Texas Football: 3 burning questions ahead of National Signing Day

3. Does Tom Herman add one or two more?

The hope will be that the 2020 Texas football recruiting class can add at least one more highly touted commitment to the defensive side of the ball. The Longhorns only have four-star defensive tackle Vernon Broughton that is really set to make a big impact early on, at least as it appears now. This is where the importance of landing someone like four-star Cedar Creek strong-side defensive end Alfred Collins could come about.

Collins is set to make his commitment decision on National Signing Day, so there is actually a big storyline to watch for Feb. 5. The Longhorns hold all 10 expect 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions for where Collins will commit.

The 6-foot-5 and 275 pound defensive end is a native of Bastrop, TX, and ranks as the nation’s No. 64 2020 high school prospect and at No. 2 at his position. He’s also a top 10 ranked prospect out of the state of Texas.

More than likely the three teams to watch that could haul in the commitment of Collins are Oklahoma, Texas, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. But all signs point to Herman and the Longhorns hauling in the commitment and signing of Collins to their 2020 recruiting class.

One other name to watch that could be a solid addition along the defensive line in the Longhorns 2020 recruiting class is four-star Manor strong-side defensive end Princely Umanmielen. At one point, Umanmielen was committed to Texas. But he decommitted less than three months after he originally pledged to the Longhorns.

Umanmielen had an official visit with head coach Dan Mullen and the Gators on Jan. 24. That might be a deciding factor ultimately in the school he commits to this time around.

Getting Umanmielen back or landing a commitment from Collins would be huge for Herman and recently hired Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash for this recruiting cycle.