 1 inside linebacker, at some point this week. Hines, the No. 19 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class, committed to Texas A&M on Friday.

Texas is also expected to visit 3-star defensive tackle Zacchaeus McKinney, out of Weatherford, Texas, on Tuesday. McKinney, who stands at 6-foot-4, 300 lbs, decommitted from Kansas last month.

Note: Scout rankings, ratings and photos used in this article.

MORE: Tom Herman’s Impact On Texas Recruiting Will Be Felt Immediately