Steve Sarkisian is getting a full-court recruiting press Saturday as Texas hosts Ohio State, with 30 prospects set to be on hand for one of the biggest games of the season.
The No. 4 Longhorns are taking on the No.
1 Buckeyes, but the matchup on the field is only part of the mission for Texas. Sarkisian and his staff are also trying to make the most of the moment on the recruiting trail, using the top-four showdown to put the program in front of a massive crowd of blue-chip talent.
Rivals and On3’s Steve Wiltfong summed up the scale of the visit list this way: "every elite player known to man" will be on the 40 Acres this weekend.
A major chunk of that group is already pledged to Texas. The Longhorns will welcome a strong lineup of commits, headlined by five-star wide receiver Easton Royal and five-star interior offensive lineman Ismael Camara. They’ll also have five-star running back Landen Williams-Callis, four-star tight end Brock Williams, four-star defensive lineman Kasi Currie, four-star safety Junior Tu'upoe, four-star cornerback Brandon Sherrard, four-star EDGE Jabarrius Garror, four-star wide receiver Briceson Thrower Jr., and four-star quarterback Neimann Lawrence, who is part of the 2028 class.
Those ten committed prospects give Texas a built-in recruiting assist. Sarkisian’s staff will not only be working to keep them locked in, but also leaning on them to help sway the rest of the visitors - especially the 20 recruits who are either uncommitted or already tied to another program.
The lone prospect in that latter group who is currently committed elsewhere is four-star linebacker Sean Fox, who is pledged to Will Stein and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Texas will be paying especially close attention to a six-player group that recruiting insiders believe is already leaning toward the Longhorns. That list includes five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright, five-star safety James Foster III, four-star athlete CJ Whaley, four-star offensive tackle R’Monie Edwards, four-star running back Micah Rhodes, and four-star wide receiver Damarion Mays, all members of the 2028 class and all uncommitted.
There’s also another cluster of 13 visitors who are less clear-cut, either because they appear to be moving in another direction or because insiders simply aren’t sure where they stand. That group includes five-star wide receiver Jaylen Addai, five-star edge Kameron McGee, four-star interior offensive lineman Kendrick Harris, four-star tight end Xevien Brinson, four-star defensive lineman Jamarcus Johnson, four-star defensive lineman Geraci Carson, four-star offensive tackle Mac Horton, four-star athlete Jay’Maree Bowens, four-star cornerback Dominic Butler, four-star defensive lineman Caleb Tucker, four-star defensive lineman Stephan Harrison, three-star interior offensive lineman Hunter Hill, and three-star EDGE Malik Muhammad, all from the 2028 class.
For Sarkisian, the day carries two jobs at once: handle Ohio State in a marquee game, and make sure Texas leaves the weekend with even more momentum on the recruiting front.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Showed Texas Fans Something Bigger Than His Viral Fall
Before Texas even got to the opening kickoff, Arch Manning had already given Longhorns fans a moment they were not expecting when he was knocked down by a bystander in the tunnel before the first game of the season. The scene spread quickly online and became one of those viral pregame clips that seemed destined to overshadow everything else, but Manning handled the moment with humor in his media availability and then turned the focus back where Texas wanted it.
Once the ball was in his hands, Manning showed the bigger takeaway for Texas was never the stumble itself. He settled in and delivered a strong performance, completing 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, a response that mattered far more than the replay circulating on social media. For a fan base watching closely, it was a reminder that the noise around Manning can be loud, but his play on the field can still speak the loudest. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Gives Texas An Edge Money Usually Complicates
Arch Mannings name carries its own kind of gravity, and at Texas that now extends well beyond the huddle. Reported to have a $2.5 million contract for the current college football season, the Longhorns quarterback is still operating in a space where multiple NIL endorsement deals can add to his profile without turning him into the most expensive player in the sport.
For a program like Texas, that matters because money can so often become a source of noise, especially when revenue sharing and roster expectations are part of the conversation. Instead, Mannings setup may give the Longhorns a cleaner kind of edge as they get ready for No. 1 Ohio State, with the focus staying on the field rather than on the usual complications that can follow a high-priced quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Answer One Costly Question In Ohio State Rematch
Last seasons matchup with Ohio State offered Texas a reminder that good stretches of offense do not always add up to enough. The Longhorns moved the ball at times but left with a blank in the most important part of the field, and head coach Steve Sarkisian has pointed to that issue as one of the biggest lessons carried forward into this years rematch.
There is more confidence around the offense now, with Cam Coleman added at receiver and Arch Manning showing more pocket presence and decisiveness. Even so, the challenge remains the same for Texas in a game of this size: turn opportunities near the goal line into points, because against Ohio State the margin for error figures to be razor thin again. [Read more 🡒]