Texas Football: 5 Studs Longhorn Fans Should Be Raving About

Spring football is just getting into the swing of things, as the Texas Longhorns increasingly like their chances going into next fall.

Mack Brown has brought in yet another great recruiting class, so most fans are eager to see who will be taking the field in that beautiful burnt orange in 2012. 

Here are five young players who are poised to have phenomenal years in 2012 for the Longhorns. 

Malcolm Brown

After a successful true freshman campaign, Malcolm Brown looks to be even better in 2012. He adapted quickly to the college game, rushing for a team-high 742 yards in 2011, after being a 5-star recruit from the San Antonio area.

Brown may split time with 2012 5-star recruit Jonathan Gray out of the backfield, as both of them combined should make one of the more exciting young running back duos in the country. 

Joe Bergeron was also a great contributor last year, as Texas should rely on the running game to grind out tough games in 2012. 

Jaxon Shipley

Shipley had a great freshman year, hauling in 44 catches for three touchdowns. He also spent some time throwing the ball on trick plays, going 4-4 with three touchdown passes during the 2011 season. With his big play ability, clearly Shipley is the total package. 

If he can continue this type of play, he will quickly make Longhorns fans forget the legacy left by his older brother Jordan. He missed three games in 2011 with a knee injury, so a full season at 100 percent would increase his stock as the Longhorns' No. 1 option. 

He and Mike Davis—along with Marquise Goodwin—are all deep threats who can stretch the field to help out their quarterback, whoever ends up being under center. 

Jackson Jeffcoat

A former 5-star recruit from the 2010 class, Jeffcoat really started to come into his own towards the end of last season, getting two sacks in the Holiday Bowl against California and finishing the season with eight total sacks an 17 tackles for loss. 

Jeffcoat fits the mold for the outside linebacker/defensive end role that the Longhorns frequently utilize. He will be the next great 'Horns pass-rusher, following in the footsteps of Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle. 

"Fast" and "athletic" are two bullet points that usually fall under the "Texas Defense" title, and Jeffcoat has both of those characteristics and more. 

Marquise Goodwin

Goodwin is a two-sport athlete, and football has fallen by the wayside recently. He is a track star who has been recently spending time preparing to compete in the long jump at the Summer Olympics. 

He may not be seeing time in spring practice and hasn't quite lived up to expectations on the football field, but should have a nice senior season regardless of who is under center. He caught an 80-yard touchdown last season and is touted as the Longhorns' best deep threat. 

Once the track and field work is done and he is only focused on football, Goodwin will have a great season in Austin. 

Steve Edmond

Edmond should fill in nicely at the middle linebacker position vacated by the departure of standout Keenan Robinson. He is big (260 pounds) and fast, just what defensive coordinator Manny Diaz looks for in linebackers.

One of the great recruits in the 2011 class, Edmond only had 16 tackles in his true freshman season. He should see plenty of playing time this fall to build on those numbers. 

Him and fellow sophomore Kendall Thompson should have great seasons this fall.