Texas Football: Blueprint to Perfect National Signing Day for the Longhorns

Kyler Murray has reaffirmed his pledge to Texas A&M, taking the air out of what was shaping up to be a monumental signing day for the Texas Longhorns.

That said, there's still plenty of talent that Charlie Strong can use to polish off his first full recruiting class.

Since Malik Jefferson committed on December 19, the recruiting trail has been more like a runway for the Longhorns. Seven of their 24 commits have joined the class since the pledge of the 5-star linebacker, vaulting the Horns to No. 12 in the national rankings.

Losing Murray hurts in a lot of ways, costing the Horns some much-needed competition at quarterback and all but removing receiver DaMarkus Lodge from the equation. 

Now Texas has to ride the momentum it has generated with Jefferson to seal the deal with two top cornerbacks and Daylon Mack to round out its defensive needs. On offense, it will be about Soso Jamabo and Kai Locksley.

Seal the Deal with Boyd, Hill

Holton Hill and Kris Boyd, the second- and third-ranked cornerbacks in Texas, will announce their decisions on Friday. Pulling off the perfect finish to this class starts with them.

It sounds like all or nothing with these two, and Texas should feel good about that. Both players have long been considered favorites to don the burnt orange, and their Crystal Ball predictions have trended up even in the wake of a visit to Texas A&M.

If it pans out, the commitment of these two players would be among the most important in the class. Duke Thomas is the only returning starter at the position, and he's hardly been a shutdown corner over his career.

SB Nation's Wescott Eberts sees both Boyd and Hill as excellent fits for Strong's coverage scheme, meaning both will get a chance to contribute immediately. Otherwise, the Horns will have to roll with 3-star guys like current commit Davante Davis and current Georgia commit Deandre Baker.

Judging by the Twitter behavior of Boyd's brother Demarco, Strong will get his wish with these two.

Finally Pluck Daylon Mack

A former Aggie commit, Daylon Mack has been tough to peg as his recruitment has wound down. His eventual decision will depend on what happens around him, but he's as close to being a Longhorn as ever.

Built like a one-story house, Mack is the second-ranked recruit in the state and the fourth-ranked defensive tackle in the nation. As his 6'0", 330-pound frame suggests, he has great playing strength, setting himself apart with surprising quickness and a high motor.

Now Texas, TCU and Texas A&M are battling for his services in the trenches. The Horned Frogs were his declared leaders a month ago, but he has canceled his visit this weekend on the heels of a visit to Austin.

Even after a visit from the TCU and A&M staffs, Texas' recruitment of Jefferson put the Horns in the lead as the process winds down. Now that Murray has solidified his pledge, it's closer to a coin flip.

The real question here is whether Mack would rather have Jefferson at his back or Murray turning his stops into points. Per Eberts, the feeling is that he would prefer the former, which would be a great get for Texas.

Scoop Up Soso Jamabo (Plus One)

Top running back Soso Jamabo started out as a no-brainer Texas commit, then distanced himself from the program as the Mack Brown era came to an end. Now the Horns are back in it, and they need to do whatever they can to secure their feature back of the future.

Powerful, fast and agile with soft hands (and an awesome sense of humor), college coaches are going to have a hard time keeping Jamabo on the sideline. The ball just belongs in his hands, even if that means a transition to receiver should he prove too tall for the backfield.

Texas will do its best to take either Chris Warren or Nick Brossette in addition to Jamabo, but it's obvious the 5-star back holds the highest priority. All three have the talent for an early role, so the Horns can't lose if they get one.

Warren will likely commit regardless, and Jamabo keeps trending Texas' way as well, where Eberts figures he will still land. With Kirk Johnson already in the fold, the addition of either player would give the Horns quite the backfield.

Go Get Kai Locksley

Regardless of where they think he fits, the coaches need to roll out the red carpet for Kai Locksley.

Zach Gentry has moved on to Michigan, leaving grayshirt Matthew Merrick as the only quarterback in the class. With only two quarterbacks on scholarship this spring, the Horns have to grab who they can before exploring transfer options.

Add in Texas' need for another receiver with Lodge off the board, and Locksley makes too much sense.

An athlete through and through, the 6'4" prospect has the athleticism to easily flip to receiver (per ESPN), along with some solid upside as a passer. He would require a redshirt before he ever took a snap, but his ability to make the switch makes him too good to pass up.

Because he's almost guaranteed a first look at quarterback, Texas has a great shot at pulling him in with the consolation that he can fill another position if it doesn't work out.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com and 247Sports.com.