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Recruiting Thread 2017

Per TFB:

– Sam Ehlinger: As most know Texas QB commit Sam Ehlinger banged up both of his knees after Westlake’s season opening win over Katy. A few days later he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in one of those knees and hasn’t played since. But I was told by someone at Westlake that Sam is expected to return this weekend for the start of district play.

While it may be rushing the return, nobody was going to keep Sam off the field too long during his senior season. – (Andrew)

– Marvin Wilson: I was told by someone close to 5-star DT Marvin Wilson yesterday that he underwent a minor knee surgery recently. It isn’t anything that isn’t a long term concern at all but it will keep him sidelined for a few weeks. – (Andrew)
 
HS-

"As first reported by Justin Wells at Inside Texas, we have also learned that Lagaryonn Carson was suspended for a 2nd time from his high school team. We won't get into the details but obviously it's not a good thing to have two suspensions in one season."

I doubt this kid makes it in and if he does I doubt he last under Strong.
 
Suspended for grades, or for being a knucklehead? Regardless we need to have a backup plan
 
bubba2023 said:
Suspended for grades, or for being a knucklehead? Regardless we need to have a backup plan
Click to expand...
I'm speculating it's something else besides grades. First grade report isn't run until Monday morning. Regardless it will be a challenge for him to get into UT.
 
CoachEmUp64 said:
I'm speculating it's something else besides grades. First grade report isn't run until Monday morning. Regardless it will be a challenge for him to get into UT.
Click to expand...

I would guess if it's beyond grades Strong may just cut bait with him all together.
 
I know I'm not a regular poster and since i'm in the education field I can't give specifics, but I had mentioned awhile back on this thread there were some major worries about this guy and that he would probably not make it to Texas. I got hammered for that. Hate it for the young man but this guy is one that Texas needs to close the books on and let him see if he can get himself straight somewhere else.
 
Blackcat00 said:
All in for Chaison, I think he commits on the spot once he gets word Strong cuts LC loose.
Click to expand...
They play different positions, I doubt Carson commitment has nothing to do with Chaison. There was even talk that Carson would grow into a DT
 
I know no one really cares right now bc all the recruiting won't be important until:
A) We win out.....
or
B) We get a new coach (more than likely going to happen)

BUT Newman decommitted last night, probablty going to flip to CU where his buddies are committed and Desoto has a strong pipeline to CU.
 
With the coaching situation not looking solid right now I fully expect more of this.
 
When/if Strong is fired, I expect us to lose everybody, and then get a few back when our new coach comes in. The one exception is Ehlinger, I think he stays no matter what.
 
War Room:

I wish I had a bunch of earth-shattering news in the recruiting department to report but this week was basically more of the same ... very little action from Texas' perspective as most of the Longhorns' targets wait things out to see how Texas finishes the season, and wait to hear on Charlie Strong's future beyond this year.

Perhaps the biggest development last week was the official visits to Florida State by three of the top guys on Texas' board - Marvin Wilson, Walker Little and Baron Browning (Jeffrey Okudah was also there, but that one's not happening for UT).

In checking around with people close to the FSU program, it sounds like the Seminoles made a very good impression on all of the Lone Star State kids.

Coming into the weekend, Florida State was a major player for Wilson. As I've mentioned previously, people inside the FSU program have felt for months that they were the quiet leader that nobody was really talking about. After last weekend's visit, one person who spoke with Wilson feels FSU is the team to beat as he gets ready for his other visits. Texas is still trying to get Wilson in for an official visit (he's visited OU and FSU and will hit Ohio State this month) but this one is not trending in UT's direction.

On Little, most have felt it's a Texas-Stanford battle, but it sounds like FSU has put itself squarely in the mix after last weekend's visit. Little, who was accompanied on the visit by his father, told Warchant.com that he rated the visit as a 10. This one still feels like Stanford is going to be tough to beat and Texas may have the best shot of knocking off the Cardinal, but FSU worked its way into consideration last weekend. Little will visit Texas on December 2. He also has trips lined up for Georgia, Ole Miss and Stanford. The Stanford visit will be his last.

