Texas Longhorn Football Recruiting

[jbcarol]

Former Arizona DL Tiaoalii Savea commits to Texas

by:
Nick Kosko
•

Former Arizona defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea signed with Texas



Savea entered the transfer portal earlier this month. He is now on his third school after starting his career at UCLA.

As a member of the Class of 2021, Savea was a four-star recruit out of Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines.

In two years with the Wildcats, Savea made 19 appearances. He played in 12 of Arizona's games this season, tallying 22 tackles, six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks

A blocked field goal attempt helped Arizona upset No. 9 UCLA 34-28 at The Rose Bowl.

[jbcarol]

Aledo '26 ATH Raycine Guillory gave a verbal to Steve Sarkisian and Texas

[jbcarol]

Texas trending for coveted in-state wide receiver Kelshaun Johnson

by:
Keegan Pope

Texas is already off to one of the hottest starts in the 2025 recruiting cycle nationally, with five early commitments by the end of January.

That includes one of the nation's top quarterback prospects, K.J. Lacey. And now Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are looking to add playmakers around him. Texas already has commitments from four-star athlete Lance Jackson and four-star tight end Emaree Winston, but they're trending to add one of the top receivers in the state as well.

The Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) heavily favors the Longhorns for Houston (Texas) Hitchcock four-star wideout Kelshaun Johnson. That follows an expert prediction from recruiting insider Gerry Hamilton

[jbcarol]

Texas trending for 4-star RB Rickey Stewart Jr. after SMU decommitment

by:
Keegan Pope
•

Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill four-star running back Rickey Stewart Jr. decommitted from SMU on Wednesday, and the Texas Longhorns have quickly become the team to beat.

He was pledged to the Mustangs since June 11 over the likes Oregon, Michigan, Alabama and the Longhorns. Stewart, however, wanted to re-evaluate his options and chose to reopen his recruitment.

"I am thankful for SMU offering me a chance to be a part of their program, but I need to take more time to focus on making the best decision for my future, therefore I am opening up my commitment," Stewart wrote.

[jbcarol]

Bond, Isaiah Bond

Steve Sarkisian calls Alabama transfer WR Isaiah Bond 'electric'
by:
Griffin McVeigh
•

Quinn Ewers might be returning for another season but his receiving weapons are all leaving the program. Texas will be losing its top three WRs plus tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, leaving Steve Sarkisian with the job of restocking the room. Mission was certainly accomplished through the NCAA transfer portal, with Isaiah Bond being the top addition.

Sarkisian spoke out on Bond for the first time Wednesday:

"Electric receiver for us," Sarkisian said. "Guy that we recruited hard out of Buford High School in Georgia. Went to Alabama and had a tremendous year for them this year. Great deep ball player, deep threat, elite speed. We think there's more to his game than just that."

Bond will forever be remembered in Tuscaloosa for what he did in Auburn this past season, pulling off the 4th and 31 miracle in the Iron Bowl. He also made a huge play in the SEC Championship game against Georgia on a fourth down, leading to an Alabama touchdown in the first half.

[jbcarol]

Texas trending for coveted 4-star LB Elijah Barnes
by:
Collin Ginnan
•

One of the most coveted linebacker prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Dallas Skyline four-star Elijah Barnes took a handful of visits to schools around the state of Texas in January. Included on that list was Texas. Now, the Longhorns lead for Barnes.

Texas insider Charlie Williams logged an expert prediction with a 60% confidence level favoring the Longhorns in Barnes' recruitment. Texas now leads with an 89.6% chance of landing Barnes, per the RPM.

Barnes met with head coach Steve Sarkisian and new linebackers coach Johnny Nansen when he visited Austin last month.

[jbcarol]

Longhorns Recruiting: 2025 commit breakdown
by:
Hunter Shelton
•

Texas once again cashed in on the recruiting trail, landing a top-10 class in the 2024

Texas currently has the No. 8 class in the nation — which also checks in at No. 3 in the SEC and No. 1 in The Lone Star State.

