Jump to content

Texas Recruiting Notes 2026: They Can't Keep Getting Away With This


texifornia

Recommended Posts

18 minutes ago, kevwun said:

I don't think a TE reclassifying is ideal.  It's one of the positions you need man strength at combined with good technique.

His development would be accelerated by getting to campus and learning the system, undergoing college S&C, and getting guided nutrition. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/23/2024 at 8:18 PM, closetojumping said:

Sounds like GILF porn, but Brown was in the room as well. Sally started to encourage the use of condoms. Jermichael allegedly interrupted with “Ms Brown, I know I’m supposed to use condoms and I do. The problem is, they don’t fit and keep snapping. “

Okay then. 

"Cookies anyone?"

  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Katoa 

Thanks.  This one may be interesting.  Rated pretty low early on, and listed at 365 lbs., but has a nice early offer list.  Christobal, Pittman, and Bendenbaugh, along with us, aggy, and Tennessee (and several more) have offered, so most of the main OL coaches we're familiar with have offered.

Turntine is the main guy, but I hope we can land Felix Ojo as well.  That could come down to convincing him to come in as a Right Tackle.

Nic Robertson and Zaden Krempin are the interior guys.  Gerry has said Robertson is a for sure take.  

This is just in-state guys, so who knows with standing on OOS guys at the moment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Stampede: Six major storylines to monitor for the 2026 recruiting class
 

Quote

With the New Year set to begin before the end of the week, the Texas Longhorns will soon turn the page to the 2026 recruiting cycle. 

The burnt orange made several headlines just weeks ago for landing the nation's No. 1 overall recruiting class, but there's still several needs left for the 2026 class the Longhorns will have to hit on to maintain the program being in the National Championship hunt year in and year out. 

That said, here's six major storylines for the Longhorns in the 2026 recruiting class. 

In what's a good but not great group of prospects in the in-state class, the Longhorns will likely be forced to go out of state at a few different positions.

Let's get into it!

QB ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF:

The Longhorns are one of six teams that made that 2024 College Football Playoffs that already holds a commitment from a Top247 ranked quarterback in the 2026 class. It's always a need to lock in a solid commitment at the most important position in the sport, and the Longhorns have that with one of the nation's best in Dia Bell. 

The Longhorns haven't had to recruit a quarterback into the summer before the prospect's senior year since landing Arch Manning in the summer of 2023, and it's been a huge benefit to building out the rest of the Texas classes as other offensive prospects will oftentimes find themselves getting peer recruited by the Texas QB commit as KJ Lacey helped peer recruit several prospects last cycle like Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench. 

SOMEWHAT TOPHEAVY, BUT ELITE GROUP OF IN-STATE 'BACKS:

The state of Texas currently has four running backs ranked in the Top247 — Texas High's Tradarian Ball (Oregon commit), Carthage's KJ Edwards, Cibolo Steele's Jonathan Hatton Jr., and Forney's Javian Osborne. Frisco Lone Star's Davian Groce is a bit of a tweener as a five-star ATH that's a mix between RB and WR, but the Longhorns have been more focused on the other four names I've mentioned as they've yet to offer the state's No. 3 prospect per 247Sports. Hatton is also yet to receive an offer from the Longhorns, but he did camp with the Longhorns before committing to Oklahoma as a freshman, a commitment he recently backed out of after the Sooners' struggles. With the 200-plus pounder back on the market and just down the road on I-35, there's a chance Texas circles back for the bruiser with 10.65 speed.

Tashard Choice also really likes Amari Latimer from the Peach State, but with Texas signing at least two running backs each recruiting cycle since he arrived in Austin, it's likely at least one of the three in-state names that currently holds offers ends up as a Longhorn.

Ball seems pretty locked in with the Ducks for the time being, but Texas was the school he pulled for growing up and I wouldn't be surprised if Texas pushed for and eventually was able to get him back to campus for the first time since giving his Oregon commitment this past summer. Edwards is relatively open at this time and is just now beginning to whittle down his process but seems likely to stay in the region whether it's in-state or in the bordering states around Texas. Osborne has yet to post anything officially saying this, but Horns247 has heard through multiple sources Texas is in the top two with Michigan for the Forney star.  

Texas will have a great running back class if they can start with landing one of Ball, Edwards, or Osborne before potentially going out of state or staying in-state for the second RB take.

WR RECRUITING COULD BE A PUZZLE:

It's always fun to land a five-star, much less two of them at the receiver position in Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench. The bad part is however, it makes it harder to recruit the following cycle as all of the other schools will make it very well known that playing time is going to have to be scratched and clawed for to get on the field in Chris Jackson's wide receiver room. 

