John Meredith's New Uniform Number Could Signal Big Things Ahead for Texas Freshman

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian broke some surprising news during SEC Media Days in Tampa last month when he revealed at the podium that five-star cornerback commit John Meredith III would be reclassifying to 2026 in order to join the roster for the upcoming season.

Meredith was denied eligibility for his senior season at North Crowley, which ultimately led to the decision to reclassify. His departure marked a notable loss from Texas' 2027 class, but it gave the coaching staff a chance to breathe knowing that Meredith is officially becoming a Longhorn with no risk of flipping his commitment as the 2027 recruiting cycle continues.

Meredith now enters his freshman year as one of the youngest players in college football, but you would hardly think so based on the new uniform number he's reportedly set to wear this fall.

John Meredith III to Wear No. 0 Next Season

Texas Longhorns helmet during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

According to reports from OnTexasFootball, Meredith will be wearing No. 0 next season after sporting No. 9 in high school.

Though new Texas running back Raleek Brown is already wearing No. 0 on offense, college rules allow each number to be worn by at least one offensive player and one defensive player.

The No. 0 jersey is one that's often coveted by many players, but usually only the best of the bunch on any given roster are given the privilege of wearing it.

Jersey numbers don't win or lose football games, but many Texas fans on social media pointed to Meredith's new uniform number as a sign that the Longhorns believe he's set to do big things on the Forty Acres. It's not a coincidence that some of the most notable Longhorns to wear No. 0 in recent seasons includes Anthony Hill Jr., Ja'Tavion Sanders, DeMarvion Overshown and DeAndre Moore Jr.

No. 0 isn't a jersey number that gets thrown around handed to a little-known walk-on.

Whether or not this Meredith will have an impact as soon as this season remains to be seen. Sarkisian said at SEC Media Days that he's not sure when exactly Meredith will be ready to step in and make an impact considering how late in the offseason he's joining the team and learning Will Muschamp's defense.

"So for us to get him now, we'll see how far we can take him," Sarkisian said. "Like I told he, I told his mom, Coach Muschamp, Coach Orphey, we don't have an expectation on him of a timetable. We're going to coach him. We're going to develop him. When he's ready, I think he'll be good enough to play. How long that takes to get him ready? That's going to be the race. That's the challenge."

"Week 1, Week 4, Week 8? I don't know. I do know he's got the right competitive spirit. I do know he's got the skill set and the ability to be a good player for us. How long it takes, we'll find out."

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