After wrapping up a 10-3 season with an emphatic 41-27 Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, Texas football kept the momentum rolling into the offseason. The Longhorns closed out National Signing Day with a 2026 recruiting class that’s both deep and loaded with top-end talent, finishing with 24 high school signees and at least 13 additions from the transfer portal.
Headlining the class is five-star quarterback Dia Bell out of Florida, a big-time arm out of Mater Lakes Academy who’s viewed as a future cornerstone for the program. Bell joins a quarterback room led by Arch Manning, and while he may start his Texas career as a backup, there’s no question this is a long-term investment in the most important position on the field.
Joining Bell as five-star signees are linebacker Tyler Atkinson from Georgia and edge rusher Richard Wesley out of California. Atkinson is a sideline-to-sideline force with elite instincts, while Wesley brings explosive power off the edge-exactly the kind of presence Texas needs in the trenches after some defensive inconsistencies this past season.
The Longhorns also landed four-star athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr. from Willis, a versatile talent who could contribute on either side of the ball. In total, Texas brought in three five-stars, 13 four-stars, and eight three-stars, finishing with the No. 7 overall class in the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
That No. 7 slot places Texas third among SEC programs, trailing only Alabama (No. 3) and Georgia (No. 6). USC and Oregon topped the national rankings, but Texas still finds itself firmly in the upper echelon of recruiting classes, especially considering the program’s aggressive work in the transfer portal.
One of the biggest portal gets? Former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, a dynamic playmaker expected to be a major weapon for Manning in 2026. It’s clear the staff prioritized giving their quarterback more tools, and they delivered.
Over at ESPN, Craig Haubert ranked Texas’ class even higher-No. 3 in the nation, behind only USC and Oregon. That makes it back-to-back years in the top three for Texas in ESPN’s rankings. Haubert highlighted Bell as a “build for the future” and called Wesley “a big add” for a defense that needed more juice up front.
While the 247Sports ranking of seventh is technically the lowest of the Steve Sarkisian era, it’s important to keep in mind the context: Texas is now recruiting against the best of the best in the SEC, and still holding its own. This class is filled with players who can contribute early and others who project as long-term program changers.
Here’s a full look at Texas’ 2026 signing class, with rankings based on 247Sports’ composite:
5-Star Recruits:
- QB Dia Bell, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
(Mater Lakes Academy HS)
- LB Tyler Atkinson, Lawrenceville, Ga.
(Grayson HS)
- DE Richard Wesley, Sylmar, Calif.
(Sierra Canyon HS)
4-Star Recruits:
- **ATH Jermaine Bishop Jr.
**, Willis HS
- DE Jamarion Carlton, Temple HS
- OT John Turntine III, North Crowley HS
- DL James Johnson, Fort Myers, Fla.
(Miami Northwestern HS)
- LB Kosi Okpala, Mayde Creek HS
- DB Samari Matthews, Charlotte, N.C. (Hough HS)
- OL Nicolas Robertson, Klein HS
- WR Kohen Brown, Waxahachie HS
- WR Chris Stewart, Pearland Shadow Creek HS
- **CB Hayward Howard Jr.
**, New Orleans (Edna Karr HS)
- LB Rocky Cummings, Carlsbad, Calif.
HS
- ATH Toray Davis, Thornton, Colo.
(Fairview HS)
3-Star Recruits:
- RB Jett Walker, Georgetown HS
- S Yaheim Riley, Austin Anderson HS
- OL Kaden Scherer, Georgetown HS
- TE Charlie Jilek, Portage, Mich. (Central HS)
- P Mikey Bukauskas, Prosper HS
- K Jake Collett, Ringgold, Ga.
(Heritage HS)
- LS Trott O'Neal, Prestonwood Christian HS
Texas fans should be encouraged by the balance of this class. There’s firepower on offense, reinforcements on defense, and a solid mix of instant-impact players and developmental prospects. Add in a strong haul from the transfer portal, and the Longhorns look poised to keep trending upward as they continue their SEC transition.
The road ahead in the SEC is never easy-but with this kind of talent infusion, Texas isn’t just trying to keep pace. They’re building to compete at the top.