Browning is always a pretty tough kid to read. People close to the FSU program feel the Seminoles put themselves in the race after last weekend, but nobody I talked to had a clear indication of which way he may be leaning. Texas is still in play there but will not get an official visit, which is tough to ignore. I still think Ohio State may wind up winning out in this one. (Suchomel)

******

Texas is still hoping to get linebacker Anthony Hines, but with the Plano East standout not expected to take an official visit to Texas, that one is beginning to feel like a longshot. If Hines goes somewhere else when he announces later this month, keep an eye on Mohamed Sanogo as a possible target.

Sanogo, who is committed to Houston, said he hasn't heard much from Texas since the season started, but the Texas coaches told him during the summer they may be in touch down the road.

"I probably won't hear anything from them until after Anthony's decision," Sanogo said. "He (Brian Jean-Mary) told me they're looking to see how some pieces fall. He said he's flipped a lot of good players before, so be ready if certain situations go down."

Sanogo finds himself in an interesting situation since he's a Houston pledge. If Texas comes after him with its current coaching staff, that would probably give him something to think about. If Texas makes a run at Tom Herman, that could obviously change things as well.

"I hear all the talk, that this is probably strong's last year. I've heard that, that they're looking at coach Herman. I've heard LSU and Baylor are both looking at him, too," Sanogo said.

"If they (Texas) came after me, I'd have a lot to think about. I committed before the season, just wanted to let everything play out, not focus too much on recruiting during the season. After the season, the months heading into February, we'll see. Everything isn't set in stone until you sign the paper. Coaches can come and leave at any time, so you have to look at things. It's harder than people think to make a lifelong decision at 17."

Sanogo is trying to attend Houston's home game against Louisville in a couple weeks, and he's hoping to have a better grasp on where things stand after that visit. He is considering taking his official visits, and you can pretty much guarantee that Texas would get one if the Longhorns pick up their interest on the Plano West standout.

The Texas coaches told Sanogo during the summer they wanted to see him this fall, but unfortunately for Sanogo, it's been a pretty tough senior season.

"I've run into a bunch of pitfalls, like I got mono the week before the season. I was supposed to be able to come back and not miss a game but that takes a toll on your body. I sprained my ankle pretty badly in the homecoming game, then got Salmonella, got that during the McKinney Boyd game (20 tackles in that game). A lot of things have been holding me back, but I've been fighting through it, have had a pretty good season. I'm liking the way I'm progressing going into college." (Suchomel)

******

Yoaking 2018 DB Jordan Moore and twin brother Joshua Moore were in town for the Longhorns' win over Baylor. For Jordan, it was another good visit and the Longhorns continue to sit at the top of his list.

Moore said he talked to the coaches before the game but it was mostly just conversation about his season and how ready Texas was to "get after" Baylor.

"The atmosphere there is great. The game, the fans were really into the game. It was just great overall," Moore said.

The 6-1, 180-pound Moore, who holds a UT offer, is still planning to commit on December 24. Texas remains very high on his list.

"They're high. I feel like they're playing for coach Strong's job," Moore said. "I feel like coach Strong is really changing things around. They're a young team. To be that young, they're doing a heck of a job. They're going to be great next year."

Moore said he feels Strong is "built for" the Texas job and is a "firm believer here's there for a reason and he's turning things around." At the same time, he does hear the rumors of a possible coaching change, including the talk of Tom Herman being in Austin next year.

"My grandfather played football for the University of Houston. Me and the coaches from U of H are really close - me and coach Herman, me and coach Washington," Moore said.

Moore will be at the Alabama-LSU game this weekend. (Suchomel)

******

A quick note on Texas wide receiver commitment Damion Miller, who took an unofficial visit to Texas A&M last weekend ...

