Texas Football: Charlie Strong's Recruiting Is Proof He Belongs at Texas

Through his core values and persistent approach, Charlie Strong has set the foundation for Texas' future and proven he belongs as the Longhorns' head coach.

The Horns came out of national signing day with the nation's No. 11 class, which was tops in the Big 12. Led by 5-star linebacker Malik Jefferson, the 29 signees include 10 of the country's Top247 players along with some lesser-known talents with plenty of upside.

It's not quite the dream finish Strong had almost pulled off with Kyler Murray, Daylon Mack, Soso Jamabo and DaMarkus Lodge. But the Horns filled every need, per SB Nation's Wescott Eberts, and did so in spite of a dreadful finish to the 2014 season.

The credit for the recruiting resurgence goes to Strong, and his unusual list of demands that drew so much public criticism.

Less than three months after booting that ninth player, Strong rode those same core values to the commitment of Jefferson, the state's top player. As Jefferson told WFAA's David McNabb, it was Strong's firm hand that made the difference in his recruitment.

"Charlie Strong is a guy of discipline," Jefferson said. "He has the same core values as my father. The same core values of my (Poteet) coaches. He's a pretty good fit for what the guy is and what he is about and I love and respect him for that."

Once Jefferson bought in, the Longhorns had the face of their program for the foreseeable future. In turn, they unleashed him on everyone they could get to campus, as Strong said on Wednesday:

"

I made the statement earlier in December, I said that anytime you're in a recruiting process, there's got to be a player, there's got to be a marquee player – that was Malik Jefferson for us. When he got on board, it got us started. With him getting the program jumpstarted, he was able to sell the program. There were recruits that were kind of sitting on the fence, and then when they saw Malik jump on board, some of them jumped on board. Then the ones that were not trying to make a decision on where they wanted to go, he was able to sell the program.

"

From there, the rest of the class took form with 12 more recruits following the elite linebacker's lead, including top cornerback Holton Hill.

But beyond the values around which he has molded his approach, Strong has recruited right down to the wire. As explained by Eberts, Texas' head coach has been relentless in his pursuit of his prized recruits, yielding results unheard of under Mack Brown.

Chris Warren, Ryan Newsome and PJ Locke join 2014 signees Poona Ford and Chris Nelson as recruits Strong has pulled on signing day. Under Brown, only defensive end Shiro Davis waited until the bitter end to make an official pledge to Texas.

A few days before, Strong was working to secure commits from John Burt, Hill, Kris Boyd and Kai Locksley. All three ended up signing, with Burt, Hill and Boyd ready to contribute immediately, while Locksley adds quarterback depth.

Even the failed attempt to land the likes of Murray, Mack, Jamabo and Lodge should excite Longhorn fans. The Horns had no business getting the state's best quarterback and receiver on campus, and they were in serious contention with all four until the end according to 247Sports' Bobby Burton.

So, along with the ratings, rankings and sheer number of commits, let's look at the hustle stats for Strong and his staff. 

Of the 29 signees, eight were flipped from other programs, nine come from another state, six committed within the final week of the cycle and one recommitted. Just as important is that only Jamile Johnson left the class in the week leading up to signing day.

Down 10 starters, including each of its All-Big 12 performers, Texas will be in rebuilding mode next season. The Longhorns are going to be young, and they just won't have the experience necessary to win a conference title.

That said, this team will play hard for its head coach, just like it did in 2014. 

So long as that holds true, Strong's work on the recruiting trail proves he and his core values belong at Texas.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com and 247Sports.com.