On February 1, 2017, Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman held his first National Signing Day press conference to announce a transition class he hoped would avoid the attrition that his research indicated is common following coaching changes. So far, running back Toneil Carter is the only true attrition from that class — the only other player to depart, kicker Joshua Rowland, is in the NCAA transfer portal after graduating.
At that time, Herman also made an important statement during an interview with the Dallas Morning News that demonstrated his understanding of how much the Longhorns needed to focus on recruiting that area.