Miller hasn't said much about his visit, but a source tells me he did talk to the UT coaches this week and "he is fine" with his Longhorn commitment. We'll keep an eye on this one moving forward, but the official word out of the A&M visit is Miller is still locked into his Texas commitment. (Suchomel)
 
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UT recruiting under Strong:
Nov- Put the pot on the stove
Jan- Crank that heat all the way up

Starting this month the UT coaches will start to work recruiting a little harder. Recruits will listen, especially now that they have a feeling of optimism that we can win out and reach 8-4 and add a bowl game. Only time will tell though.
 
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Foreman Heisman conversation, 8-4 with 5 game win streak and a bowl game coming up will likely peak recruits and parents' interest that the HC is not on his way out. I think a bunch of forks are doing wait and see. Marvin Wilson knows he could step in at UT and be part of a 10 win team next year and be part of a Texas Turnaround. I think a top back would sign on after what Foreman has done and UT's RB tradition/history and Warren being hurt. They might actually get some DEs. This is all just speculation, since not all UT "fans" want him to win out and this is a 5-4 team facing a ranked opponent at home.
 
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HornSports Burnt Ends recruiting info:

There isn’t much recruiting news available at this point, but we thought we’d give you some quick notes we picked up from the weekend and a look at the current recruiting class. November is typically when Strong and his staff start to amp things up in the recruiting realm, and we’d expect some more on that front in the coming weeks. We did learn that Texas was in contact with Wylie East running back Eno Benjamin over the weekend. Texas coach Jeff Traylor reached out to Benjamin to establish a line of communications to the former Iowa commit. Benjamin was hot on Texas early in the process, but the Longhorns never offered. The Longhorns will still continue to chase JK Dobbins, but an argument could be made that two running backs are needed in this class. We’ll stay on this during the coming weeks, because if things pick up with Benjamin we could see Texas jump into the mix of his recruitment.

Potential offers list:

Recruits, fans, and reporters have been in a holding pattern since the questions started about Charlie Strong’s job. We talked to a number of people this weekend to find out where things stand with the Texas class and targets. We’ve also identified some possible offers to look out for.

Quarterback
Commits: Sam Ehlinger – Austin Westlake
On the radar: Bryson Smith – John Tyler
Summary: Ehlinger is cemented in place as the next in line at quarterback, and the leader of this class. The Longhorns don’t need another quarterback in this class, but John Tyler’s Bryson Smith could be looked at as an ATH/QB option. The Houston commit is a Greg Ward clone, and he’s very close with Texas commit Damion Miller.

Running Back
Commits: None
On the radar: JK Dobbins – La Grange, Eno Benjamin – Wylie East
Summary: Texas probably needs two backs if D’Onta Foreman goes pro after the season. They could go with Eno Benjamin, and continue to chase JK Dobbins. Dobbins is an early enrollee, so Texas will be on a truncated timetable, and they are not doing well in this recruitment currently. Benjamin is also an early enrollee, and though we think he’d probably jump at the offer, Texas needs to get involved soon. They might need to identify some other targets including the JUCO ranks.

Wide Receiver
Commits: Damion Miller – John Tyler
On the radar: Charleston Rambo – Cedar Hill, RJ Sneed – Cypress Ranch
Summary: The Longhorns lost out on Jalen Reagor and Omar Manning in the span of a week. Wide Receiver isn’t a huge need at this point, but the Longhorns could stand to add some more depth. Charleston Rambo is one of the best players in the state, and Texas is well aware of him. RJ Sneed would jump on a Texas offer quickly from what we understand.

Offensive Line
Commits: None
On the radar: Walker Little – Belaire Episcopal, Chuck Filliaga – Aledo, Adrian Ealy – East Acension (LA)
Summary: Texas is playing a bit of Russian roulette with this position. After losing Xavier Newman to Colorado, Texas finds themselves with no players on the line, and Walker Little is just about the only recruit they can feel somewhat good about. Texas received some good feedback from Filliaga, but he’s almost out of official visits. 3 seems like the minimum number here, so the staff might have to start identifying some other targets.

