Texas could be getting a real look at its next receiver target this weekend, and the timing makes the whole thing even more interesting.
With five-star wideout Easton Royal having flipped from the Longhorns to Florida just a couple of weeks ago, Steve Sarkisian and Texas appear to have shifted their attention to three-star Jacob Thomas. The catch: Thomas is currently pledged to Pittsburgh.
Still, Thomas is set to be in Austin for Texas’ game against Mississippi State, giving the Longhorns a chance to put their program in front of him at exactly the right moment.
I Will Be In Austin , TX For The Mississippi State Game This Weekend!! #HookEm
- Jacob Thomas (@1gump_) October 27, 2026
Thomas doesn’t come with Royal’s star billing, but he does bring the kind of speed and agility Texas likes to stockpile at receiver. A player with that profile would also fit neatly alongside the other pass-catching pieces already in the Longhorns’ 2027 class, which includes Briceson Thrower, Kyron Brown, Brock Williams and JT Geraci.
There is still plenty of work to do before Texas can seriously push here. Thomas, who is from the greater Miami area, chose Pitt over several Power Conference programs, including Florida State and Miami. Since that commitment in March of last year, he has kept taking both official and unofficial visits around the country, and the trip to Austin is simply the latest stop.
The visit matters because it gives Thomas a chance to see what Texas has to offer. It also gives Sarkisian and his staff their own chance to decide whether they want to move forward at all, because the Longhorns have not yet offered him.
That makes this weekend a sorting-out trip as much as a recruitment visit.
Thomas is a top-100 prospect out of Florida in the 2027 cycle, and his offer list already includes programs such as Miami, Georgia and Indiana. Texas is behind in this race, but the Longhorns are at least getting a seat at the table now.
The broader picture helps explain why this visit matters. Texas’ 2027 class already features 13 blue-chip recruits and nine other elite commits, led by five-star interior offensive lineman Ismael Camara and five-star running back Landen Williams-Callis.
The class is ninth nationally and fourth in the SEC, behind Texas A&M, Florida and Oklahoma. Landing a player like Thomas would be the kind of addition that could give the class a jolt in the rankings.
In Other News...
Trevor Goosby News Leaves Texas Facing A Bigger NFL Reality
Trevor Goosbys season has come to an abrupt end after the Texas left tackle underwent successful surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon, a procedure performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Cooper. The Longhorns will have to move on without one of their most important blockers the rest of the way, but the bigger picture around Goosby still points well beyond this year.
Even with the injury, he is still projected as a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which says plenty about how scouts view his long-term ceiling. The expectation is for a full recovery with no residual effects, so while Texas has to absorb the immediate loss, Goosbys next chapter remains very much on the radar. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans May Not Expect How Reachable This Halloween Game Feels
The appetite around Texas football has not cooled at all, even with the calendar still pointing toward the back half of the season. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium sold out all of its 2026 home games before the year even began, extending a run of full houses to five straight seasons and underscoring just how hard it is to find a seat in Austin once the Longhorns are on the schedule.
Still, the upcoming Texas-Mississippi State matchup is one of those rare games that feels a little more reachable than the average sellout. Tickets are only showing up on resale sites, but the going prices are relatively modest for a Texas home game, with some listings starting under $100 depending on the platform. For fans who want a shot at Halloween weekend in the stadium, this one may be easier on the wallet than most of what comes through Austin. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces A Real Depth Test Against Mississippi State
Texas heads into its matchup with Mississippi State needing more than just its usual stars to carry the load. With the Longhorns dealing with some recent injuries and uneven stretches on both sides of the ball, this feels like the kind of game where depth matters as much as top-line talent. Players such as Michael Terry III, Derrek Cooper, Cam Coleman and Michael Masunas could all factor into the offense, while the defense will be watching for help from Justus Terry, Colton Vasek and Kade Phillips.
For Texas, the stakes go beyond one Saturday in the SEC grind. The Longhorns have shown enough recent success to suggest there is real upside here, but the next step is proving the roster can absorb attrition without losing momentum. Mississippi State presents a chance for those younger and less established contributors to turn opportunity into impact, and how the Longhorns handle those roles could say plenty about how sturdy this team really is. [Read more 🡒]