Texas Class Breakdown
The class was kicked off with a bang back in June, as Saraland (Ala.) four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey pledged to the Longhorns.

"So some of the main things that stood out to me about Texas were how much they value relationships," Lacey told On3 upon his commitment.

Lacey has since been flanked by four others since December. Calhoun (Ga.) four-star tight end Emaree Winston and Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie four-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown committed to UT on back-to-back days.

Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek three-star EDGE Anthony Williams and Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove four-star athlete Lance Jackson each pledged in January to add some in-state defensive flair

[jbcarol]

Texas trending with top targets in the 2025 cycle
by:
Keegan Pope
•

With the winds of a College Football Playoff appearance at their backs, Texas is looking to capitalize with yet another elite recruiting class under Steve Sarkisian's...

Since he took over the helm, the Longhorns have finished no worse than No. 6 in Team Recruiting Rankings in back-to-back-to-back years.

The 2025 class is another loaded one in the state of Texas, with more than 60 @Blue-Chip  in the Lone Star State.

And the Longhorns are already trending:

4-star WR Marcus Harris
School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 139
On3 RPM: Texas 91.9%, Oregon 2.0%, Colorado 1.2%

Intel: "Not only is his main recruiter in Chris Jackson a Mater Dei alum himself, but Marcus Harris has seen Sarkisian and company swing through the home of the Monarchs on several occasions in the past few years. Former teammates like Spencer Shannon and Brandon Baker are now on the 40 Acres, and Harris may be the next...

4-star LB Elijah Barnes
School: Dallas (Texas) Skyline
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 105
On3 RPM: Texas 89.6%, SMU 3.8%, TCU 1.2%
Intel: "Elijah Barnes and his family are a big fans of Texas and dialed into UT recruiting. ..."

4-star RB Rickey Stewart Jr.
School: Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 284
On3 RPM: Texas 96.3%, SMU 2.3%

Intel: "Four-star RB Rickey Stewart was on campus for Texas' star-studded junior day on January 20. Left The Forty Acres with an offer. ..."

4-star WR Kelshaun Johnson
School: Houston (Texas) Hitchcock
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 204
On3 RPM: Texas 94.4%, Texas A&M 2.4%

The Skinny: "Kelshaun Johnson has been on campus at Texas multiple times and made his way back to Austin last month for Junior Day. 5-foot-11.5, 165-pounder playmaker has been high on the horns..."

[jbcarol]

Top-100 TE Kiotti Armstrong schedules Texas official visit

by:
Collin Ginnan
•

Jasper (Texas) four-star tight end Kiotti Armstrong posted on social media Wednesday that he will take an official visit to Texas (June 21-23).

Armstrong's Texas official visit follows a planned visit to Austin for an unofficial visit in April. He has also scheduled an OV to Texas A&M (June 13-15) and additional unofficial visits to see the Aggies (March 30 and April 6).

6-foot-5, 246-pound Armstrong previously took unofficial visits to Texas A&M, Texas and LSU prior to the February recruiting dead period.

"I liked the environment and how the coaches react to the players, and they're very honest with you," Armstrong told Inside Texas in January. "I just liked the atmosphere and the people. Liked Austin too."

He was able to get one-on-one time with Steve Sarkisian and Jeff Banks.

[Blue-Chip]

Bad, Bad, BAD......

[jbcarol]

Dia Bell visits Texas

Possible commitment looms

by:
Keegan Pope
•

Signing Day is more than 20 months away for Class of 2026 prospects, but Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage four-star quarterback Dia Bell is off and running in his recruitment.

Our nation's top junior signal-caller is in the midst of a slate of visits that includes Miami, LSU, Texas, Pittsburgh, Penn State, West Virginia, Auburn, and North Carolina during the months of March and April.

On Tuesday, Bell — who is the son of former NBA standout Raja Bell —



Commitment will come when he has that 'gut' feeling
Not many signal-callers in the 2026 class are pledged to a school at this time. But with some quarterback recruits locking in their spots with schools early on, Bell has considered an early commitment.

