Question of the Week: With less than two months until signing day, how do you feel Texas sits with the 2016 class?

Bobby Burton, Publisher

I think Texas is positioned well to finish strong with the 2016 recruiting class. But just like last year, it's going to come down to the final days and weeks of the campaign. Right now, it could go 50-50 with the recent trend looking up. There's some momentum following the Baylor win, adding an offensive coordinator with an exciting offense help as did replacing Joe Wickline and keeping Jeff Traylor. But momentum is one thing, getting the players to sign is another. We simply won't know whether or not this class accomplishes everything the Horns want until the dust is cleared.

Jeff Howe, Senior Writer

The finish of this recruiting cycle should be one of the more entertaining ones we've seen in a long time, and if nothing else, it will be one of the most unpredictable. The perceived instability at both Texas and Texas A&M, along with the fact that Baylor and TCU did not take steps back this season, combined with Oklahoma being back in the national championship discussion make for an intriguing dynamic. Texas' inability to back up signature wins over the Sooners and Bears and qualify for a bowl, accompanied by the Aggies struggles, means the talent distribution within the state has never been more divided, at least in recent memory. That's why programs like Michigan, Florida State, LSU and Ole Miss are putting an emphasis on Texas since there's not one program dominating the recruiting landscape within the state. I think Texas is actually in a better position than I thought the Longhorns would be in considering the recruitment of prospects like Jean Delance and Brandon Jones have turned into one-on-one battles while the early legwork the staff has put in with the likes of Devwah Whaley, D'Andre Christmas-Giles and Dontavious Jackson could really pay off down the stretch. But the perceived instability stemming from the unknown surrounding the future of Charlie Strong presents the question of exactly what Texas is going to sell. I suppose you could sell those signature wins as progress. You can also sell the fact that you're willing to play freshmen. But at the end of the day recruits want to be a part of a stable, championship-caliber program. What do can Strong to do convince recruits that Texas will offer those things? I do believe the Longhorns are in a position for a good finish, but we're about to find out over the next few weeks just how good Strong and his assistants are when it comes to getting it done on the recruiting trail.

EJ Holland, Lead Recruiting Reporter

Let’s make one thing clear — recruiting is crazy and a lot can happen between now and National Signing Day. We all know Charlie Strong traditionally closes well, and there are some guys currently committed to get really excited about, including Collin Johnson, Shane Buechele, Obi Eboh and Denzel Okafor. It’s also important to note that Strong didn’t make many in-home visits during the dead period and is great with parents. With all of this said, I don’t feel too confident about the way this class is shaping up right now. Texas is trailing for key targets like Brandon Jones, Eric Cuffee, Deontay Anderson, Stephon Taylor and D’Andre Christmas-Giles. Guys like Jeffrey McCulloch, Dontavious Jackson and Jean Delance are by no means Texas locks even if the Longhorns are in good shape. And flipping guys like Erick Fowler, Kendell Jones, Jordan Elliott, Michael Williams and Rahssan Thornton is proving to be difficult. As Jeff pointed out this week, this class’ success is dependent on how Texas finishes in the trenches. Texas has missed on a bunch of defensive tackle prospects, which should worry you, and if the Longhorns somehow miss on Delance, that will be perhaps the biggest blow in this cycle. I don’t think it’s time to start panicking just yet, but the clock is ticking. It’s time for Strong to channel his inner Mariano Rivera and once again prove he’s a clutch closer.

Chris Hummer, Managing Editor

It’s less than two months until National Signing Day and Texas 2016 class only has 12 commitments, ranking 45th nationally and sixth overall in the Big 12. The group is small, but does feature some good players. Shane Buechele could be Texas’ future starting quarterback, Collin Johnson will be an immediate impact player on the outside and interior players such as Andrew Fitzgerald, Malcolm Roach and Tope Imade could be major contributors along the lines in the future. Still, with around 10 or so spots to fill, there’s plenty of room for this class to either turn into a great one or to end up being a bust. Charlie Strong made it a near artful experience last season with the way he closed on key prospect after key prospect in 2015. But that was last year, and the sales pitch of rebuilding is a little more difficult after a second straight losing season. Currently, Texas can feel good about top targets such as Jean Delance, Dontavious Jackson and Jeffrey McCulloch. But there are plenty of other targets, especially on the defensive side of the ball, that Texas has plenty of work remaining with, including Brandon Jones, Deontay Anderson and pretty much every defensive tackle target. Texas will look to flip players – Erick Fowler, Kendell Jones and Zach Shackelford are all prime targets – but that’s not easy. Strong likes to wait and not push for commitments, but that strategy, coming off a bit of a dysfunctional season, might not have been the best. There’s still plenty of time until signing day, but without a near best case scenario, this could be an underwhelming recruiting class in a cycle Strong needs it to be great.