Texas Longhorns Drop in Recruiting Rankings But Still Finish With Elite Class

As the sun sets on Early National Signing Day, the Texas Longhorns have a lot to be grateful for, including three five-star recruits, 12 four-stars and the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2026.

That being said, they also suffered multiple critical losses on the recruiting trail.

With this action-packed day in the books, here’s where Texas stands in comparison to other top classes:

Texas drops in the rankings after two commitment flips

Nov 1, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads his team on to the field before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Despite signing several talented recruits, Rivals’ 2026 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings couldn’t overlook the fact that both four-star defensive linemen Corey Wells and Vodney Cleveland flipped to the Auburn Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels, respectively.

The Longhorns had started the day at No. 7, but have dropped to No. 11 as of the evening of Dec. 3. The No. 7, 8, 9 and 10 spots now belong to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Miami Hurricanes, Texas A&M Aggies and LSU Tigers.

While this drop isn’t ideal for Texas, the recruits it has now officially obtained could help make a major impact on the field as soon as next season. A few players highlighting the class include five-star athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr., five-star running back Derrek Cooper, five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and four-star defensive lineman James Johnson.

Following the decommitment of Wells and Cleveland, Johnson became the only defensive lineman to sign early to the Longhorns. However, what he seems to be capable of as a prospect could help make up for the fact that they lack strength in numbers when it comes to this position group.

Early National Signing Day has become much more common for football recruits in the past few years, meaning that classes are more set than they used to be by this time of year. As it stands, the Longhorns have locked down several talented players to help build their future.

However, they will likely have to look to the transfer portal to fill in a few other needs. Especially given the fact that they are subject to losing at least a couple of players to the portal, along with other integral team members to the 2026 NFL Draft, looking for the missing puzzle pieces will be an ongoing process throughout these next few months.

With a rocky 2025 regular season in the books and very low odds of making the College Football Playoff, Texas will likely have closure about the postseason soon and the freedom to attack offseason efforts like recruiting with a higher level of focus.