Does Texas or Texas A&M Need 5-Star LB Malik Jefferson More?

One of the most hotly contested recruitments in the 2015 cycle will come to an end later this week when 5-star linebacker Malik Jefferson announces his commitment. 

While schools such as Baylor, Oklahoma, LSU, TCU and UCLA are also in his final group, Jefferson’s final decision is likely to come down to bitter in-state rivals Texas and Texas A&M.

But which Lone Star State power needs the nation’s top outside linebacker prospect more? 

It depends on whose perspective you view it from, but both programs could use a potential game changer in the middle level of their defense.

For Charlie Strong and the Longhorns, landing Jefferson would be huge for a number of reasons.

For starters, according to Ourlads, the Longhorns' linebacker segment will be gutted due to graduation.

Plugging Jefferson into the lineup would give Strong’s defense an instant boost of athleticism and playmaking ability.

Strong has built his foundation as one of the nation’s top defensive minds, and he helped improve the Longhorns from 69th to 27th nationally in total defense in his first season, per CFBstats.com.

Jefferson could be a building block that helps him take the Longhorns defense to an elite level.

It also wouldn’t hurt to wrangle him away from Texas A&M, who has gained the upper hand on the recruiting trail in Texas since it has moved on to the SEC.

However, as well as Kevin Sumlin has recruited since he’s been in College Station, the Aggies are in desperate need of athletic bodies on defense if they hope to take the next step in becoming a contender in the toughest division in the country.

According to Bobby Burton of Horns247, part of Sumlin’s pitch to Jefferson is selling him on the idea that he’s the missing link that could turn the Aggies defense into a stout unit.

A quick glance at the Aggies since Sumlin’s arrival shows a squad that has performed among the nation’s elite offensively since he’s been in College Station.

However, their defense has regressed into the worst unit in the SEC and one of most porous units nationally.

Sumlin fired defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, but the Aggies have yet to fill that post. While that may seem like a deterrent for Jefferson, he listed a couple of other criteria that will play a critical role in his decision when speaking with Colt Barber of Horns247 (subscription required) earlier this year: “I want a great coach and great position coach as well. Basically, I want to be a true outside backer. That’s one of the big parts and is a big part of my game. That’s what I live and breathe. It doesn’t matter what scheme it is, but I just want to play outside linebacker." 

The fact that Aggies linebackers coach Mark Hagen, whom Burton noted has been active in Jefferson’s recruitment, is staying put mitigates the impact of not having a defensive coordinator in place.

The Aggies landed an instant impact defender last season in defensive end Myles Garrett, who was named to ESPN’s freshman All-American team.

Jefferson has the potential to make a similar impact wherever he lands next fall.

Texas A&M is closer to getting over the hump and becoming a national title contender, which makes landing a potential game-changing talent such as Jefferson a necessity.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. 

Follow @SanjayKirpalani