Texas Longhorns Flip 2026 Big Ten Tight End Commit Charlie Jilek

With a commitment from Charlie Jilek, the Longhorns may have addressed an extremely important problem for their incoming 2026 class.

Nov 1, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian observes the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

On Thursday afternoon, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the No.10 Texas Longhorns got some welcome news as Minnesota commit Charlie Jilek has decided to flip his commitment to Texas.

Instead of playing linebacker as a Gopher, Jilek will be heading to Austin as a tight end after his high school career concludes.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 TE Charlie Jilek has Flipped his Commitment from Minnesota to Texas, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’5 225 TE from Portage, MI had been Committed to the Golden Gophers since October 1st⁰⁰“Hook ‘Em🤘”⁰⁰https://t.co/hGB3JqrgH7 pic.twitter.com/wCiBLWyK2w

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 14, 2025

The UCF Knights, who were also trying to flip the Minnesota commit, also planned to have Jilek play tight end rather than linebacker.

At 6-foot-5, weighing 225 pounds, it's no surprise that Sarkisian wants to convert the former linebacker into a weapon for the Texas offense. Jilek is ranked the No.22 prospect in Michigan for the 2026 class and ranks in the top 100 for all 2026 athlete recruits.

What Caused Jilek to Flip His Commitment?

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after a touchdown during overtime against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Part of why Jilek has decided to come to Texas is because of the pro-style offense that the Longhorns run. The senior from Portage, Michigan, also gave high praise to Coach Sarkisian and his staff, saying that it's a great opportunity to get developed by some of the best in the country.

“They want me as an all-down tight end in a pro-offense," Jilek told Horns247. "It's a tremendous opportunity to be developed and coached by the most talented coaches in the country. The SEC is the highest level of football and a dream come true.”

Jilek was offered by Minnesota on Sept. 28 and finally decided to commit to the Gophers on Oct. 1. Only a couple of days ago, the linebacker took an official visit to Minnesota. On Nov. 13, Jilek officially received an offer from the Longhorns and committed to Texas on the same day.

For a player like Jilek, heading down South to compete in the SEC is a no-brainer. Not only will the tight end get developed by some of the best coaches in the country, but he'll also get the chance to compete against some of the best programs in college football. Getting to compete in the toughest conference in America is hard to pass up.

As a senior, Jilek has appeared in four games for Portage Central, getting reps both as a linebacker and a tight end. Defensively, the senior has totaled 15 tackles and 1.0 tackle for a loss. On the offense, Jilek has caught three passes for a total of 22 yards and one touchdown.

After missing out on several of their top tight end targets in the 2026 class — including Keawe Brown, Kaiden Pothro, and Heze Kent — the commitment from the Portage Central senior gives Texas a much-needed tight end for next year's incoming freshman class.