Texas is still waiting on five-star running back Landen Williams-Callis, but the Longhorns are already stacking up encouraging signs for the next recruiting cycle.
Williams-Callis is expected to decide in just over a week, with Texas, Texas A&M and Missouri all in the mix. His announcement is set for Saturday, Aug. 1, and the Aggies appear to be the team leading the push for his commitment.
While that process plays out, Texas picked up a different kind of momentum on the 2028 trail. Recruiting insider Sam Spiegelman of On3 and Rivals logged three crystal ball predictions in the Longhorns’ favor, all for blue-chip prospects who would give Steve Sarkisian’s program another strong lift.
CJ Whaley, a four-star athlete from Atlanta, TX, drew a 65 percent confidence prediction from Spiegelman. Whaley is a two-way player with offers from across the Lone Star State, and Texas is already sitting at 97.8 percent to land him. No other crystal balls have been submitted in his recruitment.
Micah Rhoades, another four-star running back from Texas, also landed a 65 percent confidence prediction for the Horns. Rhoades is reportedly choosing between Texas and Oklahoma, with the Longhorns holding 86.1 percent odds and the Sooners at 6.8 percent.
The strongest of Spiegelman’s three picks went to Jai’storm Knight, a four-star offensive tackle from San Antonio. Texas is viewed as the heavy favorite there, with 95.7 percent odds compared with Texas A&M’s 1.4 percent. Spiegelman gave that projection a 70 percent confidence rating.
Texas has already started building its 2028 class, with four-star quarterback Neimann Lawrence in the fold. Sarkisian also put together a strong 2027 group, headlined by five-star cornerback John Meredith III, wide receiver Easton Royal and an interior offensive lineman.
If the Longhorns can keep adding names like Whaley, Rhoades and Knight, the early signs point toward another class that could finish inside the top 10 nationally, and maybe even the top five.
In Other News...
Former Texas A&M Star Arrested After Heartbreaking Family Incident
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Investigators say the circumstances pointed to severe negligence, turning what began as a domestic emergency into a legal matter with major consequences. For Longhorns fans who remember the broader college football rivalry landscape, it is another grim reminder of how quickly off-field decisions can spill into tragedy, leaving a family to deal with the aftermath while authorities continue their review. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got A Crucial Ahmad Hardy Update Before Missouri Trip
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For Texas, the timing matters because Missouri is also sorting out its offense under a new starting quarterback in Austin Simmons, the Ole Miss transfer who has already been handed the job. The Longhorns will spend the week preparing for a Tigers team with some significant moving parts, but Hardys uncertain availability leaves one more layer of intrigue in a game that already had plenty of it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Nearly Landed A Star SEC Back After Key Staff Move
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Texas, meanwhile, has continued to stock the room around Juluke with new talent, bringing in transfers Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown along with freshman Derrek Cooper. The Longhorns clearly had enough pull to make themselves part of Baughs conversation, even if that door never fully opened, and Julukes presence in Austin only adds another layer to what Texas is trying to build at running back. [Read more 🡒]