Texas Longhorns Included Among 7 Finalists For 5-Star Forward

Texas basketball is under a new regime after firing former head coach Rodney Terry and hiring new coach Sean Miller. A target for Miller and his new coaching staff will be five-star forward Anthony Thompson in the 2026 recruiting class, who has begun to narrow down his list of decisions.

According to Orange Bloods' Jalen Brown, Thompson has narrowed his decision to seven schools: Michigan, Ohio State, North Carolina, Purdue, Indiana, Kentucky and Texas. The No. 2 small forward in the nation according to 247Sports, Thompson, will be a sought-after target for Texas basketball.

What Can Thompson Bring to the Texas Longhorns

Thompson is No. 2 in the nation at his position and the No. 8-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting class overall. Standing at 6-foot-7 and 185 pounds, Thompson could be a problem for opponents on the court.

"A skilled lefty forward with extreme shot-making potential, and length to match, Thompson is a tremendously gifted offensively prospect," 247Sports' Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein said. "The southpaw leans back into a high release that is virtually unblocked and allows him to make tough shots with very little separation. He’s capable of making both threes and pull-ups in bunches, and is already a potential shooter."

Thompson has a total of 32 offers, but only recently decided to narrow his list to seven. Competing with a few blue bloods of college basketball, the Longhorns would need to pull out all the stops to secure Thompson's commitment.

Like many programs, Texas is still looking for its first recruits of the 2026 class. Now under a new head coach, recruits may be paying close attention to the Longhorns in the 2025-26 season.

Miller was hired by Texas in late March, less than a week after his former team, Xavier, defeated Rodney Terry's Texas team in the NCAA March Madness Tournament first four bracket.

At Xavier, Miller had two stints as head coach, with his initial tenure lasting from 2004-09 and, more recently, his second stint from 2022-25. In that time frame, Miller finished with a 185-87 (.680) record and six March Madness appearances, including one trip to the Elite Eight.

The Longhorns are looking for a successful start to the Miller era at Texas, as they prepare to embark on its second season in the SEC. A conference ripe with competition on the court and home to the defending national champion Florida Gators, Miller will have a difficult task ahead of him this season. If they do impress, perhaps Texas can pull a highly rated recruit such as Thompson.