Texas Football: Players to Watch in High School All-American Games

Saturday marks the first high school All-American game of the year, bringing with it the beginning of the wild push toward national signing day.

As Longhorn fans know, it's also time for the Texas coaches to make some headway with targets who will be playing in these games.

The high school all-star season begins on Jan. 2 with the Under Armour All-America Game, with the Semper Fi and U.S. Army editions following shortly thereafter. Denzel Okafor and Andrew Fitzgerald are the only Longhorn commits participating in these games, so Texas fans can focus on the targets who will have the coaches' full attention.

247Sports' EJ Holland has done a great job of breaking down the 27 players of interest to Texas in these games. There's no doubt the Horns' 48th-ranked class would take just about any of them, but these five are particularly important targets to watch down the stretch.

1. OT Jean Delance

Texas desperately needs an elite offensive lineman in this class, and Jean Delance is its best chance of grabbing one.

Texas has been the assumed favorite for Delance since he decommitted from Oklahoma in March. But for whatever reason, the Longhorns staff has never been able to make it happen, allowing programs like Michigan and LSU to heat things up.

According to his Twitter account, Delance will decide between those two schools and Texas at the Under Armour game. Texas is the only one of the three he has yet to officially visit, but it's also the program he's most familiar with. Per SB Nation's Wescott Eberts, he's also expressed a desire to stay closer to home.

If Delance goes elsewhere, the Horns will lock in on Waahid Muhammad, JP Urquidez and Zach Shackelford. Baylor commit and fellow Under Armour participant Patrick Hudson will also take a visit to Austin next month, as noted by 247Sports' EJ Holland.

2. DT Kendell Jones

Is Kendell Jones gettable for the Horns? Probably not, but the massive defensive tackle is worth whatever effort the coaching staff can devote to him.

Also a participant in the Under Armour All-America Game, Jones is one of the most impressive physical specimens in the country. Even at 375 pounds, he carries little bad weight and will overwhelm blockers from the moment he steps onto a college field.

The fact that Jones ever committed elsewhere counts as one of Charlie Strong's few recruiting gaffes. He was once a slam dunk for the Longhorns, whom he visited 13 times, according to 247Sports' EJ Holland. Instead, he's been an Alabama commit since May and has not wavered amid the news about Kirby Smart.

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With Kirby Smart expected to be the next #UGA coach, what does that mean for #Bama defensive pledges? Kendell Jones staying put, per father.

@DamonSayles, 2 Dec 2015

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In spite of that, it sounds like the Horns will get one more chance. He's still expected to visit before signing day, giving Texas some hope that it can get a real difference-maker at a position of glaring need.

Either way, you have nothing to lose by watching a bulldozer like this in his last high school-level action.

3. LB Dontavious Jackson

In terms of Texas' top target at linebacker, it's a toss-up between Dontavious Jackson and Jeffrey McCulloch. 

Both Jackson and McCulloch will play in the Under Armour game. Jackson's a prototypical inside linebacker with ideal size, instincts and tackling prowess for the position. At 6'2", 239 pounds, he already looks like an early-down collegiate linebacker.

McCulloch, on the other hand, projects to play more outside the tackles, where he can utilize his pass-rushing arsenal. Since middle linebacker is more of a need for this class, Jackson gets the nod.

And as far as pure aesthetics go, it's pretty remarkable to watch Jackson at this level of competition. He's a man among boys.

4. RB Devwah Whaley

Big-name running backs are always a great get. The Longhorns are on the verge of nabbing one in Devwah Whaley, the state's top runner.

Whaley's expected to announce his decision at Saturday's Under Armour game. If he goes with Texas, the Longhorns would have a potentially dominant attack along with 2015 breakouts D'Onta Foreman and Chris Warren.

At 6'0", 209 pounds, Whaley provides a nice complement to Texas' young power backs. He's a little more explosive than both and should excel in the space created by Sterlin Gilbert's spread attack. And in the event that either Foreman or Warren go down, he's more than capable of handling a full complement of carries.

Texas is in good position here, and landing a player like Whaley would generate some nice buzz in the final month before signing day.

5. S Brandon Jones

Since we've touched on Jeffrey McCulloch and Patrick Hudson, who each deserve your attention, our last spot goes to safety Brandon Jones.

Texas needs speed at safety, and Jones brings it in droves. The nation's No. 1 safety is an absolute laser show in space, and could potentially cover slot receivers at the next level.

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So, was Brandon Jones at the #BAYvsTEX game to watch Duke Thomas play his future position?

@Gabe_TFB, 6 Dec 2015

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At almost 200 pounds, Jones also shows no fear when he has to come down and make a stop. He would be a lot of fun to watch next to the rangy thumpers of the 2015 recruiting class.

Jones will take a visit next month, and with the recent drama in College Station, his recruitment seems to be trending in Texas' favor.

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