Morning Coffee Looks At Outstanding Offers

Order of need for current outstanding offers.

1. Jackson Jeffcoat - Perhaps the best player in the state, Jeffcoat would secure the future of the defensive end position for years and provide a replacement for Eddie Jones and Sam Acho.
2. Reggie Wilson - See above. What makes Wilson so special is that he hasn't played football long and has a frame suited to become a beast at the power end position. He's your classic case of TUP - Tremendous Upside Potential.
3. Darius White - Game. Breaker. Check this -- White is 6-4 and returns punts for his DeSoto team. And does it well. That's highly unusual and speaks to White's incredible skill. Last fall, he seemed like a lock to commit after the first Junior Day, but he stock has risen so far and he has received so many national offers that he's taking his time. He hasn't spoken for so long that it's hard to see where Texas stands at this point.
4. Jordan Hicks - Since Aaron Benson has already committed as a six-foot tall linebacker, taking a larger linebacker with a combination of size and speed like Hicks becomes more important than a similar player to Benson, a category into which Corey Nelson falls.
   
5. Adrian White - Known as the best cover cornerback in the state, White possesses the ability to come in and play as a freshman, just like Deon Beasley and Aaron Williams. It's almost becoming cliche to talk about the need for defensive backs in the Big 12, but it's no joke.
6. Lache Seastrunk - It might seem strange to see Seastrunk so far down on this list. Nothing against Seastrunk, but the commitment of Chris Jones over the weekend softens the blow of potentially losing Seastrunk. In other words, Jones could provide the gamebreaking threat out of the backfield for 5-10 plays a game, while also possessing more versatility as a more polished receiver. Despite all that, Seastrunk is still near the top of the wish list for the Longhorns.
7. DeMarco Cobbs - Cobbs sits at this spot on the list because of the current glut of commitments at the position and his inabiilty to make it down to Austin. Even though Cobbs likes the Longhorns a lot, it's still hard to believe that he will end up leaving Oklahoma for Texas.
   
8. Corey Nelson - After his infamous and public "horns down" incident, the vibe hasn't been good from Nelson. Texas has won most of the battles in the Metroplex and against OU for recruits so far, but Ou seems likely to win this one.
9. Torrea Peterson - The simple fact that Texas offered two defensive tackles this weekend, after it was possible that the class was finished with Bible and Cotton, indicates the level of concern with Jarvis Humphrey. Peterson ranks ahead of better players simply because of the difficulty finding defensive tackles.
10. Trovon Reed - Chris Jones' commitment also lessens the need for a receiver possessing Reed's skill set, but a spot will be held for Reed as long as the numbers permit. Ultimately, Reed could impact whether or not his close friend Seastrunk ends up at Texas or at a school like LSU, probably the most likely alternate destination for both of them.
11. Jake Matthews - After reports surfaced this weekend that his father, recently hired by the Texans to assist Alex Gibbs, didn't like the way the offensive line drills were being run is a bad sign, not only for the recruitment of his son, but also for the current offensive line. Don't hold your breath for a commitment from Jake.

Need positions. The class is nearly complete, but there are still several positions that need numbers (in order of importance):

• Linebacker (possibly two spots open) - The plan was always to take four linebackers at the position with so many graduations after the 2009 season, with two committed and two offers currently out (Nelson and Hicks). The problem is that Texas isn't going to land both of those players, and possibly neither, meaning that another offer would probably go out to a member of the deep linebacker class. However, Kris Catlin fell off the radar and didn't attend the second Junior Day, and neither did Earl Hines, who hasn't been high on the Longhorns during the process at all. That leaves Shaun Lewis, who is a strong OU lean, and a local player in McNeil's Kurt Killens. An offer going out to a linebacker would
  
• Defensive end (would take both Wilson and Jeffcoat) - Given Jeffcoat's lack of passion for Texas and Wilson's complete openness as a relatively late immigrant to the United State, like the linebacker position, Texas probably has to go out and find a second defensive end for the class. On that list would be players like Jefferson's Clarence Lee, the only Junior Day visitor without an offer at defensive end, Cedar Park's Holmes Onwukaife, or Houston Bellaire's Joe Okafor.
• Defensive back (offer out to White) - The Longhorns really want White, as the best corner in the state, but could conceivably take another, like Lancaster's Quentin Hayes, who attended the second Junior Day, but did not receive an offer. If White doesn't commit, the class could well be done at this position.
  
• Running back (only Seastrunk at this point) - This is the position with the least need, especially given the commitments of Traylon Shead and Chris Jones, who could carry the ball a few times a game. If Seastrunk doesn't commit and the coaches decide they need a scat back, Princeton Collins could be in line for an offer. Don't hold your breath, though, Princeton.
  

Finished positions.

• Quarterback - Case McCoy and Connor Wood both committed early, even as Nick Montana was on the way for a visit, ending recruiting at the position early in the process.
  
• Offensive line - Jake Matthews seems like a long shot now and it's highly unlikely that another offer would go out if Matthew decides to go somewhere else, as Dominic Espinosa was a relative surprise for an offer.
  
• Tight end - Barrett Matthews and Trey Graham added some serious numbers to the tight end position and Josh Marshall and Blaine Irby will probably receive medical redshirts, pushing them both back a year, making tight end the least important position in the whole class. However, the Texas coaches love to convert big receivers into pass-catching tight ends, which is what will likely happen with big-bodied Darius Terrell, ending recruitment at the position.
  

The numbers game. The Longhorns are gorging themselves on early commitments to the extent that some people are actually wondering if things are moving too quickly. While I personally disagree with that line of reasoning, it is pertinent to wonder if Texas ended up taking lesser talents early that will keep them from taking bigger talents late. Already holding 19 verbal commitments, the Longhorns have only six spots available in the 2010 class, with 11 offers outstanding. Elemental math reveals that nearly half of those players will end up at other programs out of sheer numbers.

The most limited position that will be limited is wide receiver. With four commitments already (including Darius Terrell), that leaves only one or two spots available. In other words, the coaching staff is going to have to tell the three players currently with offers that recruiting at the position will be over when one or two of them commit. It raises an interesting problem. With Chris Jones in the fold, losing Reed isn't an issue, but telling a kid like DeMarco Cobbs or Darius White that they no longer have a scholarship available doesn't make much sense. If it is White who commits first, you could probably make the argument for taking Cobbs because he can play other positions, but he probably wouldn't be happy about that, in particular any discussion about playing defense.

Possible reaches? Every year, there are one or two players that Texas fans feel like weren't worthy of receiving offers. Considering the incredible cachet of a Texas offer and the quick commitment of many players, offering those guys is tantamount to having them on your roster. Already with 19 commitments and limited numbers, it's quite possible that several players like that currently inhabit the 2010 class.

There's a delicate balance in the process, since waiting for the top recruits sends a message of a lack of interest to the other players, who might go ahead and commit to another program. For the most part, I trust the evaluation process of the coaches, who decided to offer a guy like Greg Daniels, who blew up in size between his sophomore and junior sessons, over a player like Holmes Onwukaife or Joe Okafor. Using the Texas ranking lists by the recruiting services doesn't always tell the whole tale early in the process, as players will sometimes rise and fall based on their offers -- in other words, the evaluations of the major programs, making it kind of a circular process. Players might also rise or fall baed on film that comes in late, or a complete lack of film. That being said, there aren't any players on the list that jump out at me as big reaches. Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts if there is someone you think the Longhorns shouldn't have taken.