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National Signing Day 2016: Ranking, grading every Big 12 football recruiting class

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Dec 5, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong celebrates the win over the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. The Longhorns defeat the Bears 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong celebrates the win over the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. The Longhorns defeat the Bears 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 3, 2016; Aldine, TX, USA; Jeffrey McCulloch announces that he will be attending the University of Texas to play football with his grandmother Julia, his father Jeffrey McCulloch Sr. and his mother Debra McCulloch by his side at Benjamin Davis High School. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Aldine, TX, USA; Jeffrey McCulloch announces that he will be attending the University of Texas to play football with his grandmother Julia, his father Jeffrey McCulloch Sr. and his mother Debra McCulloch by his side at Benjamin Davis High School. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

After spending most of the year in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 recruiting rankings and well outside the Top 25 nationally, Texas head coach Charlie Strong pulled off an incredible run on National Signing Day that landed the Longhorns atop the league and just outside the top ten classes in the country.

Texas finished the 2016 recruiting cycle with 24 signees, 13 of which were rated as four-star prospects. The best of the best came on defense, which should be no surprise given Strong’s history, led by safety Brandon Jones, linebackers Jeffrey McCulloch and Erick Fowler and defensive tackles Jordan Elliott and Chris Daniels. The Longhorns also grabbed Kyle Porter, the No. 11 running back, who many thought was headed to TCU.

It wasn’t a perfect class, but it was the best in the Big 12.

Instant Impact Performer: S Brandon Jones

The No. 1 safety in America, Jones is the crown jewel of the 2016 Texas recruiting class, having chosen the Longhorns over Texas A&M on Signing Day. Though not physically imposing for a safety at 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, Jones is athletic enough to cover receivers one-on-one when necessary, but also plays bigger than his measurables and is a big-hitter capable of making an impact in run support.

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However, Jones is far from the only player from this class that will see significant playing time as a freshman. McCulloch is a good bet to emerge as a starter at some point in the 2016 season, 6-foot-6 wideout Collin Johnson is too physically gifted not to play, Porter should work himself into the rotation in the backfield, and even Shane Buechele could be a factor in the quarterback competition.

Underrated Signee: ATH Lil’Jordan Humphrey

At 6-foot-5 and 199 pounds, Lil’Jordan Humphrey isn’t little. A three-star athlete that played running back in high school, Humphrey ran for more than 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns and caught 83 passes for 1,159 yards and 11 touchdowns across his final two years as a prep. He will likely be a wide receiver, but could even grow into a unique and dynamic tight end/H-back after a couple of years on campus.

Complete 2016 Texas Recruiting Class:

Final Thoughts: The only real complaint Texas football fans could have about the 2016 recruiting class is that there are no elite, instant impact players on offense to help a unit that finished eighth in the conference with an average of 370.8 yards of total offense per game in 2015. Offensive lineman Jean Delance is the highest rated prospect on that side of the football, and Buechele is the only other player on offense ranked among the top 200 overall prospects in the nation.

Still, the work Strong and his coaching staff did to pull this class together was impressive, and a welcome sign of progress in Austin.

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