Malik Jefferson to Texas: Longhorns Land 5-Star LB Prospect

Malik Jefferson, who is the No. 1-ranked outside linebacker in the class of 2015 in 247Sports' composite rankings, bolstered the Texas Longhorns' crop of recruits by announcing his commitment to play in Austin.

ESPN's Damon Sayles reported the news when Jefferson decided on Friday:

The pride of Dr. Ralph Poteet High School (Mesquite, Texas) had offers from a myriad of big-time programs, but in the end the 5-star Jefferson wound up deciding on Texas. With that massive decision made, now he can focus on preparing himself for the collegiate level and the greatness that seems destined to follow.

Jefferson is listed at 6'2.5" and 215 pounds on his 247Sports profile, and his freakish athleticism allows him to make impact plays all over the field.

At the 2014 Nike Football Training Camp in Dallas, Jefferson won the linebacker MVP and was among the top athletes in SPARQ rating, which combines the 40-yard dash, agility testing, kneeling power ball toss and the vertical jump (h/t Nike.com).

Former professional scout Wescott Eberts provided context for those numbers:

Jefferson ran a 4.56-second 40, ran a 4.40-second 20-yard shuttle, had a 35.8-inch vertical leap and had a 38-foot power throw, per ESPN.com.

That all backed up a strong junior campaign that featured 105 tackles (24 for loss) and seven sacks, per EJ Holland of TexasFootball.com. In that report, the young prospect spoke about his excitement regarding his senior season in Mesquite:

"

We’re going to be good. Honestly, it’s all on us seniors. We all have to take leadership roles. We have a lot of young guys, so we kind of have to be there for them like dads. We’re young, but we’re going to have some experienced linebackers, so we won’t be too shabby.

"

It is positive for Jefferson's image to exude an air of leadership about him, but that has to be easier to do when he's dominating the competition to the extent that he is in such a strong high school football state. Now Jefferson will get a shot to perform on an even bigger stage, with all signs pointing to him succeeding.

Nothing Jefferson did as a senior diminished the immense hype he's deservedly garnered, and now it's up to Texas to get the most out of his incredible potential.

While he does leave something to be desired in terms of tackling properly, that often doesn't matter since Jefferson is always in such good position to make plays. That can be coached in college, and when he gets it corrected, it's exciting to project how great Jefferson could be.

What stands out most about Jefferson on tape is his acceleration and agility off the edge. That allows him to be both an effective bull-rusher and also play bigger than his frame.

Jefferson has excellent closing speed and does a good job of manipulating blockers, setting the edge to string out running plays to the perimeter. Rarely does he let a ball-carrier slip through his grasp.

The floor doesn't seem low at all for Jefferson, and his ceiling seems borderline limitless. He figures to put on 15 pounds or so at least when he starts to really focus on the weight room in college, so Jefferson should get bigger and stronger without sacrificing any of his sensational speed.

Even if he is brought along slowly, there is reason to believe Jefferson will see the field as a true freshman. His quickness and knack for delivering a big hit can fire up his teammates, and he can be a dynamic player in special teams coverage at the very least. More likely, he will work his way into the linebacker rotation and perhaps even as a situational blitzer or pass-rusher off the edge.

But with how well Jefferson plays versus the run, the Longhorns will be hard-pressed to keep him off the gridiron. Jefferson is just that good, and should eventually prove that at Texas since there are few flaws in his game and he has the natural instincts to continue shining as a linebacker for years to come.