Texas Football: Position-by-Position Grades for 2015 Recruiting Class

Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong and his staff did more than put together a national-level recruiting class. They landed one that addressed every need, and this team will be much better for it in 2015.

The Longhorns lost 10 starters from their 2014 squad. Without an experienced quarterback, they will struggle to improve much on Strong's 6-7 record in his debut season.

For Texas to have any chance of achieving that, the staff had to turn in one of the nation's better recruiting classes this spring. They responded by pulling in a top-10 class, bringing in at least one 4-star recruit from every position group except the defensive line.

Even there, they landed a JUCO prospect who will slide directly into the starting lineup.

Overall, every single positional need was addressed with this class.

Quarterback: B

Texas' top-10 recruiting class could have been top-five had it landed Kyler Murray. Even with the 5-star quarterback opting for Texas A&M, the Longhorns still did pretty well.

The Longhorns rebounded from losing Zach Gentry to Michigan by flipping Maryland native Kai Locksley from Florida State. He's a better athlete than anything at this stage, but he provides an upgrade over Gentry because of his ability to run a more tempo-oriented system that he discussed with Horns Digest's Chip Brown.

"(QB coach Shawn Watson) explained to me that it would be the same stuff they were running," Locksley said. "But now it would be up-tempo and get things going a lot faster and quicker. So, it’s less of the quarterback having to decipher what’s going on with the defense at the line, and just kind of playing fast."

The son of Maryland play-caller Mike Locksley, the 4-star recruit should pick up this attack fairly quickly and provide some insurance if disaster strikes with Jerrod Heard and Tyrone Swoopes. At worst, the smooth 6'3" athlete can make a nice transition to receiver.

Texas also managed to reel in grayshirt Matthew Merrick, and the Irving product could end up receiving a scholarship in the future. He'll be interesting to watch as a development prospect with moldable attributes.

Running Back: A

The Longhorns needed a power back to replace Malcolm Brown. They got one and then some for their backfield of the future.

At 6'2", 240 pounds, Chris Warren has the inside track to the between-the-tackles work alongside senior Johnathan Gray. More than just a pounder thanks to 4.62 speed, the imposing athlete has the upside to become a full-blown feature back before his time is done.

Behind him, classmates Kirk Johnson and Tristian Houston will battle for Gray's role once the lead runner graduates.

Houston has real speed, but Johnson's upside is the real treat here. The Oakland NFTC's SPARQ MVP brings size, speed and receiving ability, making him possibly the best all-around back Texas has taken in quite some time.

The Longhorns addressed immediate need with Warren while adding real talent to develop for the future. This was quietly some great work by Strong and his staff.

Wide Receiver and Tight End: A

John Harris, Jaxon Shipley and Geoff Swaim all graduated, leaving Texas without its two leading receivers and starting tight end from last season. This 2015 class has plenty of potential replacements.

Receiver John Burt and tight end Devonaire Clarington lead this class as two plus-sized targets who have a lot of big plays in their future. Burt will slide nicely in for the departed Harris as a physical outside receiver, while Clarington brings playmaking ability Texas hasn't seen from a tight end since 2007.

As far as jumbo receivers go, these two are far from alone. Late riser DeAndre McNeal is remarkably quick for a 228-pounder, and he is capable of playing any receiving position at that size.

Then there's Gilbert Johnson, another towering wideout with serious potential once he learns the game.

The one guy who doesn't fit the mold is 5'8" Ryan Newsome, who will make an instant impact on offense and special teams. As one ESPN scout put it, "This is an explosive, sudden, speedy and electrifying prospect in every facet of the game."

The Horns got everything they needed from this group, and only DaMarkus Lodge could have earned the effort here an A-plus.

Offensive Line: B+

Finishing without an elite tackle like Toby Weathersby costs Texas a top mark for its effort up front. Still, the Horns got the depth they needed and ended up with one of the nation's real steals of the cycle.

The offensive line was a disaster in 2014, prompting the staff to go get JUCO tackles Brandon Hodges and Tristan Nickelson. 247Sports' Jeff Howe sees Hodges as a starter next season and reports that Iowa State offensive coordinator Mark Mangino really liked Nickelson's long-term future at the position.

Howe also likes early enrollee Connor Williams to claim a spot, which would represent a home-run signing for the Horns. The former tight end wasted little time impressing Strong, who offered rave reviews on national signing day, per TexasSports.com:

"

You look at Connor [Williams], a big body that's very athletic that's played tight end. We're going to look at him at the tackle position. He's going to put on some weight. Right now, he's at 285 and doesn't even look it.  With an offensive lineman, if you get a tight end or defensive lineman, you know they have a lot of skill and are very athletic.

"

That said, this is mostly speculation until we get into spring ball. But with another potential starter in Patrick Vahe also in the class, it's hard to call this haul anything less than a true success.

Defensive Line: B-

Quincy Vasser will be Texas' only impact recruit along the defensive line, where the Horns will rely on their incumbents to step up while the other freshmen develop.

A JUCO transfer, Vasser will battle Shiro Davis for the strong-side defensive end spot. Davis has never been able to maximize his potential, so Vasser should be among the most important defenders on this team as a 5-technique capable of lining up inside, according to 247Sports' Colt Barber.

With Vasser filling that role, Texas has enough depth to allow raw prospects Du'Vonta Lampkin, Breckyn Hager and Charles Omenihu to develop. Both are redshirt candidates who could make an impact in 2016.

It would have been nice to replace probable first-rounder Malcom Brown with a 5-star like Daylon Mack, but missing out on him doesn't break this class.

Linebacker: A+

Any way you look at it, Texas killed it at linebacker this spring.

Landing Malik Jefferson changed the entire complexion of this class. The 5-star linebacker gave the Horns a much-needed replacement for leading tackler Jordan Hicks. He also gave them a leader whom other recruits could rally around. 

It worked to perfection, as Jefferson has already enrolled and helped pull Texas' last 11 recruits.

"

Hardly a shocking development here, but I'm told that Texas LB Malik Jefferson is tearing it up in team workouts. Dude's a freak. #longhorns

— Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) February 2, 2015"

One of those 11 recruits was Anthony Wheeler, the second-highest-rated player in the class. Like Jefferson, he's already built like a tank with plenty of speed to play all three downs. He could end up at defensive end just as easily as middle or outside linebacker.

Cameron Townsend and Cecil Cherry round out the class, and neither should be considered mere fillers.

Defensive Back: A

As noted by SB Nation's Wescott Eberts, the Longhorns hit a wall when it came to plucking the state's best defensive backs. Strong and his staff fixed that just in time.

Down Quandre Diggs and Mykkele Thompson, Texas needed defensive backs who could hit and cover at the collegiate level immediately in 2015. Otherwise, there was a real chance the Horns could field a woeful secondary in one of the country's most pass-oriented conferences.

Texas responded by landing Holton Hill, Kris Boyd and Davante Davis at corner to go with safeties DeShon Elliott and PJ Locke. 

As top-100 prospects, Hill and Boyd will play immediately in coverage. The 6'2" Hill can smother opposing receivers with his long frame, while Boyd has physical talents reminiscent of a bigger Diggs.

Elliott and Locke also have a chance to contribute early because of the lack of depth. The former is almost a lock as an absolute punisher with some coverage skills. Locke, on the other hand, brings a skill set that would set up well for the nickel role, where he will compete with Boyd for playing time.

Only Davis should be viewed as a developmental project, and he's a good one at 6'3". 

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