He is discussing a timeline with his parents and is looking at multiple options —

[jbcarol]

Aledo athlete Raycine Guillory gave a verbal to Sark and UT.

This Class o' '26 RB is not yet rated.

[jbcarol]

Sark provides update on recruiting within the state of Texas

by: Griffin McVeigh
•

Recruiting in college football is not too regionalized anymore. Big-time programs will go anywhere in the country to acquire the best talent in the country, with the best example being the state of Texas. Not just Texas and Texas A&M wind up winning out for the state's top players.

"They're tough," Steve Sarkisian said on in-state recruiting battles. "A lot of great players in the state of Texas. In my opinion, it's the best football in the country. Best coaches. The high school coaches here do a tremendous job developing their players. But everybody in the country recruits the state of Texas. So, there's some great battles."

Look no further than the 2025 recruiting class as an example, where the top two players in the state are already committed. Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Dakorien Moore is a verbal to LSU while five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez committed to Ohio State.

Move back one cycle where the state's top two players, once again, went elsewhere. Quarterback DJ Lagway is already drawing rave reviews at Florida while Houston area linebacker Justin Williams projects to be a star under Kirby Smart and the Georiga Bulldogs.

Out-of-state programs are not afraid to recruit elite players despite the presence of Texas and Texas A&M.

"Hopefully, as we continue to build our brand and our development of players and what we're doing as a team and how our players get treated in our program that overtime, that continues to get recognized," Sarkisian said. "If you want to recruit the best players, you're going to be in some heavyweight fights with some of the best programs in the country."

At the same time, Sarkisian is not afraid to go outside state borders if he believes they are a better fit for the program.

Talent acquisition is priority No. 1

[Blue-Chip]

Sarkisian is losing ground fast to Elko, who has a totally different approach than Jumbo... Elko & staff are working every school, getting every coach and anyone else associated with football, on campus to see the facilities. Elko took a Longhorn Legacy DL (2025) today.  And has a lineup of 5* Texas Kids on campus..

[jbcarol]

WR Jaime Ffrench (sic) visiting Texas this weekend

by: Hunter Shelton
•

Texas is one of the many programs that has pushed hard for Jacksonville Mandarin four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench following his decommitment from Alabama in January.

Ohio State, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Tennessee are among those charging hard for the elite pass-catcher, but Ffrench is set to head to Austin for a visit with the Longhorns this weekend, he confirmed on Thursday.

Texas is charging for a top-10 recruiting class this cycle, and Steve Sarkisian and Co. are hopeful Ffrench could become a centerpiece pledge on The Forty Acre. Ffrench has also already locked in a June OV with the Longhorns as he works through his recruitment --

for the second time.

[jbcarol]

2025 LB Anthony Williams decommits from Texas Longhorns

by: Collin Ginnan

Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek three-star linebacker Anthony Williams has decommitted from the Texas Longhorns, per his social media.

"First off I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play this game and have the chance to play at the next level," Williams wrote. "The University of Texas has been nothing but great to me and I can't thank them enough, but I have made the decision to decommit from The University of Texas. My recruitment is officially reopened."

Williams is the nation's No. 501 overall prospect, No. 51 linebacker and No. 87 recruit from Texas in the 2025 cycle

Texas Class Breakdown
The class was kicked off with a bang back in June, as Saraland (Ala.) four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey pledged to the Longhorns.

Lacey has since been flanked by four others since December. Calhoun (Ga.) four-star tight end Emaree Winston and Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie four-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown committed to UT on back-to-back days.

Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove four-star athlete Lance Jackson pledged in January to add some in-state defensive flair

[Blue-Chip]

Longhorns ranked 26th, 4 commits. 
Top commit Lance Jackson, Landon's brother.

