Texas Longhorns Latest Recruiting Loss Shows In-State Competition in New NIL Scene

The Texas Longhorns are one of seven Power Four schools in the Lone Star State -- the others being the TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Tech Raiders, Baylor Bears, Texas A&M Aggies, SMU Mustangs and Houston Cougars.

Texas is the only to have a national championship in the college football modern era. The Longhorns have the most NFL draft picks out of the programs. And they have two College Football Playoff appearances since the format started in 2014, with TCU and SMU the only other schools to have one.

Texas' status as the focal point of Lone Star football has been essentially unquestioned recently. But in the new landscape of college sports with NIL and revenue sharing, a lot changes, especially when it comes to recruiting.

That was shown on Friday when five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech over the Longhorns. Ojo is the No. 1-ranked player from the state of Texas, the No. 2-ranked offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 7-ranked player overall in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He becomes the highest-ranked recruit in Texas Tech football history.

Ojo's commitment to Texas Tech over Texas

The Red Raiders were not supposed to be finalists for Ojo heading into his decision. That category included Texas, the Ohio State Buckeyes, Florida Gators and Michigan Wolverines. But with a fully guaranteed three-year, $5.1 million offer, per On3, Texas Tech was able to bring him to Lubbock.

Contract-style commitments and negotations with agents are a very new reality to college recruitment, yet have quickly become a vital factor in the process. Texas Tech is at the forefront of the new revenue sharing era, publicizing its comprehensive plan to transform Red Raider programs towards the top level. And you can't blame athletes for taking part in it.

"Football is a brutal sport, and athletes are not able to play professionally until their graduating class has been in college three years," Ojo's agent Derrick Shelby said to ESPN. "It was important to be able to secure Felix Ojo's future and give him and his family some security as he continues to develop into a first-round NFL draft pick."

Ojo was a priority target for head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive coordinator Kyle Flood. The Longhorns offered Ojo back on June 1, 2024 at a Texas camp. He later went to the Forty Acres for Junior Day on January 25 and returned for his official visit last month, on June 13. The Longhorns impressed Ojo on his visit, with current left tackle Trevor Goosby hosting him.

As a result, the Longhorns seemed to be the leader of the pack until Rivals' Sam Spiegelman and Steve Wiltfong logged expert predictions for Ojo to land in Lubbock less than 24 hours before his decision.

Texas Tech's NIL offer was too much for the Longhorns to surpass. Ojo even trolled Texas during his live commitment, making the disappointment of losing out on him sting even more.

This cycle, with Ojo's outcome and Texas A&M's impressive 2026 class, is a reminder to Texas to not get complacent when it comes to in-state recruiting. Despite Austin's relevance as the home of an SEC powerhouse, predictability goes out the window with all the money being thrown around in this new landscape of college sports.

Texas is still in a great position with its 2026 class after a strong month on the recruiting trail. The Longhorns currently are ranked No. 13 in the 247 Composite after adding in-state four-star offensive lineman John Turntine III on Friday.