Biggest get -- The Crowning Six (tie)
It's impossible to decide between the top six players in the class -- Mike Davis, Darius White, Jackson Jeffcoat, Reggie Wilson, Jordan Hicks, and Tevin Jackson. Call it lazy, but all of these players have the chance to leave an indelible impact on the Texas program.
Most likely to contribute (offense) -- Mike Davis
This pick is all about his polish as a receiver -- there is little that he needs to learn about the position before he can make an impact at Texas. The only concern is his ability to protect the football, but it shouldn't be difficult for Davis to quickly make strides in that direction with some, ahem, strongly worded instructions from the coaching staff.
Most likely to contribute (defense) -- Jackson Jeffcoat
It's hard to predict how the Buck position will shake out -- will Alex Okafor play there extensively and is Dravannti Johnson ready to contribute now in his third year in the program? Regardless, Jeffcoat has the polish and advanced technique to contribute immediately at the college level -- that's why he's no. 1 on the 2010 GoBR Texas 25.
Most likely to contribute (special teams) -- William Russ
Hunter Lawrence showed up on campus as a freshman and earned the role of kickoff specialist and Russ could do the same if his leg is truly as strong as advertised. Honorable mention here goes to Jordan Hicks, Tevin Jackson, and Aaron Benson, who should all have a chance to make a major impact on special teams.
Most critical position for future success -- defensive back
Following the departure of playmaking Earl Thomas and with the departures of both Browns and possible Aaron Williams after the 2010 season, several of the defensive back commits will have to contribute in 2011, particularly the two true cornerbacks -- Carrington Byndom and Adrian White. Both should receive playing time in preparation for 2011.
Most explosive (offense) -- Chris Jones
Darius White is better able to change direction, remarkable for someone with his size, but Jones may be the fastest player in the class regardless of position and accelerates with remarkable suddenness.
Most explosive (defense) --Tevin Jackson
Jackson has excellent top-end speed for a linebacker, but what is even more impressive is his short-range burst, much more important for someone at this position when playing downhill than top-end speed. On defense, explosiveness is about blowing up offensive players and Jackson takes advantage of his power angles, short-area burst, and 230 pounds of mass to exert a great deal of force on his opponents.
Meanest -- Tevin Jackson
This one isn't even close. The money quote from Jackson -- "I want to kill everybody." Throughout the summer, he made numerous other similar statements, apparently frustrated that he couldn't lay the wood to running backs in the flat and receivers over the middle. Now, he's not exactly being literal there, hopefully, but it's a mentality that bespeaks focus, intensity, and toughness. On Signing Day, he reportedly commented that "real men wear burnt orange." And who would really be willing to disagree with him on that point?
Most confident -- Mike Davis
Here's what Davis said ($) before the Under Armour game:
I feel there isn’t a DB out here who can cover me. They’re highly ranked and I’m highly ranked so it’s the best against the best. It makes me better and makes them better.
Now, that might sound arrogant or coky and maybe it is a bit, but the bottom line is that Davis went out and proved that he was correct during the week of practice and during the game, with Jeff Howe calling him the most consistent receiver ($) on his team.
Best story -- Reggie Wilson
On the Inside Texas recruiting podcast, Ross Lucksinger and Jeff Howe point out the maturity, perspective, and eloquence Wilson possesses, no doubt a result of his remarkable background as a young man that placed an incredible amount of responsibililty on him at a young age. There's no question that Wilson has the mental and emotional makeup to be an absolute success at Texas.
Most underrated (offense) -- Darius Terrell
Not the fastest wide receiver, but he has good height, excellent hands, and an understanding of body position and high pointing the football from his experience as a basketball player. Though he would not be a strong prospect at the slit end position, he could be a major match up problem in the flex tight end spot and received some work there as a senior, giving him a head start there when he gets to Texas.
Most underrated (defense) -- Adrian White
Once upon a time, White was considered one of the top prospects in the state, but fell because of inconsistency. Since he played so consistently well at the Under Armour game, it's safe to now call him underrated.
Stock up -- Mike Davis
Not the best speed, but he knows how to get open. Garrett Gilbert will love this guy.
Stock down -- Taylor Bible
There's no guarantee that Bible will get himself back into shape to contribute at Texas and there are lingering concerns about his injury history as well. A tremendous talent, Bible has a great deal of work to do before he can once again be considered one of the top defensive tackles in the entire class.
Biggest recruiting miss (offense) -- Offensive tackle position
Luke Joeckel was probably destined for A&M as soon as his brother commited, but what happened with prospects like Evan Washington, Cedric Ogbuehi, Daryl Williams, and Shep Klinke? Besides Washington, there was never any buzz about these players and Texas despite the fact that offensive tackle was a need position. Missing out on Jake Matthews hurt as well.
Biggest recruiting miss (defense) -- Eric Humphrey
A big-time talent who blew up with the release of his senior film, Humphrey could have ended up wreaking havoc in the middle of the Texas defensive line, even though he would have a great deal of competition at the position. Great get for Oklahoma.
Most impressive national players -- Dominique Easley and Ronald Powell (tie)
Easley was absolutely dominate and unblockable in the Under Armour game, using his excellent quickness to shoot gaps. It might be easy to simply label him a tweener and wonder whether he will play defensive end or defensive tackle in college and some of that will depend on how he develops physically, but it's probably more insightful to view him through the lens of the where he will line up on the line -- he has the ability to play the three technique and five technique and could probably even be used as an edge rusher because he is that quick
Powell showed off his blazing speed on his fumble return for a touchdown in the Army game -- simply incredible speed for a defensive end. He also caught a touchdown pass from Connor Wood while playing tight end. There's a reason he finished no. 1 in the entire class by Rivals.