Among men's basketball recruits, football prospects and other prospective UTEP student-athletes, none other felt like a must-grab as did Deion Hankins, a three-star prospect running back out of Parkland High School.

His film jumps off the screen and colleges across the nation noticed. Hankins had offers from Arkansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, SMU, Texas Tech, Utah, and one that seemed to be a long-shot: UTEP.

That long-shot wishful thinking became a reality on Tuesday night, when Deion Hankins, a class of 2019 prospect, surprisingly gave a verbal commit to be a Miner football player upon graduation.

Hankins, a 6-foot, 210-pound tailback, was tabbed on the 2018 Subway Super Team by Dave Campbell's Texas High School Football and was recognized as one of the top-300 players in the state by the magazine. He amassed 2,063 rushing yards and had 23 rushing touchdowns for the Matadors in his junior season.

Last week Hankins took a visit to Arkansas and reportedly put the Razorbacks atop his list of colleges. Yesterday, Hankins took an unofficial visit with the Miners and verbally committed today.

For UTEP, this means a lot of things. They are keeping Hankins at home, where he feels it will be the best fit for him. On Crunchtime, Hankins revealed that the most important thing for him, when it comes to choosing a college, is a family-friendly atmosphere and somewhere that he feels comfortable in.

His brother, Davontey Hankins, could also be a factor in this decision. Davontey expressed his wishes to play college ball on Crunchtime and he is a class of 2018 graduate that also played football for Parkland. Maybe Davontey walks on the UTEP football program and plays alongside his brother.

If Miners fans wanted their next Aaron Jones, they got it in Deion. He can become a factor immediately and emerge as the Miners' best option at tailback. A running back group with Quadraiz Wadley, Josh Fields and Deion Hankins is scary good, and one that Miner football fans will see fall of 2019.

Hankins will join Chapin receiver Quintavius Workman as two local verbal commits for the Miners. Workman, who moved to El Paso this summer from North Carolina, impressed UTEP coaches at the UTEP high school football camp over the weekend and decided to offer him.

Somewhere in El Paso, head coach Dana Dimel is probably at home, celebrating in the team's spectacular get. Bravo to you, Dimel and staff for the huge grab.

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