Sean Miller has Texas in the thick of a blue-chip recruiting battle again, and this one comes with real weight. The Longhorns are one of six schools still standing for five-star center Darius Wabbington, the No. 2 big man in the class of 2027, and his official visit schedule gives Texas a clear shot to make a move.
Wabbington trimmed his list to Kentucky, Indiana, Louisville, UNC, Arizona and Texas, then lined up three official visits: Louisville on Sept. 11, Arizona on Sept. 25 and Texas on Oct.
- That last stop matters.
Texas is the final visit on a short list, which gives Miller and his staff the chance to leave the freshest impression before Wabbington makes his call.
Arizona, his home-state program, is still viewed as the favorite. On3 has the Wildcats at 32 percent odds to land him, with Texas right behind at 22 percent. That gap keeps the Horns in the race rather than out of it, and for Miller, simply being in that tier says plenty about where Texas sits now in the recruiting conversation.
Wabbington, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound center from Phoenix, already looks the part of a college big man. With another year of high school still ahead of him, there’s room for that frame to get even more imposing.
He’s ranked No. 15 overall in the class of 2027 and No. 2 among centers, which explains why Arizona has chased him for more than a year. Texas got involved quickly too, offering him less than a month after the Wildcats did.
The fit is easy to see on Texas’ side. The Longhorns currently have Matas Vokietaitis, a 7-foot-0, 255-pound center who is coming off an impressive sophomore season and is expected to have a junior year that could push him toward the NBA after the coming season. That would leave a major opening in the middle, and Wabbington has the size and profile to step into it.
For Texas, this is also about momentum. Miller just finished building a No. 16 recruiting class for 2026, but the Longhorns still don’t have a commitment in 2027. Landing Wabbington would be the kind of early strike that can change the temperature of an entire cycle and give Texas a real chance to climb into top-15 territory or better.
In Other News...
Texas May Be Losing Another Key Piece Of Its 2027 Class
Karnell Greedy James has been part of Texas 2027 class since December, but his recruitment is suddenly back in the spotlight with a live commitment coming Thursday. The four-star defensive back is drawing serious attention again as LSU and Notre Dame remain in the mix, and the latest buzz around his future has turned a once-set pledge into one of the more interesting watch items in Texas class.
The larger concern for the Longhorns is not just James alone, but the possibility of a wider LSU push against the top of their class. Texas five-star wide receiver commit Easton Royal is also still being pursued by the Tigers, giving this a chance to become more than a single flip story if the momentum keeps trending the wrong way for the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Is Getting The Kind Of Respect Title Teams Earn
The preseason honors keep piling up around Texas, and the latest batch says as much about the Longhorns ceiling as anything else heading into 2026. The Walter Camp Football Foundation put five Texas players on its Preseason All-American teams, the most of any program in the country, giving Steve Sarkisians roster another layer of national validation before a snap is played.
For Texas, it is the sort of respect title contenders are supposed to earn. Arch Manning is at the center of it, but he is hardly alone, with talent spread across the offensive line, receiver room and both sides of the ball, the kind of balance that usually travels well in the SEC. The real question now is not whether the Longhorns have the names to command attention, but how that recognition translates once the games start to matter in Austin and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Texas QB Room Earns National Respect Behind Arch Manning
Arch Mannings second season as Texas starter is already drawing plenty of attention, and the quarterback room around him is getting its own national spotlight. CBS Sports analyst Blake Brockermeyer ranked the Longhorns No. 2 in the country at the position, a nod to a group that blends a high-profile front man with real depth behind him.
MJ Morris gives Texas an experienced insurance policy after making starts at multiple stops, while KJ Lacey and Dia Bell add the kind of long-term upside that keeps a room from feeling thin. It is a rare combination for any program, let alone one with playoff ambitions, and it helps explain why Texas is being viewed as much more than a one-man operation under center. [Read more 🡒]