Texas Longhorns Football Recruiting: 3 Things Missing from the 2012 Class

Currently projected as the second-rated class in the country according to ESPN, the Texas Longhorns once again are on the verge of having an amazing recruiting class come to the 40 acres in 2012.

Led by two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year Johnathan Gray, the Longhorns already have 24 total commitments, two of which are rated as 5-star players.

So with this stockpile of talent coming in and with National Signing Day only a few weeks away, what’s missing from the Longhorns 2012 class?

Another Wide Receiver

With the inexperience of David Ash and all of the other young quarterbacks currently on the Longhorns roster, they need as many talented receivers as possible.

The Longhorns have a decent corps of receivers right now, with Jaxon Shipley doing a lot early on and Darius White and Marquise Goodwin showing flashes of potential, but none of them have been consistent standouts throughout the season.

With Thomas Johnson, the top wide receiver prospect in Texas, recently choosing not to be a Longhorn, the Longhorns only have Cayleb Jones and Thomas Johnson coming to campus in 2012.

This problem can be solved very quickly by adding standout wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.

Rated as a 5-star recruit and the third best player available as per the ESPN 150, Beckham is an explosive player that’s broken many high school records and shows the potential of players like Justin Blackmon and Michael Crabtree.

The Longhorns are on Green’s list of schools he is considering, and if they can find a way to sign him, life will be a lot easier for the Longhorns’ offense.

An Offensive Tackle

Given the shift to the new rugged-style offense that Mack Brown is running, the more force the Longhorns can acquire on their offensive line the better.

There figures to be a lot of running mixed into the Texas game plan over the next several years since the Longhorns now have a trio of young, talented backs, including Joe Bergeron, Malcolm Brown and incoming freshman Johnathan Gray.

The Longhorns can fill this need by going after offensive tackle Arik Armstead.

Armstead is a California native who is the 15th best high school player available, according to ESPN.

ESPN scouts say that with his wide frame and big size, he has the potential to make an immediate impact.

The Longhorns are already relatively young on their line, so bringing in more talent will only create further competition and motivate everyone to compete even more fiercely.

A Tight End

The Longhorns don’t have a single tight end signed in their 2012 class.

Fifth-year senior tight end Blaine Irby, who played three seasons for the Longhorns and in all 12 games last season, did not put up great numbers by any stretch, but his veteran presence, strong blocking ability and voice in the locker room will be missed.

Given the scheme that Texas runs, the tight end can play a crucial role and open up many opportunities for other players.

All of the good tight end prospects seemed to have already committed to other schools, and the Longhorns would have been forced to work with what they already have, but they may be catching a break.

According to Orangebloods, highly-rated tight end prospect Christo Kourtzidis will visit Texas soon.

Kourtzidis has committed to Florida State, but he is considering his other options.

He is a big 240-pound player who is very versatile and can serve as a good pass blocker as well as a receiving threat, both of which are things that the Longhorns are in need of.