Defensive End
Commits: Taquon Graham – Temple, LaGaryonn Carson – Liberty Eylau
On the radar: K’Lavon Chaisson – North Shore, Alec Jackson – Jeff Davis (AL), Ryan Johnson – St. Paul (AL)
Summary: If the Longhorns can finish strong they have a great chance of selling K’Lavon Chaisson on being the missing piece of this defense. Chaisson is a dynamic pass rusher built for the FOX position. Texas probably needs to add more depth at the strong end in the event Carson doesn’t make it to campus.

Defensive Tackle
Commits: None
On the radar: Marvin Wilson – Bellaire Episcopal
Summary: Expect to see some targets identified down the line, but right now the Longhorns are all in on Wilson. We still believe that Texas sits in a strong position if Charlie Strong is retained. The Longhorns have the Wilson family in their corner, and if they can get Walker Little it can’t hurt.

Linebacker
Commits: None
On the radar: Baron Browning – Kennedale, Anthony Hines – Plano East, Levi Jones – Austin Westlake
Summary: What once looked like a clean sweep is now a bit up in the air. Anthony Hines and Baron Browning will decide in the next few weeks, and neither has taken an official visit to Texas. For Browning it might not be that big of a deal, but we aren’t hearing good things about the Hines recruitment. Levi Jones seems like a situation that can be won in the offseason.

Defensive Back
Commits: Kobe Boyce – Lake Dallas, Josh Thompson – Nacogdoches, Montrell Estell – Hooks
On the radar: Chevin Calloway – Bishop Dunne, Kary Vincent Jr. – Port Arthur Memorial
Summary: Boyce had his moments where it looked like he might open things up, but he appears to be firm as of now. Thompson is locked into his commitment, and he will remain even more so if Texas retains Strong. The Longhorns like Boyce as a field corner with Thompson playing the boundary side. Estell remains all in thanks to Jeff Traylor’s recruiting. Calloway and Vincent are both attainable, but neither are slam dunks. If Texas decides to stand pat they will have a pretty nice group of secondary talent.
 
Strong isn't going to close like last class. He doesn't have the immediate PT angle to sell anymore, but if he wins 8+ games he will do fine.
 
We finish 8-4, I almost guarantee we go 9-4. Beating WVU and TCU will convince me the defense is fixed or at the very least patched together enough to stop some people.

I have 3 guys on my wish list. Walker Little, Marvin Wilson, and Barron Browning. We get those 3 guys and I'm loving this class.

Overall I'm most concerned about running back, linebacker, and DE recruiting. We need two top runningbacks and right now we have zero. This is one spot where Charlie can sell early playing time and running behind a hell of an oline.

Linebacker is about the fact that this is probably the last year with Jefferson, and we need an heir, of course if we get Browning and maybe one more, I'm good. I was hoping we could get either Dylan Moses or Anthony Hines, but Hines is a inside backer and not really the type of backer that would excel in the Big 12, and Moses was always a longshot.

DE should be good once we unleash Fowler, but I'd like to see us pick up one more big time guy like K'Lavon Chaisson.

My other position of need is Oline, but only because it is always a position of need. I want Little badly, but we still need two more, I'd like to steal Jack Anderson from Tech, and Tyrese Robinson from Oklahoma. I just don't see us getting Chuck Filliaga, he is a Cali guy and that is where he wants to be.
 
War Room:

Texas will host a handful of prospects this weekend for the West Virginia game, but we're still a few weeks away from recruiting really picking back up full steam. I did check around with a variety of sources this week for some quick updates on a number of the Longhorns' top recruiting targets.

