Texas is getting another crack at a blue-chip defensive lineman, and this one comes with a familiar backdrop: Michigan slipping, Texas surging, and a recruit already lining up another look at the 40 Acres.
Earlier this week, recruiting insider Cody Carpentier reported that Xaiver Muhammad, a four-star defensive line prospect in the class of 2027, has scheduled a visit to Texas even though he remains committed to Michigan.
Muhammad is rated as a top-10 defensive lineman in the cycle, and he pledged to the Wolverines in May under new head coach Kyle Whittingham. But with Michigan’s first season under Whittingham going sideways, the possibility of losing top-end talent is starting to loom.
Texas has a HISTORY of closing big names on that weekend.
Intel: https://t.co/DenjgdjtoA pic.twitter.com/Bo3w5XH0zl
- ᴄᴏᴅʏ ᴄᴀʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪᴇʀ (@CodyCarpentier) November 3, 2026
Whittingham’s debut in Ann Arbor has not gone the way Michigan hoped. The Wolverines are 5-3 and sitting 11th in the Big Ten, and the bigger issue, at least from the outside, is that Whittingham has not connected with the program in the way Michigan fans expect from their head coach. The result is a recruiting opening Texas is eager to exploit.
Muhammad’s next trip to Austin is set for Week 12, when Arkansas comes to town. That gives the Longhorns a chance to showcase a rivalry atmosphere in front of a recruit who is already on their radar.
It also helps that Muhammad is a Texas native from just outside Houston. Texas offered him on Oct. 22, and two days later he was already on campus for his first unofficial visit. Now he’s planning to spend more time around Steve Sarkisian and the staff, which only strengthens Texas’ push to flip him.
When Muhammad committed to Michigan, he had already heard from several Power Conference programs in Texas, including Texas Tech, Houston, TCU and SMU. But with the way his recruitment is trending, Texas looks like the program with the most pull.
Texas and Arkansas are set to play Saturday, Nov. 21, and the Longhorns should have a chance to make a strong impression with Muhammad watching from the sidelines.
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