A question posed in the Horns247 staff chat this week seemed simple, yet took a lot of thought on how to answer it.

Which redshirt freshman stands the best chance to make an impact next year?

It's simple because it shouldn't be that difficult to pick a single player out of a group. It takes a lot of thought because Texas didn't redshirt many freshmen in 2015.

Redshirt freshmen played a much bigger role this past season than they likely will in 2016. Jerrod Heard being in that group gives that statement some creedence, but the Longhorns also got key contributions from Derick Roberson, Edwin Freeman, John Bonney and Chris Nelson after each sat and watched from the sideline during their respective first seasons on the Forty Acres.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for impact redshirt freshmen from the first full-cycle recruiting class put together by Charlie Strong and his staff, here are your choices: Cameron Townsend, Kai Locksley, Ronnie Major, Tristian Houston, Garrett Thomas and Matthew Merrick.

Locksley and Merrick might be the most intriguing members of the group because Sterlin Gilbert will be on the hunt for a starting quarterback this spring. Is either ready to step up and become Texas' starter?

Locksley is a coach's son who was said to be progressing a rate not all that different than Heard one year prior. Now he's got to learn a new offense with new nuances and dialogue. The same is true for Merrick, who came to Texas as an athletic project and looked to be early in his development as a pure passer based on what open workouts last fall showed.

Texas has two big running backs in D'Onta Foreman and Chris Warren, a back who can perform multiple functions in Kirk Johnson and a back to be named later in the 2016 singing class. How does Houston, a sprinter at Galena Park North Shore who is a one-cut runner with good feet and some deceptive power between the tackles in his game, fit into the rotation?

Depth at linebacker is always welcomed for special teams purposes, if nothing else. Don't be surprised if a high-effort player like Townsend winds up being one of Texas' better special teams players next season.

If Texas needs to get anything of significance from anyone it's Major and Thomas.

Folks can say what they want about Taylor Doyle, Sedrick Flowers and Marcus Hutchins departing the program, but the starting experience all three had to their name is something the returnees outside of Tristan Nickelson, Kent Perkins, Patrick Vahe, Connor Williams don't possess.

Thomas could emerge as the swing player for Matt Mattox and provide backup depth at both guard and tackle. Major is a tackle all the way who Joe Wickline thought had a tremendous ceiling, now it will be to Mattox to get the most out of the Huntsville product.

There's probably not someone in the group who will be in a position to make the kind of waves after a redshirt year like Heard did, but that doesn't mean the players who redshirted this past fall are lost causes by any means. Strong and his staff have proven they can evaluate talent based on what their fellow signees showed as true freshmen, making this group one to keep a close eye on in the spring to see if there's any significant movement up the depth chart by any of the six players in question.

The Daily is a daily column from Horns247 senior writer Jeff Howe where he provides his thoughts on current events related to the Texas Longhorns, specifically the football program. He can be reached via email (jeffwhowe@gmail.com), on Twitter (@JeffHowe247) or on the Horns247 'The Flagship' message board.