Other than the clear focus on the need at the quarterback position, the biggest question currently facing the Texas Longhorns is the type of fallout on the recruiting trail that will result with prospects connected to quarterback Kyler Murray's decision to stick with the Texas A&M Aggies.
Which prospects are mostly closely tied to Murray?
The decisions of cornerbacks Kris Boyd and Holton Hill on Friday aren't thought to have any connection to the Murray news. Texas should still be in strong shape with both of them.
Florida State quarterback commit Kai Locksley would probably be more likely to commit now given the even more open depth chart without the possibility of earning early playing time next fall.
Those prospects are all on the periphery of this news.
First, the player most tied to Murray -- Cedar Hill wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge. Even with the possible hiring of his head coach Joey McGuire as the tight ends/special teams coach at Texas, a source close to the situation indicated that Lodge already notified the staff that he won't be a Longhorn.
Ole Miss will now be the choice for the state's top receiver.
Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack is more connected to Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson than he is Murray, but the two were commits in the Aggie class at one point, so they aren't completely disconnected, either.
The same source confirmed what most in the industry were thinking prior to Murray's decision -- that Mack was headed to Texas. In the immediate aftermath of the breaking Thursday night news, there were reassurances that was still the case.
The caveat, of course, is that things change quickly with Mack, so his intentions on Thursday evening may not be his same intentions come Wednesday morning.
As for Plano West running back Soso Jamabo, he's somewhere in between Lodge and Mack. Since he never visited Texas A&M, he's not a threat to end up in College Station now, but the odds for UCLA did seem to improve when Murray elected to stay with the Aggies. However, his trip to Austin was good enough that Texas still leads with him as well.
Don't discount the friendship he has with Irving Cistercian Matthew Merrick -- the talent level for Merrick isn't there to induce the appeal of playing with a five-star quarterback like Murray, but there is appeal there based on that longtime friendship.
So Texas has lost out on one player due to Murray's decision, according to the source, but it won't eliminate Texas with any others and won't impact Jamabo, the other prospect most closely tied to Lodge.
Gaining the recommitment from Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln wide receiver John Burt eases the sting of losing Lodge, though the former prospect is still more likely to have a big impact. Plus, JUCO wide receiver Dominique Reed is still on the board ahead of his official visit to Auburn this weekend.
That's all in the 2015 class. In 2016, Murray's re-affirmation will in all likelihood keep No. 1 prospect Greg Little committed to the Aggies -- he's the left tackle for Murray at Allen and wants to protect his blindside in college, too. Unfortunate.
The dream finish won't happen, but there are still two top-15 cornerbacks, two elite running backs, an athletic quarterback, and a five-star defensive tackle who all look like strong candidates to become Longhorns by Wednesday afternoon.
Time to finish with those prospects. And it sounds like Mack and Jamabo are still ready to ride.