Texas Longhorns Football: Top 10 Recruiting Commitments for 2011
Although the Texas Longhorns experienced a roller coaster ride of a season in 2010 that saw them finish with a 5-7 mark, the program will survive.
The coaching staff went through a facelift this winter as Will Muschamp (defensive coordinator, linebackers), Greg Davis (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks), Bobby Kennedy (receivers), Mike Tolleson (defensive tackles), Mac McWhorter (offensive line) and Jeff "Mad Dog" Madden (strength and conditioning) all left the program, leaving Mack Brown with a Texas-sized void to fill for the upcoming year.
But getting the proper hires, which all have been made save for the offensive line coach, not only gives the Longhorns the opportunity to right the ship, but it cushions the commitments of an impressive 2011 class that will add an incredible dose of talent to a roster that is in dire need of playmakers.
Here are the top 10 commitments for the Longhorns' 2011 recruiting class.
Mykkele Thompson, ATH
1 of 10
One area that the Longhorns suffered from last season was their lack of playmakers on both sides of the football.
Explosive plays on offense and timely turnovers on defense may have proved to be the difference between watching bowl season and playing in bowl season.
Mykkele Thompson, out of John Paul Stevens HS in San Antonio, Texas, has been playing quarterback during his senior season, but that is likely to change when he arrives in Austin.
Although it remains to be seen which side of the football he will take at the college level, there is no question that he provides some game-changing skills with the ball in his hands.
Quandre Diggs, ATH
2 of 10
The second athlete in Texas' 2011 recruiting class has some promising bloodlines that may promote success.
Quandre Diggs, the younger half-brother of NFL cornerback Quentin Jammer, is also an explosive playmaker on either side of the football, and it may take some evaluations by the new Texas staff to determine his position.
Given that Malcolm Brown looks to be a heavy factor at running back, Diggs is likely to get his shot either at a slot receiver position or at corner. After seeing the likes of junior Aaron Williams and seniors Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown leave the program, the Longhorns look to be thin at the position.
Josh Turner, CB
3 of 10
As one of the more highly-touted cornerback recruits in the country, Josh Turner made his commitment to the Longhorns back in June.
Texas pried away the 6'0", 175-pound corner out of Oklahoma City, Okla., and he could factor in for some playing time as a true freshmen given the vacancies and short depth in the secondary.
The Longhorns have a long list of defensive backs that have developed well under the tutelage of defensive backs coach Duane Akina. Expect Turner to have that same promise.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Garrett Greenlea, OL
4 of 10
The biggest recruit in the 2011 class is the 6'7", 300-pound Garrett Greenlea out of Klein Collins HS in Klein, Texas.
The offensive lineman suffered from an ACL injury during his senior season, but figures to be back in the mix when he arrives in Austin.
Texas' offensive line left much to be desired during the 2010 season, as the unit lacked the mauler-mentality necessary to execute the power running attack that Mack Brown and his staff looked to implement during the spring and summer workouts.
Greenlea could develop into a solid anchor for an offensive line in need of some serious aid.
Sedrick Flowers, OL
5 of 10
Destined for the guard position on the offensive line, Sedrick Flowers is another highly-recruited prospect that looks to progress well.
Some have said he is reminiscent of a young Justin Blalock, but that is very high praise for an 18-year-old that has yet to play at the collegiate level.
Nevertheless, Flowers is another promising recruit on the offensive line that is in desperate need of depth and excellence.
Steve Edmond, LB
6 of 10
Regarded by some as the most talented linebacker to come out of the state of Texas since Derrick Johnson, Steve Edmond will have some big shoes to fill if he seeks to reproduce what Johnson accomplished on the Forty Acres.
Out of Daingerfield, Texas, Edmond has good size at 6'3", 225 pounds. But despite the measurable qualities, he is far down a depth chart that features names like Jordan Hicks and Aaron Benson, a couple of talented 2010 recruits who will figure into the defensive schemes this season.
Although Edmond is an incredible specimen at the position, he will have to test through the charts or wait in line. Either way, the Longhorns are getting a fantastic prospect that may feature as an anchor at linebacker.
Desmond Jackson, DT
7 of 10
One position that the Longhorns lack serious depth is at defensive tackle, and Desmond Jackson could be a factor on the defensive line given the thinness at the position for the Longhorns.
Graciously listed at 6'1", Jackson is one of the shorter defensive tackles, but his motor and athleticism more than makes up for it.
He uses his hands violently at the point of attack, but against bigger linemen, he could struggle.
Like at cornerback, Texas has boasted a list of defensive tackles that have made their way into the NFL via the Longhorn program. Jackson could figure to be the next one on that list.
Jaxon Shipley, WR
8 of 10
The name Shipley should be familiar to virtually everyone in the Big 12 and vaguely recognizable across the country, as Jordan Shipley left an impressionable mark on the Texas program during his tenure in Austin.
But his little brother, Jaxon Shipley, will be looking to make his own trail on the Forty Acres coming out of Brownwood, Texas.
At 6'0", 170 pounds, he sizes up his older brother by a slim margin, but the route running and strong hands will come off as very similar.
As Texas' first commit in the 2011 class, Shipley could be a factor at wide out as a true freshman.
Christian Westerman, OL
9 of 10
Christian Westerman is the third-ranked offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, and the Longhorns reeled in a heck of a lineman out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz.
At 6'5", 288 pounds, Westerman moves like a linebacker, but punishes like a lineman should, leading many to believe he could be the next great offensive lineman to come to Austin since the days of Vince Young's line.
Texas has been looking for the maulers on the line and Westerman can give them just that. A lineman who can finish his blocks, get down the field and put up a wall at the second and third levels will serve well in Bryan Harsin's offense.
Reports have been swirling that Westerman is looking elsewhere. And while he is firmly committed to the Longhorns, it may come down to Mack Brown's decision on a new offensive line coach to seal the deal.
Malcolm Brown, RB
10 of 10
Rated as the top running back in the 2011 class by Rivals.com, Malcolm Brown figures to be in the mix at running back the minute he steps on campus in Austin.
As part of Bryan Harsin's offense, the playmakers get the touches in several different ways, and the 6'0", 220-pound tailback is already considered one.
Once he gets acclimated to the college game, expect Brown to shoulder a healthy load of the carries at running back next season.
Here is a reminder of his big-play capabilities that Harsin surely will look to implement into his schemes in the fall.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Brown appears to be the biggest impact recruit in the 2011 class.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