[jbcarol]

Texas hosting pair of in-state 5-stars this weekend

by: Hunter Shelton

Forty Acres is a recruiting hotbed this weekend, as Steve Sarkisian and Texas look to build an elite 2025 recruiting class.

Longhorns are hosting a loaded list of elite recruits, including a pair of in-state five-stars in Galveston Ball five-star linebacker Jonah Williams and Sachse five-star wide receiver Kaliq Lockett.

[jbcarol]

Stewart Jr commits to Texas

by: Hunter Shelton
•

Chapel Hill four-star running back Rickey Stewart Jr has committed to Texas.

He chose the Longhorns following his decommitment from SMU on Jan. 31.

Stewart is the No. 282 overall prospect and No. 22 tailback in the 2025 cycle. He's also the No. 51 player in Texas.

Longhorns remained involved for the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder and got him to The Forty Acres for a Junior Day visit in January. He backed off his pledge to the Mustangs soon after, was back on campus this weekend and is now a part of a growing 2025 class under Sark and Co.

Texas Class Breakdown
The addition of Stewart brings Texas back to five pledges in the 2025 cycle. The class now ranks No. 10 in our nation.

[jbcarol]

WR Jaime Ffrench (sic) takes Texas visit

by: Hunter Shelton
•

Sarkisian and the Texas staff had their hands full this weekend, as a host of elite prospects were on The Forty Acres for a major couple days of recruiting.

There were plenty of impressive pass-catchers in Austin, including Jacksonville Mandarin four-star WR Jaime Ffrench. He'll return for an official visit this summer, but this weekend was an important one as the Longhorns looked to cement their status as a contender for the former Alabama pledge.

@CoachSark
!! Hook 'em

[Blue-Chip]

jbcarol, are you hooked on Longhorns?  Longhorn Network (on3)?
You've missed other SEC, 4 stars committing while announcing every visitor to swing through Austin...
I told y'all they'd take over, did they buy you out?

[jbcarol]

DJ Sanders will take June OV to Texas

by: Collin Ginnan
•

Justin Wells@justinwells2424

'25 Bellville (Texas) four-star DL DJ Sanders was back on the 40 Acres.

He'll take an unofficial to Michigan on Monday. Texas OV on June 21-23. #HookEm

@InsideTexas
 
@On3Recruits

[Blue-Chip]

LOL 

[jbcarol]

Texas moving needle with in-state 5-stars

Big visit weekend

by: Hunter Shelton
•

If you're an elite 2025 prospect in the Lone Star State, chances are you were in Austin visiting Texas over the weekend.

Sark and the Longhorns are gunning for an elite recruiting class this cycle, and after the Longhorn City Limits event, that looks all the more likely.

Plenty of top recruits have sounded off on how impressive The Forty Acres felt —

Longhorns entering the mix for Williams
"I think the more visits Jonah Williams takes, the merkier and cloudier this recruitment gets," Wiltfong said. "He had a fantastic visit in Austin. He told me the coaching staff is great and he said they check all the boxes for what he wants in a college. He says hopefully he'll make it back up there. Texas is putting their best foot forward in this recruitment."

Lockett 'blown away' by trip to Austin
Texas is the team currently trending for Lockett, though again, there's no shortage of suitors. The Longhorns made the Sachse High product feel like a top priority and will welcome the No. 2 WR in the nation back for an official visit down the road.

"Talking to him, talking to his dad, it was a visit that blew that family away. They're coming back for an official visit in June," Wiltfong said.

Texas working to flip Five-Star Plus+ WR Dakorien Moore away from LSU
Duncanville (Texas) five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore pulled off a bit of a stunner last fall when he committed to LSU.

The decision came with very little leadup or fan fare

[jbcarol]

4-star LB Elijah Barnes commits to Texas Longhorns

by: Hunter Shelton
•

Dallas Skyline four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes has committed to Texas.

He chose the Longhorns while also holding offers from the likes of Florida State, A&M, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Auburn and more.

Barnes is the No. 108 overall prospect and No. 14 LB in the 2025 cycle.