Four-star wide receiver Peyton Smith has made his interest in Texas pretty clear. The missing piece, though, is the one that matters most: an actual offer from the Longhorns.
Smith, a Texas native, has been repeatedly sharing Texas content and praising the program after attending the team’s summer camp this year. Still, head coach Steve Sarkisian has not yet put an offer on the table for the wideout.
Smith even posted, “ALL GAS 28! Grateful to be on this journey! @TexasFootball @ciege81 @TXHRecruiting @InsideTexas @RecruitLP @CoachEvans93 #HookEm pic.twitter.com/vkwoyaANGX” on June 17, 2026.
Rivals and 247Sports both list Texas as still not having offered Smith, even though 18 Division I programs already have. That group includes in-state Power Conference schools Texas Tech, TCU, and Houston.
Despite that, recruiting insider Sam Spiegelman believes the connection between Smith and Texas is strong enough that once the offer comes, a commitment could follow quickly. Spiegelman has already logged a crystal ball prediction for Smith to land with the Longhorns, backed by 65 percent confidence.
Smith is ranked as the No. 12 wide receiver in the class of 2028 and a top-100 overall prospect, which makes Texas’ continued silence a little notable. But the numbers also suggest an offer is likely coming at some point, especially with other wideouts already sitting ahead of him in the class, including fellow Texans Jaylen Addai, the No. 3 receiver and a five-star, and Damarion Mays, the No. 10 receiver and a four-star.
Earlier this summer, OnSI listed Smith among the prospects expected to attend Texas’ camps, where the staff could evaluate players in person instead of relying only on highlight tape. JD Andress wrote, “Some big names will be on campus for camps,” and added, “A few names that stand out in the mix are Micah Rhodes, Austin Attalah, Jamarios Canton, Deshawn Simmons, Jai'Storm Knight, Dillon Mitchell, and Peyton Smith.
That's a solid list of players that the Longhorns have shown interest in, and the feeling has been reciprocated by those recruits as well. Getting a foot in the door and an early chance to be the leader in their recruitment could be a massive victory for the coaching staff.”
That mutual interest from both sides makes Smith look like a recruit moving in Texas’ direction. He also reposted Spiegelman’s tweet about the Longhorns pursuing another top recruiting class, which included mention of Texas viewing Smith as a target.
For now, the situation is simple: Smith appears eager to be a Longhorn, and he grew up just three hours from Austin. Texas just has to make the move and send the offer.
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