2028 Recruit Debunks Texas Longhorns Commitment Report

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UPDATE: Despite the original report from Rivals.com, Pitts has since released a statement that his recruitment is still open, and he has not made a decision as of yet.
"I'd like to announce that my recruitment is still 100% open and that I have not committed to a school yet," Pitts said on x. "I was misunderstood and the things that have been reported do not reflect my intentions. I plan on taking my time with my recruitment before reaching such a big life decision.
Thank you."
The article has now been updated to reflect the clarification from Pitts.
AUSTIN - The Texas Longhorns are still hot on the recruiting trail.
According to reports from Rivals.com, Texas has landed a commitment from 2028 four-star edge rusher and offensive tackle King Pitts out of Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa, CA).
Pitts now becomes the first commitment of the 2028 class for the Longhorns. He made his commitment just before kickoff ahead of the Longhorns' Saturday matchup against the UTEP Miners.
He picked the Horns in large part due to his family ties in the state of Texas, and the vibe that comes along with playing at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
“Texas is actually a great school,” Pitts told Rivals.com. “It’s in a division I always wanted to play for. I have family in Texas, so it wouldn’t be too far for family. The ambience is great, the stadium is great, I went there before with my dad. It’s a great school.”
One of the best in California

The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder ranks as the No. 61 player in the nation, the No. 7 offensive tackle in the country, and the No. 4 player in the state of California, per 247Sports. He is also listed as a four-star recruit. As an edge, Pitts ranks As the No. 77 player in the nation, No. 9 edge rusher and No. 6 player in California according to On3.
Pitts picked the Longhorns over offers from San Jose State, Sacramento State, Utah, UCLA, Arizona, Boise State, UNLV, North Carolina, Fresno State, Arizona State, SMU, and Florida State.
With his commitment, Texas has now continued its footprint in the state of California, which has become a major pipeline for the program under Steve Sarkisian.
Texas currently sits with 10 players on the roster from California, including receivers DeAndre Moore and Aaron Butler, offensive tackle Brandon Baker, tight ends Spencer Shannon and Jack Endries, and defensive tackle Josiah Sharma.
Five-star Richard Wesley, who is one of the cornerstones of the Longhorns' 2026 class, is also a California native. The Longhorns' 2026 class currently ranks as one of the best in the nation, sitting at No. 5 in the nation, and No. 2 in the SEC behind the Georgia Bulldogs. USC currently ranks as the No. 1 class in the 2026 cycle, followed by Georgia, Oregon (which lost Wesley in a flip to Texas), and Notre Dame
Texas' lone commit of the 2027 class thus far, edge rusher Taven Epps, also calls California home.

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writers’ Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014, covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.
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