Texas Football Recruiting: Horns' Top Commits, Targets to Watch at The Opening

In less than a week, the most gifted high school football players in the country will gather in Beaverton, Oregon, for The Opening Finals, several of whom are high-profile targets for the Texas Longhorns.

Unfortunately, the Longhorns still have to work on flipping their most important recruits in attendance.

The closest thing college football has to a predraft combine, Nike's burgeoning event gives the nation's top recruits the opportunity to officially test and measure their abilities alongside some of the best coaches and evaluators in the business. Last year, it was the stage upon which Malik Jefferson broadcast his insane physical ability.

This time around, Shane Buechele will be the only commit in attendance for the quarterback-only Elite 11 Finals. That's a testament to Buechele's talent and great news for Texas' future at the position.

Where things turn a little sour is the amount of Texas offers in attendance who don't appear to be future Longhorns. Of that group, the Horns have at least an outside shot with 17, a few of whom remain top priorities despite being committed to other programs.

Buechele's performance is a must-follow for the Longhorns faithful, but the performances of targets like Dontavious Jackson and Devin Duvernay will be just as interesting.

Player	Position	Rating	Crystal Ball
Ed Oliver	DT	*****	Committed to Houston
Brandon Jones	S	*****	Texas A&M
Kaden Smith	TE	*****	Committed to Stanford
Eric Monroe	S	****	Committed to LSU
Devin Duvernay	WR	****	Texas
Deontay Anderson	S	****	Texas A&M
McTelvin Agim	DE	****	Arkansas
Kendell Jones	DT	****	Committed to Alabama
Erick Fowler	DE	****	Committed to LSU
Jeffery McCulloch	OLB	****	Texas
Tren'Davian Dickson	WR	****	Texas A&M
Dontavious Jackson	ILB	****	Texas
Mark Jackson	DE	****	Committed to Texas A&M
Michael Eletise	OG	****	Washington
Shane Buechele	QB	****	Committed to Texas
Christian Wallace	RB	****	Texas
Devin Bush	ILB	****	Florida State
Austin Myers	OT	****	Committed to TCU
Eric Cuffee	CB	****	TCU

Commit to Watch

As he is Texas' lone commit at the event, Longhorns fans should be paying close attention to Buechele no matter what. But his arm talent is going to have even non-Texas fans talking by the end of the weekend.

Unlike current quarterbacks Tyrone Swoopes, Jerrod Heard and Kai Locksley, who were projects as passers during their recruitments, Buechele is a pure slinger. He can throw deep, he knows how to put touch on the ball and he's smart with where he puts it.

Colt McCoy comparisons are starting to pile up for Buechele, and it's easy to see why. He's a tad undersized but has plus athleticism to extend plays and the arm talent to get the ball wherever it needs to go.

With what he's accomplished so far, Buechele could end up being the most impressive quarterback in attendance. At the least, he should get some guys excited to play with him at the next level.

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Uncommitted Targets to Watch

Chances are that we won't see a Malik Jefferson type of performance from a future Texas player, especially with Ed Oliver committed to Houston. What the current Longhorns freshman did last year was incredible, even by NFL standards.

However, there are plenty of intriguing athletes who are high on Texas' wish list, starting with Dontavious Jackson.

Jackson isn't the highest-rated player at the event, but his list of 57 offers would stand up to that of any 5-star guy in attendance. If he runs anything in the 4.5-second range at his size (6'2", 239 lbs), the Texas lean should bump up a star and see his recruitment hit the stratosphere. His performance will be as much about the spectacle for Longhorns fans as it will be about possibly seeing a future three-year starter.

The next guy to watch is safety Brandon Jones, who's a must-get with Eric Monroe off to LSU. Jones isn't the physical talent that Jackson is, but there are few holes in his game, as he could easily end up at free safety or nickel corner for the Longhorns.

On the defensive side of the ball, these two recruits, who are there for the taking, would define this class.

As for the offensive targets in attendance, all eyes should be on receivers Devin Duvernay and Tren'Davian Dickson. Both have devastating speed, with Duvernay ripping off a 10.27-second time to win the state championship in the 100-meter dash. Dickson's no slouch, either, setting the national record with 39 touchdowns last season.

Both of these players would contribute immediately, adding an explosive element that Texas' attack sorely needs. Duvernay looks like the better bet at this point, but both recruitments should drag on into their senior seasons.

Lastly, fans will want to pay attention to athlete Christian Wallace. He's a complete mystery at 6'2", 211 pounds, with the potential to fill needs at running back, linebacker or safety. He's long been tied to Texas, and his performance would add some clarity to his eventual position.

Potential Flips to Watch

It's all about the trenches for Texas in this cycle, as the Horns have yet to get an impact player on either side of the ball.

Regardless of position, defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Kendell Jones will be two of the most impressive physical specimens at this event. Jones is an insane 361 pounds of sheer mass who will be impossible to move at the collegiate level, and Oliver's 100-yard fumble return last season tells the story there:

Of the two, Jones is the most gettable for Texas. He was a Longhorns lean for almost all of his recruitment before Alabama's late surge, and everyone knows that head coach Charlie Strong will pursue his prized targets until the bitter end.

No matter what, both Jones' and Oliver's testing numbers should be appalling.

The more pressing need is along the offensive line, where the Horns' only somewhat-available targets are Michael Eletise and Austin Myers. Eletise's recruitment is still open, but he's almost guaranteed to end up on the West Coast, coming from Hawaii.

On the other hand, Myers continues to pile up offers from big programs, which could persuade him to at least take some visits. Rating him as a 4-star recruit, 247Sports likes Myers a lot better than the rest of the services do (Rivals.com rates him as a 3-star recruit), so it will be interesting to see if he can up his stock in Beaverton.

With so few in-state tackles left, he's going to get the full-court press from Texas regardless of what he does.

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