5 2016 Recruits Charlie Strong Must Land If He Wants to Turn Texas Around

As it turns out, yes, Texas head coach Charlie Strong can recruit well in-state.  

Texas' 2015 class was defense-heavy and included the No. 1 overall player in the state of Texas, linebacker Malik Jefferson, whereas the '14 class was a patchwork group assembled by Strong and his staff this month with a more personal stamp on it. According to 247Sports composite rankings, the Longhorns had the No. 10 class nationally. 

But as with anything in football, complacency is a killer. That's why Strong is Texas' coach, not Mack Brown. 

The Texas coaching staff is already looking at the '16 class. Which key players does Strong need to get for next February?

Five of them are listed over the following slides.

Defensive Tackle Kendell Jones

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There's a good chance the '16 class will shape up similarly to the one before it. As far as strength goes, the Longhorns are stockpiling defensive talent. 

One of the prize recruits Texas would want to grab is 4-star defensive tackle Kendell Jones. He's your classic big man in the middle of the line at 6'4" and 315 pounds.

While comparisons are always dangerous, the Horns lost easily their best defensive player to the draft in defensive tackle Malcom Brown. Like Jones, Brown is a big, athletic force in the trenches. Brown's value came from the fact that he did more than eat up blocks for others; he also led the team in sacks and tackles for loss.

Ideally, Strong would love to have a future Brown, if you will. As a top-10 player in the state of Texas, Jones would be a huge get for Texas.

Safety Deontay Anderson

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To be honest, Deontay Anderson isn't the sole focus here; Texas is targeting a few blue-chip defensive backs. 

Texas landed two top corners in Holton Hill and Kris Boyd in the '15 class. Don't be surprised to see Strong and Co. go after safeties for next February. That's where Anderson comes in. 

However, Texas could try to grab Anderson or fellow 5-star safety Brandon Jones. It could land both, neither or someone else. The goal for Strong is to build up the secondary. 

Anderson and Jones are both leaning toward Texas A&M, so this would be another in-state battle in which Strong has to overcome pre-existing relationships and make a hard run.

Offensive Lineman JP Urquidez

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The Longhorns did a nice job of not only landing several offensive line prospects in the '15 class, but also in getting some of those recruits to enroll early in order to participate in spring practices. As a result, O-line isn't a huge need for 2016. 

That's a good thing. The '16 offensive line class—at least in the state of Texas—isn't particularly strong. Right now, the junior college ranks aren't full of prospects, either, so it's not like Strong has a great feel for immediate help. 

But if there's one O-line recruit who would be a great pickup for the Horns, it's JP Urquidez out of Copperas Cove. The 4-star, who stands at 6'6" and 299 pounds, is strongly considering Baylor and several other blue-blooded programs. 

Texas has struggled with developing offensive linemen in recent years. Though the '15 class should, at least in theory, be the group that changes that narrative, Urquidez would be a strong in-state pickup for the next class.

Dual-Threat Quarterback Shane Buechele

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Stockpiling quarterbacks is not a bad thing for Texas. The reality is that the Longhorns don't yet know if their future face of the team is on the roster or not.

But as Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News tweeted on signing day, the only way to find out is to keep adding bodies. 

Shane Buechele, a 4-star dual-threat quarterback from Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, seems like a decent fit for Texas' new spread offense. He's also a two-sport athlete in football and baseball, with bloodlines that could take him out-of-state to Stanford or Oklahoma. 

Buechele isn't the biggest kid for the position—he's listed at 6'2" and 185 pounds on his 247Sports profile—but has nice mobility and can make throws on the move. Being a statue didn't work for Texas' offense in 2014, and the program looks to be drifting away from that style. 

Another quarterback Texas could pursue strongly is 4-star pro-style quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who tweeted this week, "Need to go to Austin asap."

Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Erick Fowler

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When Texas landed 5-star linebacker Malik Jefferson for the '15 class, it got one of the best edge-rushers out there. The Horns could fill that need even more in the '16 class with defensive end/outside linebacker Erick Fowler. 

At 6'3" and 210 pounds, Fowler is built similarly to Jefferson and could project as a linebacker at the college level. Still, getting an edge-rusher would be a huge win for the '16 class, especially because it would keep a local kid home (Fowler hails from the Austin suburb of Manor). 

Texas led the Big 12 with 40 sacks in 2014, but only one linebacker, Steve Edmond, ranked among the top six on the team in that category.  

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.