Five important targets for new Texas coach Tom Herman

Here are five targets that new Texas coach Tom Herman should pursue as the Longhorns look to rebuild their program after three losing seasons under Charlie Strong.

There are plenty of talented in-state targets still uncommitted and many are sure to hear from Herman and his coaching staff soon after getting hired, if that’s the case. Orangebloods.com’s Jason Suchomel offers his thoughts on some possible top recruits for Texas.

MORE TEXAS COVERAGE: Pros and cons of Herman | Reviewing Charlie Strong's recruiting record at Texas

Breakdown: The top player in the state and the second-best prospect in the country, Wilson has to be a top target for Texas’ new coaching staff and it seems like the five-star has been open to seeing what the Longhorns will be about in the future. Since he doesn’t plan to make a decision probably until closer to signing day, Herman and his staff will have plenty of time to convince Wilson that Austin is the right place. It can’t hurt that Wilson has seen up close and personal the success Herman has had at Houston. But Wilson is at Ohio State this weekend and LSU, Florida State and Texas A&M seem to have the edge at this point.

Suchomel: "Marvin has been pro-Texas for a long time. He’s just stated he wanted to see progress at UT which obviously didn’t happen. Him being from Houston he’s obviously going to be familiar with Tom Herman, assuming he’s the hire. Marvin likes the city of Austin and the University of Texas well enough that Herman could get in there and get right back in this thing."

Breakdown: Browning is just days away from making a commitment and he recently released Michigan, TCU, UCLA, Florida State, Ohio State and Alabama as his final six. It was a little surprising that the Longhorns didn’t make the cut but the feeling is that they might not be completely out of it especially if Herman is hired. The top-ranked outside linebacker in the class, Browning will almost certainly make his commitment in the coming week but Texas won’t back off leading to signing day.

Suchomel: "It was a bit of a surprise when Texas didn’t make his final grouping because a lot of people thought that the Longhorns had a shot with him even without getting an official visit. He’s scheduled to commit in a few days. I don’t think he picks Texas when he announces but I can see a scenario where Texas continues to work him and tries to get him on campus before he graduates. Tom Herman would have a pretty decent shot on getting an unofficial out of him."

Breakdown: Ohio State and Florida State seem to be way out in front for the top-rated safety and No. 10 prospect in the class but could things change if Herman and his staff make Okudah one of the top priorities in this class? The South Grand Prairie standout never seemed to hit it off with Texas but that might change with Herman at the helm. Maybe the Buckeyes and the Seminoles are too far ahead at this juncture in Okudah’s recruitment but Texas will not be giving up on such a talented prospect who could help immediately.

Suchomel: "Okudah never really vibed with Texas. That to me would feel like a long shot. I still think he’s pretty locked in for Ohio State or Florida State. That being said, there’s some chatter if they bring in Herman they could bring in an assistant coach who’s been recruiting Okudah so that could open up the lines of communication."

Breakdown: The feeling around Little’s recruitment is that Stanford is out front with Ole Miss and some other SEC teams involved as well but Little has always had a high interest in the Longhorns. With clarity coming in the hiring of Herman, that could absolutely help Texas in Little’s recruitment. If he takes an official visit to Austin soon, the Longhorns could definitely be trending upward for the five-star offensive tackle from Wilson’s high school.

Suchomel: "I still think Stanford is the team to beat there but Little has always had a very strong interest in Texas with or without Charlie Strong. Another guy from Houston, he has familiarity with Tom Herman so this definitely gives Texas a chance to overtake Stanford possibly and he could take an official visit to Texas possibly as early as next week."

Breakdown: Long shot? Maybe. But Dobbins, even though he’s been committed to Ohio State for months, has always shown interest in the Longhorns and Herman’s hiring could be just the thing to make him take a second look at Texas. It’s going to be hard to tell, though, since the fourth-best running back in the class has gone radio silent recently and hasn’t been talking much about where things stand. Still, it would be no surprise if Dobbins is made a top priority even though he’s committed.

Suchomel: "Dobbins is a hard one to predict because he’s always been really high on Texas behind the scenes but he’s gone quiet as of late. I think he’s very solid with his Ohio State commitment, I expect Texas to make a run at him but it could be very hard to pry him away from Ohio State."

NOTE: Two other prospects to closely watch according to Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger are Houston (Texas) North Shore three-star defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson and Plano (Texas) Plano East four-star linebacker Anthony Hines.