Courtesy of Texas Athletics
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas completed the 2009 season with its third Big 12 Championship, a berth in the BCS National Championship game and a final No. 2 national ranking. With 13 victories, UT recorded its ninth consecutive 10-win season, which is the second-longest streak in NCAA history. That streak is a reflection of the continuing success head coach Mack Brown has brought to a program that managed at least 10 wins just twice in the 14 years prior to his arrival in 1998.
Since Brown hit Austin, UT has posted at least nine victories in each of his 12 seasons. Texas' No. 2 final ranking in 2009 marked the 10th time in-a-row the Horns finished the year ranked in the Top 15, including seven Top 10 finishes and five Top Five rankings. Last season, the Horns finished the year ranked among the Top Five for the fourth time in six years, including five Top 10 finishes during that stretch. Prior to Brown's arrival in 1998, the last time Texas had finished the year in the Top 10 was 1983. With a school-record tying 13 wins in 2009, Texas has posted the nation's most victories (128) and Big 12 wins (80) over the last 12 years.
That success is a direct result of what Brown and his staff have done in assembling and developing a series of highly-regarded recruiting classes. It should come as no surprise that on National Signing Day 2010, Brown, the nation's winningest coach over the last 14 years (148 victories / .831 winning percentage) and the 2009 Big 12 Coach of the Year, and his staff have continued to build upon a program that is now a yearly fixture among the nation's elite.
On the heels of its consistent success, Texas' group of 25 newcomers that signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday is once again picked as one of the nation's premier groups. The newcomers UT attracted in 2010 are a well-balanced collection that features talented prospects covering almost every position on the field.
"Of our 13 classes at Texas, this group addresses every position more so than any other class we've had," Brown said. "We were fortunate enough to sign a talented young player at every position which is very unusual for a class.
"This is a proud moment for them, for their parents, high school coaches and teammates who have helped them get to this point. These kids have worked their whole lives and had a dream to go to college. This is a huge moment for these young people and we're excited to have them join the Texas family."
Three of the signees (QB Case McCoy, DB A.J. White and QB Connor Wood) are already enrolled in school and will participate in spring drills.
Among the total group of 25 signees announced on Wednesday, seven were named Parade All-Americans, three earned first-team USA Today All-USA honors and two others earned second-team All-USA honors. All totaled, 17 players earned All-America status, 15 players were listed among ESPNU's Top 150 national prospects and 20 were listed among all-state teams. The class also features several prospects that were honor roll students and most of the 2010 signees have been very involved in community service efforts.
"Some will want to compare this group to some of the other great classes we've had at Texas and based on their accomplishments coming out of high school, they have the potential to be in that conversation," Brown said. "But, as a staff, we've been doing this for a long time and we'll evaluate them in four or five years at the end of their run and not now. That said, we will prepare all of these guys to play this season and I expect many of them will. This class, along with the outstanding young players we have returning next season, will provide immediate help and also be a great foundation for success in years to come."
Texas' evaluation process saw Brown's staff once again work with perfect efficiency in narrowing their list of prospects. Texas used only 25 of the 62 official on-campus visits permitted by the NCAA with all 25 signing National Letters of Intent to join the Longhorns on Wednesday.
Name Pos. Class Ht Wt Hometown (High School)
Aaron Benson LB Fr.-HS 6-2 225 Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill)
Taylor Bible DL Fr.-HS 6-3 300 Denton, Texas (Guyer)
Carrington Byndom DB Fr.-HS 6-0 175 Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin)
Demarco Cobbs ATH Fr.-HS 6-2 212 Tulsa, Okla. (Tulsa Central)
De'Aires Cotton DL Fr.-HS 6-4 286 Alief, Texas (Alief Taylor)
Gregory Daniels DL Fr.-HS 6-5 250 Houston, Texas (St. Pius X)
Mike Davis WR Fr.-HS 6-2 183 Dallas, Texas (Skyline)
Ashton Dorsey DL Fr.-HS 6-2 290 Tyler, Texas (John Tyler)
Dominic Espinosa OL Fr.-HS 6-4 295 Cedar Park, Texas (Cedar Park)
John Harris WR Fr.-HS 6-3 200 Garland, Texas (Naaman Forest)
Jordan Hicks LB Fr.-HS 6-2 220 West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West)
Trey Hopkins OL Fr.-HS 6-4 280 Galena Park, Texas (North Shore)
Bryant Jackson DB Fr.-HS 6-2 186 Sulphur Springs, Texas (Sulphur Springs)
Tevin Jackson LB Fr.-HS 6-2 230 Garland, Texas (Garland)
Jackson Jeffcoat DL Fr.-HS 6-5 235 Plano, Texas (Plano West)
Chris Jones WR Fr.-HS 6-0 175 Daingerfield, Texas (Daingerfield)
Case McCoy* QB Fr.-HS 6-2 175 Graham, Texas (Graham)
Adrian Phillips DB Fr.-HS 5-11 199 Garland, Texas (Garland)
William Russ P/PK Fr.-HS 6-4 185 Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian)
Traylon Shead RB Fr.-HS 6-2 210 Cayuga, Texas (Cayuga)
Darius Terrell TE Fr.-HS 6-3 215 DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto)
A.J. White* DB Fr.-HS 6-0 175 DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto)
Darius White WR Fr.-HS 6-3 200 Fort Worth, Texas (Dunbar)
Reggie Wilson DL Fr.-HS 6-3 240 Haltom City, Texas (Haltom)
Connor Wood* QB Fr.-HS 6-4 209 Houston, Texas (Second Baptist)
*Early enrollee, will participate in spring drills