Visit our new Front Page Store . New Sign up for MyNews Receive headline news, full articles and breaking news via the Web or wireless device. The Dallas Morning News Irving High's Victor Mercado spent most of his senior year as a tight end, but he had only one pass thrown to him. The experience of being a blocker first is likely to pay off for him when he hits the Tulsa campus next year. The 290-pound converted offensive tackle made a verbal commitment to Tulsa last weekend.
Oral commitments are non-binding.
The first day a recruit can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 7. Mercado, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, visited the Tulsa campus Dec. 9. I'll also probably get a chance to play early. Tulsa's offense might be pass-oriented, and Mercado might have played tight end the last two years for Irving, but his first inclination as an offensive lineman is to open up gaping holes for running backs. The last two years Mercado has blocked for Tyson Thompson and Greg Gold, two of the area's top running backs.