There is a collective perception across the state of Texas that Texas A&M has overtaken the University of Texas as the premier program in the Lone Star State. While the Aggies have indeed been more successful the past few years, December 19, 2014 may be looked back on as the day that signaled a monumental change.

Charlie Strong pulled off a stunning move on Friday, receiving commitments from two coveted recruits from the Dallas area who were supposedly favoring the Aggies.

Malik Jefferson, the best recruit in Texas and the best linebacker in the nation according to 247Sports, announced his commitment to the Longhorns along with high school teammate DeAndre McNeal at a ceremony at their high school.

McNeal is a 4-star athlete who possesses the unique ability to play wide receiver, tight end and linebacker effectively. He is likely to end up on defense once he gets to Austin, and should be a very versatile defensive presence for Strong and defensive coordinator Vance Bedford to utilize.

This has to come as a relief for the Longhorn coaching staff, as the pressure has mounted since Strong kicked off nine players before the calendar changed to October and the Longhorns struggled for the majority of 2014.

The pledges from Jefferson and McNeal pushed the Horns’ recruiting haul from good to great, catapulting the ’15 class to the best in the Big 12 and the 14th-ranked class in the country per 247Sports.com.

Those two Mesquite Poteet products have incredible potential and will undoubtedly contribute to the Longhorns down the road, but most of the problems for Texas came on the offensive side of the ball.

Tyrone Swoopes was unimpressive in his first season as a collegiate starting quarterback, and he will have plenty of competition come next season.

Redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard and Zach Gentry, a highly touted pro-style quarterback from New Mexico, should challenge Swoopes for next year’s starting gig. Both of them have tons of talent, and it will be interesting to see which direction Charlie Strong decides to go.

Johnathan Gray will return next year for his senior season, and he should be able to shoulder the majority of the carries after sharing time with Malcolm Brown the past three seasons.

The receiving corps will be arguably the biggest question heading into next year. Jaxon Shipley and John Harris, who accounted for more than half of the team’s catches last season, will both play the final game of their career in the Texas Bowl against Arkansas.

Defense is Strong’s forte, and with the addition of superior talent like Jefferson, the Horns D should be stifling in 2015.

So while Texas A&M will almost assuredly rake in a more prominent recruiting class on the February 4th Signing Day, the Longhorns are slowly but surely closing the gap. The U.T. program fell to unprecedented lows toward the end of the Mack Brown era, and Strong has been trying to change the culture since he took the job.

Luring Jefferson and McNeal out of the Aggies’ grasp is a terrific start, and if the administration will stay patient with Strong and his plan, the Longhorns will not only be able to regain their place as a perennial powerhouse, but they will be able to sustain their success for the long haul.