--- K'Lavon Chaisson - The Houston North Shore defensive end doesn't say much publicly, so it's tough to get much of a read on him. But Texas did make up ground over the summer and there was some thought heading into the season that the Longhorns may have been the team to beat. With so much undecided around the Forty Acres, it has given a lot of recruits reason to take a step back and slow things down, but one person we spoke with this week said Chaisson doesn't seem to phased with the coaching situations at schools high on his list - namely Texas, Houston and LSU.

"He should be committing fairly soon. I think he'll do one of those (Bleacher Report) videos. From what I've gathered, he might be going with a surprise commitment to Texas. That won't surprise me at all. Things kind of dissolved with OU and they haven't moved forward with LSU. Right now, it's either Houston or Texas. Houston has picking things up a bit, but they haven't been working any harder than Texas."

My thoughts: Honestly, Chaisson is so quiet that it's hard to pinpoint what he might be thinking, and in formulating a guess you have to try to put bits and pieces of third-hand information together, which is always risky. That being said, I think the odds favor Texas at this point after a few conversations I've had over the last month.

--- Marvin Wilson - The five-star DT has taken official visits to Oklahoma and Florida State. He'll be at Ohio State in two weeks. Wilson has said he may use one for an in-state school, which would almost certainly be Texas or Texas A&M. My money for the in-state visit would still be on Texas pretty heavily. Wilson's season ended last week so it would have been huge for Texas if it could have got him on campus this weekend for an unofficial visit, but Wilson told me midweek that he's not hitting any games on Saturday.

Wilson's an intelligent young man who doesn't really tip his hand, and he's not expected to make a decision until near (or on) National Signing Day. One source I spoke with this week thinks when it's all said and done, Wilson is going to have a hard time going too far away from his family, which would be huge for Texas, if true.

"He's close to his family and there are things there that I think will have an impact. If things break in a certain way, his best option is to .. it sounds like he'll pick best opportunity to play for a successful team and his family have a chance to come see him, wherever that may meet in the middle. Ohio State, you can't overlook them but it doesn't sound like that situation will matter because of family. If Texas does a major sell job with him, I think Texas, LSU or Florida State may be as far as he gets. But the coaching situation at these schools could impact things all over."

My thoughts: Wilson has always been pretty direct that he wants to play for a program that's winning, or at the very least on the rise. If Texas can continue its surge to end the season, and prove to Wilson that the UT staff is in it for the long haul, the idea of playing close to home for coaches he really likes could certainly tip the scales in UT's favor. But as of right now, I think there's still some work that needs to be done.

--- Damion Miller - The UT commitment took an unofficial visit to Texas A&M a couple weeks ago, so his situation is obviously worth watching. He did talk to the UT coaches after that trip to College Station and told them there's nothing to worry about, but if he winds up taking other official visits, this one could get a little dicey. One person I spoke with this week doesn't think A&M will be a huge factor.

"What's crazy to me, how proactive A&M has been about recruiting receivers. I don't know if they get the sense a couple guys might not stick or what. They have three guys committed. Early on, A&M was kind of the next team in line for him. At the beginning of the season, he said the only way he'd flip to A&M was if they could guarantee him a starting position. A&M is so loaded with the guys they have and guys they have coming in, I don't think they'll press for him."

My thoughts: Miller told me this week that he won't be able to make it in for the West Virginia game, but as long as Texas keeps playing well offensively I don't think there's a lot to be worried about here. Obviously, and coaching changes could impact things but as things look right now, I expect him to stick with Texas.

--- Walker Little - Little took an official visit to Florida State last weekend and his comments after the trip were pretty flattering. This one still feels like it will eventually boil down to Texas and Stanford, both of which will get visits. Texas is tentatively scheduled to host Little in early December, while Stanford will get him on campus in January. One person I spoke with on Thursday isn't buying into the recent Florida State talk.

"The problem with those kids, you can send them to anywhere - Pennsylvania - then when people interview them after, you'll think they're the new favorite. Alabama is a potential one to watch there if their offer is fully on the table. Even if the visit went well with FSU, I'm still not ready to put them in the conversation with Stanford and Texas."

My thoughts: Little is looking for a strong academic institution, which is the biggest reason this one feels like it will come down to the UT and Stanford. If Texas finishes with a flourish on the field, I like the Longhorns' chances to catch up with presumed favorite Stanford and probably even overtake them. But Stanford getting the last official visit can't be ignored.

--- Anthony Hines - Hines has taken four of his five official visits, including a recent trip to Ohio State. Texas is not expected to get an official visit. At one point early on, this one looked like a UT-OU battle and the Longhorns looked pretty good during the summer. The tide has shifted though and A&M is now thought by most to be the frontrunner.

"A&M feels good about it. It's hard to predict with him," one person told me on Thursday.

"If Texas can get him on campus one more time before he commits (November 29), you can't totally rule UT out. But right now I think they're behind A&M by quite a bit," said another person.

My thoughts: The fact that he's not taking an official visit makes me think it won't be Texas. The guess here is A&M. I'm hearing Ohio State isn't much of a factor.

--- Chuck Filiaga - The Aledo product has taken a few official visits and has talked about taking an official to Texas, but that seems unlikely at this point. USC has been long-believed to be the favorite, but a recent visit to Michigan has the Wolverines squarely in the mix as well.

"He doesn't say much about anybody. He's taken a couple visits and I think he may go visit Arkansas. He's likely to take visits where he can't take them on his own, but his officials are not his top five. Just because he doesn't take official, Texas definitely is not out of it."

My thoughts: Filiaga does like Texas and the UT coaches, but I still think he ultimately comes back to Southern Cal when the dust settles.

--- Baron Browning - The Kennedale product will take his final two official visits to UCLA next weekend and Ohio State on November 25, which means Texas won't be getting a visit.

"He's set to commit right after his official to Ohio State. If he goes there and has the time of his life, he might make his mind up while he's there and make it official later," a source said this week. "I've always thought TCU was next in line for him. Texas, he went there to go check it out a bunch and everybody thinks it's his type of school. But I'm not sure if that's because there's a Texas bias with people because of the history and tradition."

My thoughts: If there's a player who I could see choosing Texas without taking an official visit, it's Browning. He's been on campus a bunch, has a great relationship with the staff and has developed friendships with some UT players, including Malik Jefferson. Ohio State getting the last visit makes me think the Buckeyes may be the team to beat, but I wouldn't write off Texas in this one just yet.

--- J.K. Dobbins - The Ohio State commitment has gone pretty quiet ever since the summer started, but there's still communication going on behind the scenes. I did hear through the grapevine this week that the Ohio State coaches are not worried about losing Dobbins' commitment to Texas or anyone else. Basically, he's saying everything Ohio State needs to hear behind the scenes to indicate he's locked into his OSU commitment. Texas could make up some ground if the Longhorns continue to win and some of the coaching chatter dies down (and selling Dobbins that D'Onta Foreman will be in the NFL would help), but it sounds like it's going to be tough to flip Dobbins as it stands right now. (Suchomel)

*******

Here's a position-by-position look at where things currently stand in recruiting.

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Quarterback

Current scholarship players:(3) Tyrone Swoopes (Sr.), Matthew Merrick (Rs-Fr.) and Shane Buechele (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:Two

Current 2017 commitments:Sam Ehlinger (Austin Westlake)

Current 2017 targets:None

Breakdown:With the loss of Swoopes this off-season and the departure of Kai Locksley in October, the Longhorns will go into next season with three scholarship quarterbacks on campus with the addition of Ehlinger. You can make a compelling case that Texas needs to sign two quarterbacks in this class in an effort to protect itself from any potential potholes, but all indications are that the coaches are content with Ehlinger and there's no second quarterback on the immediate radar. If there's a JUCO quarterback out there with any talent at all, it might make a lot of sense to add someone to the depth chart that only brings a two-year scholarship commitment.
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Running Back

Current scholarship players:(6) D'Onta Foreman (Jr.), Roderick Bernard (Jr.), Chris Warren (So.), Kirk Johnson (So.), Tristian Houston (Rs-Fr.) and Kyle Porter (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:One or two.

