Texas Football: Holiday Wish List for the Longhorns

Christmas came early for Charlie Strong and the Texas Longhorns. The first-year head coach landed the nation's No. 1 linebacker and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Texas when 5-star Malik Jefferson announced his commitment to the Longhorns last week. 

Strong received an added bonus when Jefferson's high school teammate DeAndre McNeal also announced he would be attending Texas at the end of his senior year.

Having Jefferson and McNeal commit to the Longhorns was a huge step for the football program and has given Texas momentum as it prepares to sign Strong's first true recruiting class.

With the No. 1 and No. 2 checked off of the list, let's take a look at the remaining items on the Longhorns' holiday wish list.

Continue Recruiting Momentum

Credit: 247 Sports

Jefferson and McNeal's commitments were exactly what the Longhorns needed to build some sort of momentum in recruiting.

Texas had significantly fallen behind in-state rival Texas A&M and appeared to have missed out on some of the state's elite talent in the 2015 recruiting class.

But Jefferson and McNeal's announcement has helped Strong make up for lost time. Soon after the duo's commitment, 4-star defensive tackle prospect Daylon Mack took to Twitter to announce his decommitment from the Aggies.

Although Mack has since named LSU and TCU as his top two schools, the 4-star plans to take an official visit to Texas on Jan. 23, according to Mike Farrell of Rivals.com.

But Mack is only one of the remaining targets on the Longhorns' wish list. Another is 4-star wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge.

The Cedar Hill prospect is expected to take an official visit to Texas, according to Orangebloods.com.

The Longhorns getting Mack and Lodge to campus is big for Texas. Signing either of them would be huge for continued recruiting momentum.

Sign Kris Boyd

Credit: 247 Sports

Sticking with the recruiting momentum, the Longhorns are also in the running for 4-star 2015 defensive back Kris Boyd and his 2016 linebacker brother DeMarco Boyd. Kris Boyd announced on Twitter that he would be revealing his commitment on Christmas Day.

The Boyd brothers attended the Longhorns' upset win over then-No. 23 West Virginia in November and were accompanied by their cousin, former Texas cornerback and NFL player Curtis Brown.

The elder Boyd tweeted that the game-day atmosphere left him "speechless," but the Longhorns recently landing Jefferson could have been exactly what Texas needed to get a commitment from the brothers.

Longhorn fans could get a Christmas present from Kris Boyd when he announces his decision Dec. 25.

Upset Arkansas in the Advocare Texas Bowl

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Do you know what else helps build momentum for a football program? Winning.

Texas will face 6-6 Arkansas in the Advocare Texas Bowl, and the Longhorns desperately need to get a win over an SEC opponent to give the team momentum for 2015.

Do not let the Razorbacks' record fool you; the game will not be an easy win for the Longhorns.

Arkansas has one of the largest offensive lines in college football, and the Razorbacks' ground game features two 1,000-yard running backs. The O-line has the strength and size to put opposing defenses on their behinds and take control of the game.

The Longhorns defense is the reason why Texas is bowl-eligible, but the front seven will be put to the test when facing the Razorbacks' solid offense.

It is going to take a complete game plan for the Longhorns to leave the Advocare Texas Bowl with a win.

Develop Young Talent on the Roster

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One of the biggest areas of concern for the Longhorns is at the quarterback position. Sophomore Tyrone Swoopes led the Texas offense this season, but his struggles on the field have caused the quarterback competition to heat up heading into 2015.

Making it to a bowl game was a big deal for Texas, not only to save the Longhorns' season, but also for the additional practices for the team.

The Texas coaches will more than likely use these extra practices to their advantage to game-plan for Arkansas and help develop some of the younger, more inexperienced players before the season ends.

All eyes will be on the development of true freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard.

The quarterback was a stud in high school and has spent his first season on the sidelines attempting to adjust to the college game. The additional practices can only help Heard's development.

But it doesn't end with Heard.

The Longhorns will likely lose six starters on defense and three starters on offense. The extra practice time will be welcomed with open arms for the players who will be competing for a starting role on both sides of the ball.

The development of the younger players could only help the Longhorns' future and lead to a much smaller drop-off in experience for the 2015 season.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Recruiting information via Rivals.com.

Taylor Gaspar is Bleacher Report's featured columnist covering the Texas Longhorns. Follow Taylor on Twitter: @Taylor_Gaspar.