Texas Football: 4 most surprising commits the Horns stole from OU
Jackson Jeffcoat, LB/Edge Rusher
The former star Texas linebacker/edge rusher and elite five-star recruit Jackson Jeffcoat was one of the most productive players with his position group throughout the 2010s for this program. Jeffcoat played for Texas during the latter days under defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Manny Diaz for most of his college career.
Jeffcoat played on the Forty Acres from 2010-2013, and Diaz was the DC for the program for three of those four years.
A former Plano West High School product and native of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Jeffcoat was also one of the highest-rated recruits for the Longhorns in the past decade or so. With the Longhorns 2010 recruiting class, Jeffcoat was the highest-rated signee in the second-best class in the nation.
Jeffcoat ranked as the nation’s No. 5 2010 high school prospect, and top overall strong-side defensive end and prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite).
This was more good work done on the recruiting trail by the former Texas DL coach Giles. He managed to win over the commitment of Jeffcoat over the likes of the Sooners, Houston Cougars, USC Trojans, and Arizona State Sun Devils, among others. Oklahoma and Texas were two of the frontrunners for Jeffcoat throughout his recruitment. One final visit just prior to National Signing Day 2010 looked to lock in the commitment of Jeffcoat for the Longhorns.
And once he arrived on the Forty Acres, Jeffcoat was able to make an immediate impact. And for his career in total with Texas, Jeffcoat registered 172 combined tackles, a whopping 50 tackles for loss, 26 sacks, one interception, 10 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries (one of which was returned for a touchdown).
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Jeffcoat would later go on to somehow go through the 2014 NFL Draft without hearing his name called. That draft year was the first one to see no Longhorns players selected since 1937. But the Seattle Seahawks would go on to sign Jeffcoat as an undrafted free agent.