Commitment focus: Malik Jefferson

Charlie Strong had to navigate a road filled with obstacles when recruiting the top talent in Texas this season, but everything was made better on Friday when Mesquite Poteet (TX) linebacker Malik Jefferson announced his commitment to Texas. The state’s top player announced his commitment in front of teammates, students, and family at Poteet high school along with teammate and friend DeAndre McNeal.

Jefferson represents the biggest win to date for Charlie Strong on the recruiting trail as he was finally able to slow down the momentum of Kevin Sumlin and Texas A&M. Jefferson’s commitment has been covered heavily by media, and Malik took the process slowly, evaluating all factors before finally picking the Longhorns. The Under Armour All American is an early enrollee and will be able to participate in spring practices after he enrolls in January.

So what is it about Jefferson that makes him such a coveted prospect? The Poteet product has an eye popping blend of size, speed, and athleticism to go along with great leadership qualities and a million dollar smile. As Matt Cotcher detailed in his piece on the recruitment, Jefferson has an infectious personality and is loved by students, teammates, coaches, and administration all over Poteet. Jefferson also comes from a grounded family that wants him to go to school and complete his degree while staying out of trouble. Malik picked Texas over a myriad of offers including LSU, Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor, Alabama, Florida State, and Oregon. At the time of his announcement he had narrowed down his top three to include Texas, Texas A&M, and UCLA.

Believed to be a heavy aggie lean due to his relationship with Sumlin, Jefferson switched gears after the Aggies fired defensive coordinator Mark Snyder and delayed in replacing him. Jefferson’s concerns about the new hire weren’t addressed prior to his December 19^th announcement and forced Jefferson to go in a different direction.

As an early enrollee, Jefferson has a chance to come in and compete right away for playing time to fill the hole departing senior Jordan Hicks left. Jefferson has forged some tight relationships in recruiting and could also benefit Texas in their pursuit of several of the state’s other top prospects.

Film Analysis:

Jefferson has a powerfully built frame at 6’2 218 lbs. with room to put on more weight. Used mostly as a rush linebacker, Jefferson’s explosive athleticism and speed make him a nightmare for offensive linemen. At Nike’s “The Opening” camp in Oregon, Jefferson posted ridiculous numbers in the SPARQ testing including a 4.38 40 yard dash, 4.19 shuttle, and 39.7 inch vertical.

Jefferson has long arms which allow him to control the blocker trying to engage him and knock down passes at the line of scrimmage. Jefferson’s play recognition and change of direction are strong and his elite closing speed allows him to blow up plays before they ever get started. He shows good tackling technique with proper leverage and good form but does have a tendency to try and throw his shoulder into ball carriers at times.

When rushing he uses his hands incredibly well to defeat larger players though he struggles a bit at the point of attack when the run is coming right at him. Jefferson is also a star special teams player who comes off the edge multiple times on film to block punts. He will need to get a little bit stronger and improve the run play at the point of attack but those look like his only deficiencies.

Final Verdict:

Jefferson is a bona fide blue chip recruit and among the best 20 players in the country. For those types of players the ceiling is usually a college All American and early round draft pick in the NFL. Jefferson’s total package make reaching that ceiling likely and he should also be able to contribute for Texas next season. This was a huge win for Coach Strong and could kick off some great momentum finishing this class and going into 2016.