Fourth of July has become more than fireworks and cookouts in college football. In the last decade, it’s also turned into a prime time for recruiting fireworks, with some of the sport’s biggest names making their calls on July 4 and changing the trajectory of entire programs.
One of the most recent splashy wins came when five-star wide receiver Kaliq Lockett, a 2026 prospect, picked Texas Tech over Ohio State and Texas. Lockett is still just a true freshman this fall, but the Red Raiders landed a player with massive upside and a deal that is expected to pay him at least $775K annually over three years. It was the kind of recruiting shock that sent a clear message: Texas Tech is a real player in the NIL era.
A year earlier, Oregon pulled off a massive victory of its own by landing Dakorien Moore, the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2025 class. Moore was chased by Oregon, Ohio State, LSU, and Texas, but the Ducks came out on top and secured the top recruit in program history.
He backed up the hype right away, helping Oregon reach the College Football Playoffs for a second straight year. Moore finished fourth on the team with 34 catches, fifth with 497 receiving yards, and tied for fourth with three touchdown receptions.
Miami also got a foundational piece on July 4 when Francis Mauigoa committed to the Hurricanes. Mauigoa was the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2023 class and chose Miami over Tennessee and Alabama before Mario Cristobal coached his first game in Coral Gables.
The move paid off in a big way. Mauigoa started 42 straight games at right tackle, earned All-American and All-ACC honors this past season, and was taken No. 10 overall by the New York Giants.
Ohio State has made a habit of landing elite talent from everywhere, and five years ago to this day, the Buckeyes went into Washington and got JT Tuimoloau. The five-star defensive lineman was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2022 class and turned down Washington, USC, and Oregon for Columbus.
After a steady first couple of seasons, Tuimoloau exploded in 2024, piling up 61 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles as Ohio State won the national championship. He was then selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and spent his rookie year in a backup role with the Indianapolis Colts.
Caleb Williams was another July 4 headliner, and his recruitment had all the usual heavyweight suspects involved. The No. 2 quarterback in the 2021 class narrowed things to Oklahoma, LSU, and Maryland before choosing Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley.
Williams eventually took over the starting job from Spencer Rattler midway through his true freshman season and flashed the talent that would define his career. After that year, he followed Riley to USC, where he set multiple records, including 52 total touchdowns in a single season and 4,919 total yards of offense in a single season.
Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and went No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s now coming off a run to the divisional round, highlighted by his comeback against the Green Bay Packers, and that rise helped land him on the cover of Madden 27.
Tee Higgins helped kick off the July 4 trend before it really became a trend. He had been headed to Tennessee, then reopened his recruitment after his future position coach left for another job.
Clemson won out over Tennessee, Florida State, Ohio State, and Ole Miss, and that decision came a decade ago. Higgins went on to become one of the best receivers in Clemson history, finishing his junior season with 59 catches for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Even now, seven years after his college career ended, he remains tied with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammie Watkins for Clemson’s all-time touchdown reception lead with 27. Higgins has spent the last six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes last year, and is signed to a four-year, $115 million contract.
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Steve Sarkisian Watching Local Talent Slip Toward Texas Rivals
A local name is moving closer to the finish line in the 2026 recruiting cycle, and it is not one Texas has been pushing hard for. Jaiden Fields, the Hutto standout who has drawn attention as both a wide receiver and strong safety, has built his profile into that of a legitimate two-way target, but the Longhorns have not been central in his recruitment as the decision day approaches.
Fields is expected to announce his commitment on July 7, and the shape of this one matters for Texas because the programs still in the mix include several familiar rivals. For a player from just north of Austin, this has the feel of a homegrown evaluation the Longhorns let drift, and the next move will say plenty about how much ground Steve Sarkisian's staff still has to make up in its own backyard. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Has One 2026 Schedule Problem Longhorn Fans Will Hate
Texas is staring at the kind of 2026 schedule that can make even a deep roster feel every bit of the grind of SEC life. The Longhorns are projected to see Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M, four programs that were all in the previous College Football Playoff, while also navigating matchups that could carry ranking implications against Tennessee, Ole Miss and Florida. Add in the coaching turnover around the league and the fact that Texas still has a path to the SEC title and the national picture, and the margin for error looks thin before the season even starts.
The part that should really catch Longhorn fans is how the back half lines up. Texas is set to close with a brutal run that includes road trips to Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M in the final four games, with Arkansas at home mixed in, and that kind of finish can wear down even a contender. There is also the added wrinkle of timing, from the flex-scheduled LSU game to a Friday night trip to College Station, which only sharpens the sense that the Longhorns may have to survive their toughest stretch before they ever get to think about December. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Sarkisian May Have Finally Solved Texas' Biggest Roster Debate
Steve Sarkisian has spent the last few years trying to build Texas the way he wants it built, with elite recruiting classes doing the heavy lifting and the transfer portal filling the gaps when needed. The result is a roster that feels more complete than the Longhorns have had in a while, especially with key pieces coming back and a handful of offseason additions giving the staff more answers at multiple spots.
The bigger question now is whether that depth finally solves the lingering issue around the supporting cast and gives Arch Manning the kind of help this offense has been missing. Texas has tried to address that problem while staying true to Sarkisians preferred style, and if the retention and reinforcements hold up, this could be the roster that lets the Longhorns stop talking about potential and start cashing it in. [Read more 🡒]