Texas Football

By Greg Tepper // TexasFootball.com

Whenever recruiting season rolls around – and really, that’s basically year-round, culminating in the recently passed National Signing Day – there are always two questions people have about prospects:

1) How good is he?

2) How soon can he see the field?

Both questions are tricky to answer in their own right, since they both require a different type of talent evaluation. Take, for example, someone like Klein Forest QB (and Texas A&M signee) Matt Davis. I think Davis has a very lofty ceiling and could develop into an all-conference type signal-caller…but if Davis were to be the opening game starter for the Aggies in 2012, I don’t think he’d perform anywhere near that ceiling. That’s because there’s such a steep learning curve for quarterbacks moving from high school to college.

Other players can step right in and contribute more readily, based on a combination of their current skills and their position (how conducive, for example, the transition from high school to college is with the current skill set).

So…which Texas college signees have a chance to make a quick impact? Here’s a handful of players who can see the field – and make their presence felt – as early as 2012.

Baylor LB Brian Nance
He was late to commit, taking his recruitment up to basically the 11^th hour, but the talented Euless Trinity linebacker could see some major playing time for the Bears in 2012. He’s already got most of the size necessary at 6-2 and 215 pounds, and his speed is what could make him a valuable asset to defensive coordinator Phil Bennett’s squad.

Texas WR Marcus Johnson
Understandably, Longhorns fans are excited about local-boy Austin High WR Cayleb Jones (and for good reason, by the way; guy is special), but I think the Clear Springs product Johnson has a better chance of getting significant touches in 2012. He fits more of the mold of a slot receiver – a position that lends itself to a quick transition –  and his speed makes him a threat in special teams.

TCU K Jaden Oberkrom/P Ethan Perry
OK, this one’s kind of a cop-out, because the special teams recruits for Gary Patterson are almost guaranteed to play from Day One for one reason: they have to! TCU graduated both punter Anson Kelton and kicker Ross Evans, so there’s a dearth of bodies in the special teams department. Enter the talented feet of Oberkrom and Perry, who should see major action very, very soon.

SMU LB/DB Shakiel Randolph
It all depends on where the Ponies decide to play this talented Hewitt Midway star. Randolph’s a bit of an odd duck: he’s huge at 6-foot-5, sort of undersized at 190 pounds and extraordinarily fast for a guy who can probably dunk a basketball. If he plays defensive back, there’s probably a spot for him vacated by graduated guys like Chris Banjo and Richard Crawford; if he’s headed for outside linebacker, he’ll probably be waiting a year or two.

Texas A&M CB Devante Harris
One of the big catches of Texas A&M’s super-high-ceiling (and sort of mish-mashed) 2012 class, Harris might already be the best cornerback on campus in College Station. Barring something unforeseen off the field, I don’t see why Harris shouldn’t be getting major playing time early in his career – including Year One for the Aggies in the SEC.

Everyone at UNT
North Texas’ 2012 recruiting class isn’t going to burst into anyone’s top 25 classes nationally, but give coach Dan McCarney a ton of credit: he filled a ton of needs. North Texas graduated a lot, North Texas needed a lot of help in a lot of areas, and North Texas got it. From both Feldt boys – Buda Hays OL Boone and Arkansas transfer Cam – to big Tyler Chapel Hill DT Sir Calvin Wallace, to Beaumont Kelly WR Nick Schrapps, North Texas figures to be very, very young next year, including a variety of freshmen.