Current 2017 commitments:None

Current 2017 targets:J.K. Dobbins (La Grange) and Anthony Davis (Lakeland, Florida)

Breakdown:The urgent nature of needing to hit on a big-time talent in this class is probably tied to the decision that D'Onta Foreman will make following the season, but if you're Texas, you need to find a way to add some kind of difference-maker to go along with a group that hasn't shown a lot of healthy dynamic talent outside of Warren's limited sample size. The cupboard is far from empty, but losing Foreman out of this group changes the quality of it instantly. As it stands, Texas has offered four backs this year and none of them are at the doorstep of signing with the Longhorns. The hope has always been that Dobbins would flip to the Longhorns late, but you have to wonder if that's more than just a bit of a long-shot dream. Davis is a wildcard because few can keep up with his forever-changing list of favorites, but there has been some discussion that OU is the preferred Big 12 team in his recruitment. At some point, you'd have to think the staff will target someone that hasn't yet been offered.
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Wide receivers

Current scholarship players (13):Petey Warrick (Sr.), Armanti Foreman (Jr.), Lorenzo Joe (Jr.), Dorian Leonard (Jr.), Jake Oliver (Jr.), John Burt (So.), Garrett Gray (So.), Collin Johnson (Fr.), Devin Duvernay (Fr.), Donovan Duvernay (Fr.), Reggie Hemphill (Fr.), Davion Curtis (Fr.) and Lil'Jordan Humphrey (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:One or two

Current 2017 commitments:Damion Miller (John Tyler)

Current 2017 targets:Omar Manning (Lancaster/Committed to TCU), Jalen Raegor (Waxahachie/Committed to TCU) and Mannie Netherly (Crosby/Committed to LSU)

Breakdown:With a dozen scholarship receivers, including eight underclassmen, scheduled to return in 2017, there's just not a huge need in terms of numbers. Assuming the Longhorns sign Miller in February, there's little need to add numbers for the sake of numbers until the clutter clears. If the staff is able to flip a player like Manning or Reagor, it probably won't worry about the numbers very much, but in truth there's not a huge need at this position after adding six players in the last nine months.

Tight Ends

Current scholarship players (3):Caleb Bluiett (Sr.), Andrew Beck (Jr.) and Peyton Aucoin (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:One

Current 2017 commitments:None

Current 2017 targets:Major Tennison (Bullard/Committed to Alabama) and Jake Paulson (Louisville Christian Academy )

Breakdown:You'd love to sign a big-time prospect at this position, even if the tight end position as a whole isn't a critical component of the offense the team runs, but with Tennison headed to Alabama, there's not a lot of apples to pluck from the tree at this point. The Longhorns could decide to make an offer to a three-star prospect like Paulson, but don't be surprised if this becomes an area where depth is added from within by moving players from the defensive side of the ball that aren't making an impact on the depth chart.
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Offensive line

Current scholarship players (17):Kent Perkins (Sr.), Tristian Nicholson (Jr.), Brandon Hodges (Jr.), Connor Williams (So.), Alex Anderson (So.), Patrick Vahe (So.) Jake McMillon (So.), Elijah Rodriguez (So.), Terrell Cuney (So.), Garrett Thomas (Rs-Fr.), Buck Major (Rs-Fr.), Jean Delance (Fr.), Top Imade (Fr.), JP Urquidez (Fr.), Denzel Okafor (Fr.), Patrick Hudson (Fr.) and Zach Shackelford (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:Two or three

Current 2017 commitments:None

Current 2017 targets:Walker Little (Houston Episcopal), Adrian Ealy (Gonzales) and Chuck Filiaga (Aledo)

