In addition to the offer to record-setting Navasota wide receiver Tren'Davian Dickson, the Texas Longhorns also offered to two other in-state stars on Thursday -- West Mesquite wide receiver Dee Anderson and Alief Elsik linebacker Dontavious Jackson.
Here's a look at both:
West Mesquite wide receiver Dee Anderson (LSU commit)
6'4 | 177 pounds | **** | No. 92 prospect | No. 17 wide receiver | No. 11 player in Texas
The bad news with Anderson is that he committed to the Tigers last August less than two weeks after picking up an offer from LSU. However, the Longhorns may have a chance to land his services. For one, Anderson knows Mesquite Poteet products Malik Jefferson and DeAndre McNeal pretty well coming from the same city:
Apparently the most recent 2016 offer is close w/ two 2015 signees http://t.co/u68co92TdE pic.twitter.com/PiUPf2cSWY
— Colt Barber (@Colt_247Sports) February 12, 2015
@DeeAnderson21 come to the fam bro
— Malik Jefferson 4⃣6⃣ (@Official_MalikJ) February 12, 2015
The Tigers also recently replaced their wide receivers coach. Former coach Adam Henry left to join the staff for the San Francisco 49ers, so head coach Les Miles replaced Henry with Georgia wide receivers coach Tony Ball on Friday.
As a result, this may be a good time for the Horns to make a move while Anderson develops a relationship with Ball, though unfortunately Anderson didn't hold an Oklahoma offer from new wide receivers coach Jay Norvell's time in Norman.
On National Signing Day, head coach Charlie Strong talked about needing wide receivers who can run by defenders and Anderson can certainly do that with a deceptive stride at the top end. He's also extremely skinny, so adding some muscle mass to combat press coverage at the next level is a priority, but the West Mesquite star is still effective at fighting through contact on deep balls and on fades in the red zone.
As a junior, he broke out in a big way with 733 receiving yards on only 43 catches and 12 touchdowns.
Alief Elsik linebacker Dontavious Jackson
6'3 | 235 pounds | **** | No. 148 overall | No. 4 inside linebacker | No. 19 player in Texas
Tonight I've received my 25th offer from the prestigious University of Texas!!!! #HookEm #AGTG✨ pic.twitter.com/s16cAtJlBo
— Dontavious Jackson5⃣ (@DCinco__5) February 13, 2015
After picking up an offer from Texas A&M on Friday, it's safe to say that Jackson is one of the most coveted linebacker prospects in the state -- he now holds over 25 offers.
High on Texas early in the process, the long delay in receiving his offer compared to other major programs could hurt the Horns moving forward, though it hasn't resulted in much negative movement in his 247Sports Crystal Ball:
Putting too much emphasis on testing results from his sophomore season probably isn't fair to Jackson, but does provide some perspective on where he was last spring -- at a Nike event, he ran a 5.11 40-yard dash, turned in a credible 4.35 20-yard shuttle, and posted a 29.6-inch vertical leap.
Consider that he was doing so at over 230 pounds and his position of inside linebacker and the 40 time becomes much less of a concern. Jackson also looks physical ready to play at the college level right now, still months away from his senior season.
Much like 2015 signee Cecil Cherry, Jackson has the good short-area quickness that his shuttle time suggests and plays fast enough to man the inside linebacker position at a high level in college. The big difference between the two is obviously their respective sizes -- Jackson has prototypical size for the position, while Cherry is built more like a fullback.
Despite the early affinity for Texas, there may be some question of fit for Jackson in the spread-dominated Big 12. He has some SEC options now with offers from Alabama and Texas A&M and could transition more easily to college if he could play with limited coverage responsibilities.
The violence with which he plays is extremely attractive, even if he's a drag-down tackler at times. There's also some evidence that he can use his hands to shed blocks and he's comfortable in traffic.
As the clear top inside linebacker in the state at this time, Jackson is an obvious take in a class that could only have two spots open for linebackers -- one for an inside player and one for an outside player like Manvel's Jordan Carmouche.
As a junior, he was massively productive with 165 tackles and 27 tackles for loss.