Although there are some similarities here with what Texas had to deal with after landing Arch Manning in 2023 and recruiting QBs in 2024, the Longhorns are set up well to still sign a more than solid class with Shadow Creek's Chris Stewart already in the fold and legacy prospects like Jalen Lott and Kaydon Finley still available. 

It will still be a puzzle with figuring out the other receiver spots after Stewart though, as just about everyone in America wants those two legacy prospects in Lott and Finley. Chris Henry Jr., Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, and Naeem Burroughs are three out of state prospects the Longhorns will likely work to host for visits this offseason, and Jordan Clay, Zion Robinson, and Brayden Robinson make up in-state names that have received offers and visited in the past. 

Like last year, there will simply be more receivers trying to commit to Texas then the Longhorns will have spots for, making it a puzzle for Chris Jackson and Co. as they have to navigate timelines while also staying true to the board. The Longhorns have successfully navigated puzzles like this in the past with Trey Owens ending up as a damn good evaluation from AJ Milwee and Co., but the Longhorns will have to figure it out again at the receiver position. 

TWO ELITE IN-STATE OPTIONS AT A POSITION OF NEED:

After missing on Michael Fasusi and not landing any of the three in-state offensive tackle prospects ranked as five-stars in the 2025 class, landing a true left tackle is one of, if not the biggest needs for the Longhorns in 2026, and luckily for Texas, there's two elite ones up in the metroplex.

I don't know if I've ever covered a more popular (at least with the UT fanbase) offensive tackle heading into the spring of their junior year then North Crowley's John Turntine III. Turntine fits everything the Longhorns need in a perfect way as an elite left tackle, and the Longhorns have done a phenomenal job in the early parts of the recruitment in getting Turntine to campus more than any other school up to this point. Texas is off to a great start, but it'll be about maintaining their positioning as more schools come into the picture once Turntine is able to take a round of spring unofficial visits. 

While Mansfield Lake Ridge's Felix Ojo is rarely talked about to the same degree as Turntine, he's just as elite of a prospect with major plus length at 6-foot-6 with plenty of frame space to one day hold north of 300 pounds. Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Michigan are the main schools mentioned at this point in time, but the Longhorns will have to do some work to put themselves in the same standing as they are with Turntine. 

Just based off looking at how things unfolded this past cycle, it's probably unlikely to expect Texas to land both Turntine and Ojo, but they will need to land one of them. The 2027 in-state offensive tackle class has some ridiculous body types and there's a few really impressive offensive linemen that have already emerged, but Texas can't delay the need of an elite left tackle one more cycle after what happened in 2025 as 2026 will have to fill that need. 

GONNA NEED AT LEAST ONE OUT OF STATE 'BACKER:

Carthage's DaQuives Beck, Katy Mayde Creek's Kosi Okpala, and Port Arthur Memorial's Tank King round out the three linebackers Texas has offered thus far in the in-state 2026 class, but with how the need is at 'backer after only signing two in 2025 and one in 2024, the Longhorns are going to have to go out of state for at least one of their linebacker takes in 2026. 

Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne three-star Kenneth Goodwin, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson four-star Anthony Davis, and Loganville (Ga.) Grayson five-star Tyler Atkinson are three out of state linebacker names Texas likes and has already gotten on campus for gameday visits this fall. 

Getting those three out of state guys back to campus for the January Junior Day and eventual spring recruiting events before official visits start will make the recruitments a bit easier for the Longhorns, and it'll be important because they'll in all likelihood need at least one out of state 'backer take. 

There could always be a prospect or two that emerges in the spring like how Jonathan Cunningham did this past cycle, but until that happens, we'll continue discussing the current group of prospects that have Texas offers. 

REVENUE SHARING'S EFFECT ON 2026 RECRUITING:

With revenue sharing very likely to come into effect before the start of the 2025 season, the 2026 group will be the first cycle that experiences revenue sharing and legal pay for play directly from the schools themselves. 

Most schools will have a little over or around $20 million to disperse across athletics programs how they please, but in speaking with NIL sources across the country, the large majority of colleges where football is the No. 1 sport are expecting to have around $15 million earmarked each year for their respective football program.

Texas and a small handful of other programs in the sport already have experience with managing a roster with a budget of $15 million or greater, but for some programs, they've never had that money before. This will obviously have a direct effect on recruiting and it's likely that we continue to see the overall score of the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation decrease year by year. After all, Texas' No. 1 class score of 312.66 per the 247Sports Composite class rankings is the lowest class score of a No. 1 class since 2016 when Nick Saban's haul scored a 302.04.

