Texas has been turning NFL Draft weekend into a regular showcase, and the numbers are starting to back it up.
Since Steve Sarkisian took over in 2021, the Longhorns have climbed back toward the top of college football. Even with last season ending in disappointment and a missed College Football Playoff berth, Sarkisian has built a roster that already looks loaded for 2026. Just as important, he has turned Texas into a place where NFL dreams feel a lot more realistic.
That matters in recruiting, because moving on to the league is one of the biggest selling points in the sport. For high school prospects and transfer portal players, the chance to develop in Austin and get drafted is a major draw. Texas used to have that reputation, and now it is quietly reinforcing it.
The 2025 NFL Draft made that clear. Texas had 12 players selected, trailing only Georgia and Ohio State. Three of those picks came in the first round: Kelvin Banks Jr (New Orleans Saints), Jahdae Barron (Denver Broncos), and Matthew Golden (Green Bay Packers).
The run has not been a one-year spike, either. From 2023 to 2025, Texas produced six first-round picks. This year did not bring another first-rounder, but the Longhorns still sent six players into the draft, with Anthony Hill going first among them in the second round.
That kind of output says plenty about the way Sarkisian is identifying and developing talent. He is bringing in players who can not only help Texas win now, but also project as NFL-caliber prospects. For recruits, that is a powerful message.
The proof is already showing up around the league. Bijan Robinson is an All-Pro talent.
Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Golden are carving out roles at wide receiver. On defense, DeMarvion Overshown is a rising star with the Dallas Cowboys, and Byron Murphy won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
And Texas is not done yet. This year’s roster has several players who could be next in line for draft attention, including quarterback Arch Manning, offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, and defensive end Colin Simmons.
At this point, Texas is functioning a lot like a pro program at the college level. Sarkisian has built something that is producing wins, draft picks, and a clear path to the next level.
In Other News...
Texas Just Lost A Blue Chip Commit Fans Thought Was Safe
Texas 2027 recruiting push took a hit when four-star safety Greedy James changed course after originally pledging to the Longhorns in December. The move came after weeks of speculation, and it is the kind of flip that can sting even when a class is still sitting near the top of the national board.
Even with James gone, Texas is not exactly scrambling to recover. The Longhorns still own a highly regarded 2027 group that remains among the best in the country and near the top of the SEC, which is why this one feels more like a warning sign than a collapse. But losing a blue-chip defender who had been viewed as part of the foundation is the sort of development that keeps a recruiting staff busy long after the headlines fade. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Spears Jr. Just Gave Sean Miller A Huge Texas Moment
Texas basketball has spent the past few years searching for the kind of momentum that can steady a program through coaching turnover and uneven results, and Sean Miller just got a significant boost on the recruiting trail. Marcus Spears Jr., one of the more highly regarded frontcourt prospects in the country, has committed to the Longhorns, giving Texas another cornerstone piece as it tries to build a roster that can hold up in the SEC and eventually make noise in March.
Spears Jr. picked Texas over Arizona, Kentucky and LSU, a win that matters well beyond one signing. The Longhorns have already put together a strong recruiting class and added transfers, and this is the sort of addition that can change the way a roster looks in the seasons ahead, especially in a league where size and depth are never optional. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Wont Believe What A Rival Coach Said About Sarkisian
Big 12 Media Days usually bring their share of sharp edges between in-state rivals, but Joey McGuire took a different tone when the conversation turned to Steve Sarkisian. The Texas Tech coach made it clear he respects what Sarkisian has built in Austin, pointing to the kind of sustained success that has been hard to find at Texas for a long stretch.
For Longhorn fans, the praise lands with extra weight because it comes from across the Red River rivalry line and arrives after Texas has put together consecutive College Football Playoff trips while also navigating the move to the SEC. McGuire acknowledged how difficult the rebuild has been, which is part of what makes the compliment stand out even more, especially with the two programs still operating in the same heated conference landscape. [Read more 🡒]