Texas will get a close look at one of the country’s top recruits when Ohio State five-star defensive line commit Marcus Fakatou is set to be in Austin for the Longhorns’ Sept. 12 matchup with the Buckeyes, according to reports from On3.
That visit gives Steve Sarkisian and his staff a chance to keep pressing for a potential flip in the 2027 class, even with the Longhorns also focused on the 2026 season and the bigger goal of building toward a national championship run in Austin.
Fakatou is a major name on the recruiting board for a reason. He is listed as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the class, the No. 1 player in the country, and the No. 12 overall prospect in the country.
At 6-foot-7 and 275 pounds, he has mostly lined up as an edge defender, though his size and upside also give him the flexibility to move inside and create problems there as well. He wins with power, using a bull-rush to drive through blockers, but he has also shown enough finesse to get into the backfield in different ways. That combination makes him look like a potential impact player at the next level.
Even with Texas getting him on campus, this is far from a simple recruitment. Fakatou is committed to Ohio State, and the Buckeyes will be the team lined up against Texas when he makes the trip.
Ohio State has been viewed as the leader for much of the process, though Texas stayed in the mix for a while after spring visits to Austin and house visits from Sarkisian and LaAllen Clark.
Muschamp has kept pushing to flip him, and the Longhorns now have another opening to make their case. Fakatou wants to show the coaching staff some love and get on campus, and a win over Ohio State could matter in that battle.
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