With the new wealth set to hit the sport, schools will be looking to lock up commitments early and with promises of deals that are set up with the new rev share money. This will in all likelihood lead to more flips as the schools with the more patient approach could just top whatever offer it is that a prospect commits to if a prospect were to settle in on a school early. And if you followed recruiting this past cycle when things got crazy in the NIL space and especially towards the end as the Longhorns made their push to the No. 1 class ranking, you'll know that Texas has been better equipped for the NIL/pay for play era then just about every other school and the same patient approach is expected to take place in 2026. 

 

  • Hook 'Em 6
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, Teryor said:

The Stampede: Six major storylines to monitor for the 2026 recruiting class
 

 

It’s funny, these guys keep selling Ojo and fail to even mention Katoa. At the same time, Gerry’s stated repeatedly that the 3 OL who could call and commit today are Turntine, Katoa, and Robertson. 

  • Hook 'Em 3
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, raw dog said:

What's the level of interest on this kid? He got an offer over the summer. Evidently he's looking to transfer for his senior year, potentially to my kids' school, Davenport.

Jordan Clay, Madison, Wide Receiver

Tall kid, highlights are mostly him Mossing people.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2R20T3

 

I haven't seen much about us trimming our WR list down to top targets, but he's got an offer and has visited a few times so he's clearly on the board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's the level of interest on this kid? He got an offer over the summer. Evidently he's looking to transfer for his senior year, potentially to my kids' school, Davenport.
Jordan Clay, Madison, Wide Receiver
Tall kid, highlights are mostly him Mossing people.
http://www.hudl.com/v/2R20T3
 

Hard to tell if he is any good, Madison couldn’t throw a forward pass this year with absolute trash at QB/play calling.
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, kwood4408 said:


Hard to tell if he is any good, Madison couldn’t throw a forward pass this year with absolute trash at QB/play calling.

Davenport would have better play calling. QB not as certain as it will be a new starter. Also a lower level of competition. Interesting move if it happens. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Davenport would have better play calling. QB not as certain as it will be a new starter. Also a lower level of competition. Interesting move if it happens. 

He needs to move on over to Smithson Valley, we are loaded again this year and sophomore QB taking over as starter has a cannon.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, raw dog said:

What's the level of interest on this kid? He got an offer over the summer. Evidently he's looking to transfer for his senior year, potentially to my kids' school, Davenport.

Jordan Clay, Madison, Wide Receiver

Tall kid, highlights are mostly him Mossing people.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2R20T3

 

He’s legit. Madison used to be loaded back in the day, but they’re god-awful now. He should transfer to neighboring Johnson HS if he wants a step-up in production while staying in 6A, they have a budding QB prospect in that Estrada kid and will open up the offense more for him next year. 

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eh, if he's transferring to get more action y'all don't exactly air it out.

I would say that depends on QB and receivers playing. Threw a ton last year but ran more this year due to roster. The sophomore Ty Knutson played every 3rd series throughout the year and is a pocket passer. When Ty came in it was a passing offense.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gerry Hamilton

 

Texas Jr. Day is set ...

Forney High 4-star+ running back Javian Osborne told OnTexasFootball that Coach Choice and staff have invited him to visit January 25th.

That will be one January junior day for the Longhorns. 

Note: OTF believes a second date is possible CFP playoff run dependent. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, Helobious said:

He’s legit. Madison used to be loaded back in the day, but they’re god-awful now. He should transfer to neighboring Johnson HS if he wants a step-up in production while staying in 6A, they have a budding QB prospect in that Estrada kid and will open up the offense more for him next year. 

Kids at Davenport have heard he's coming for a while now. Of course that's teenagers talking, so who knows?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Underestimate him at your own risk. All-district honorable mentions don’t just grow on trees.

 

Coach: closetojumping, congrats, you got honorable mention All-District. 

ctj: what does “honorable mention” mean, coach?

Coach: it means that someone with honor mentioned you. 

ctj: uh, ok. 

Coach: just kidding! it means you were nominated for All-District and no one voted for you. 

[sad trombone]

  • Haha 6
  • Drool 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Can I get a pronunciation of that name please. 

Same. I just did more than a cursory google search to find the name origination. Only thing I can come up with is it means "you're welcome," in somali. I wonder if he's eastern european based on the double vowel in his last name. Either way it'll be a fun cycle of he commits early of watching everyone misspell and mispronounce his name until a 995er asks the hard question of "how do you pronounce that?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...