Breakdown:It couldn't be any clearer that Little is the top target on the board, but the Longhorns have their hands full with the likes of expected leader Stanford and Florida State. Filiaga is being recruited by a myriad of national powers and it remains to be seen where the Longhorns stand in his recruitment at this point, but it's not looking very promising. Texas will wait until the very last second if it has to for Little, but don't be surprised if some new offers start to arrive soon in preparation for not ending up with zero prospects in this class following the de-commitment of Xavier Newman and his subsequent commitment to Colorado.
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Defensive tackles

Current scholarship players (8):Paul Boyette (Sr.), Poona Ford (Jr.), Chris Nelson (So.), D'Andre Christmas (Fr.), Jordan Elliott (Fr.), Chris Daniels (Fr.), Gerald Wilbon (Fr.) and Marcel Southall (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:One or two

Current 2017 commitments:None

Current 2017 targets:Marvin Wilson (Houston Episcopal), Damion Daniels (Dallas Bishop Dunne) and Deiontae Watts (Plano East/Committed to Nebraska)

Breakdown:After the class the Longhorns signed a year ago, the urgency to sign impact players isn't quite what it was a year ago, but if the Longhorns miss on Wilson, the drop-down in terms of what comes next is pretty significant. If Texas can get some momentum going down the stretch, you'd have to keep your eye on a possible flip from Watts, if for no other reason than we know Charlie Strong can flip guys late.
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Defensive ends

Current scholarship players (6):Bryce Cottrell (Sr.), Quincy Vasser (Sr.), Naashon Hughes (Fr.), Charles Omenihu (So.), Malcolm Roach (Fr.) and Andrew Fitzgerald

Current 2017 Needs:Three

Current 2017 commitments:Taquan Graham (Temple) and LaGaryonn Carson (Texarkana Liberty Eylau)

Current 2017 targets:K'Lavon Chaisson (North Shore) and Ondario Robinson (Hutto/Committed to Texas A&M)

Breakdown:I believe two of the most underrated prospects in the state are the two kids that are committed at this position, but in saying that you have to confess that Carson is a bit of a wildcard as a prospect based on what has happened over the course of the last year. Assuming he's good, the Longhorns would love to land Chaisson and perhaps call it a day.
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Linebackers

Current scholarship players (9):Tim Cole (Sr.), Malik Jefferson (So.), Edwin Freeman (So.) Breckyn hager (So.), Anthony Wheeler (So.), Cam Townsend (Rs-Fr.), Jeff McCulloch (Fr.), Erick Fowler (Fr.) and Demarco Boyd (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:One or two

Current 2017 commitments:None

Current 2017 targets:Baron Browning (Kennedale), Anthony Hines (Plano East) and Levi Jones (Austin Westlake)

Breakdown:With eight underclassmen in the program, numbers aren't an issue at all, but with the talent available in this year's in-state class, landing the right two has always been the hope. It remains to be seen whether it will include the players listed as targets above. It's just hard to say what's going to happen with this group at this point.
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Defensive backs

Current scholarship players (14):Sheroid Evans (Sr.), Dylan Haines (Sr.), Kevin Vaccaro (Sr.), Antwuan Davis (Jr.), Jason Hall (Jr.), John Bonney (So.), Kris Boyd (So.), Davante Davis (So.), Holton Hill (So.), DeShon Elliott (So.), PJ Locke (So.), Brandon Jones (Fr.), Eric Cuffee (Fr.) and Chris Brown (Fr.)

Current 2017 Needs:Two

Current 2017 commitments:Kobe Boyce (Lake Dallas), Montrell Estelle (Hooks) and Josh Thompson (Nacogdoches)

Current 2017 targets:Kary Vincent (Port Arthur Memorial/Committed to LSU), Chevin Calloway (Dallas Bishop Dunne) and Dayven Coleman (West Mesquite)

Breakdown:From a needs standpoint, the Longhorns are more than fine with their current numbers, It comes down to taking potential difference-makers at this point and Vincent ranks as the top target to keep an eye on in that capacity. (GK)
 
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