RECRUITING: What Texas needs in the 2018 class

National signing day is coming fast, and we’ll be looking at each FBS team’s needs as the end of the 2018 recruiting season arrives. Next up: TexasBiggest need: There's no simple answer for the Longhorns. They needed to sign a quarterback and did, grabbing Cameron Rising, the No. 10 pro-style QB out of Newbury Park, Calif. They needed help on the offensive line and signed four offensive tackles. But even though the Longhorns' defense will be loaded with experience in 2018, linebacker and secondary are two major needs. LB Malik Jefferson, S DeShon Elliott and CB Holton Hill all made good decisions to leave early, and even though Kris Boyd, Davante Davis and P.J. Locke all return, the trio will all be seniors in 2018. The Longhorns have to be ready to stomach those losses, even if it means redshirting much of the talent it signs in this class. LB Naashon Hughes will also graduate and enter this year's draft. Texas has holes to fill in the back half of its defense, but will need as much, if not more, when it reloads for 2019. How it's being addressed: Last year's class, Tom Herman's first at Texas, was small. Only 17 players signed, and some, like quarterback Sam Ehlinger, running backs Daniel Young and Toneil Carter and linebacker Gary Johnson made big impacts. But this year's class will be much bigger. Nineteen of Texas' 21 commits signed during last month's early signing period and the Longhorns aren't done. A handful more could join the group in February, and Herman's class is already ranked atop the Big 12 and No. 3 nationally. Five of the class' top six signees play in the secondary. Angleton's B.J. Foster comes to Texas as the nation's No. 22 overall prospect, joining Cibolo Steele's Caden Sterns (No. 34 overall). Cornerbacks Anthony Cook and Jalen Green, both from Houston, give the Longhorns a quartet of national top 50 talent in the secondary. Inside linebacker Ayodele Adeoye, a fringe national top 100 recruit, is also coming to Texas from IMG Academy. It's a nice haul that should make sure defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has plenty of ammo on his roster for as long as he's coaching Texas' defense. More recruiting needs: