Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns Recruiting: Early National Signing Day Superlatives

Texas commits make their pledges official as the early national signing day opens.
Tyler Firtel|
Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and team gesture after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and team gesture after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In this story:

Texas Longhorns

Early National Signing Day for college football is upon us, and the Texas Longhorns are officially securing the members of their 2026 class.

Texas' class ranks eighth in the 247Sports Composite and fourth amongst Southeastern Conference schools with 24 commits, three of which are five stars and 12 that are four stars.

Within its signees, here are five that fall into the following superlatives ahead of their careers on the Forty Acres:

MVP - QB Dia Bell

Bell, Texas' highest-ranked commit of the 2026 cycle per the 247Sports Composite, is the fourth-ranked quarterback in the class. Over the summer, he won Elite 11 Finals MVP, exemplifying his arm talent, footwork, vision, and personability in the Los Angeles-held competition.

Bell is on track to serve as the potential successor to current Texas starter Arch Manning, considering the reality that Manning is likely to stay another year or two in Austin before heading to the NFL.

Due to the injuries that Bell's dealt with late in his high school career, the Florida native could be in a position to redshirt his freshman season as part of his long-term plan within head coach Steve Sarkisian's offense. Much like was done with Manning, Bell will likely develop under Sarkisian's wing before gaining a larger role in his second or third year.

He has been committed to the Longhorns since June 2024 and has been active in attracting other 2026 talent to Sarkisian's program.

Top Defensive Player - LB Tyler Atkinson

The signing of Atkinson brings another top Georgia recruit to the Longhorns, following in the footsteps of 2025 recruit Justus Terry.

Atkinson, the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the 247Sports Composite, committed to Texas on July 15 after receiving 50 offers over the span of his recruitment.

In his evaluation of Atkinson, 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins compared Atkinson to Roquan Smith, describing him as a "highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a defense with his instincts and athleticism." Standing 6-2, the Grayson High School product could help fill the role of junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who seems destined to enter the 2026 NFL Draft this offseason.

Another candidate for this spot is edge Richard Wesley, who also signed with the Longhorns on Wednesday. Wesley was a top-five overall recruit in the 2027 class before reclassifying into the 2026 class. He was originally committed to Oregon before flipping to the Longhorns over the summer.

The No. 6-ranked edge of the cycle, per the 247Sports Composite, Wesley possesses metrics similar to those of Ethan Burke, standing 6-5 and weighing 250 pounds.

Most Versatile - ATH Jermaine Bishop

Texas is welcoming a Travis Hunter-like athlete to the Forty Acres next year.

This past weekend, Bishop showed his offensive, defensive and special teams prowess in Willis High School's third-round playoff win. He accumulated 15 receptions for 328 yards and three touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, a game-sealing interception and a 39-yard punt to pin the opposition deep, per Horns247's Jordan Scruggs.

While he is a four-star in the Composite, 247Sports individually has Bishop ranked as the No. 16 player nationally and the No. 3 player from Texas.

Bishop can be expected to thrive primarily as a wide receiver, but his versatility makes him an exciting prospect to watch as he arrives in Austin and finds his spot within Sarkisian's roster.

Most Underrated - CB Samari Matthews

Texas' defense has shown willingness to rely on youngsters like cornerbacks Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips in its secondary this season. With Malik Muhammad, Michael Taaffe, Jelani McDonald and Jaylon Guilbeau all gone this offseason or next, Matthews could be in line to take on a role in the Texas secondary as an underclassman.

In his evaluation from October, Ivins described Matthews as a cornerback who "projects as a potential multi-year contributor at the Power Four level that can settle in as a trusted starter with his skillset."

The North Carolina native, who committed to Texas over South Carolina, is the No. 11 cornerback in the Composite and possesses high-level speed and physicality that will prove advantageous to his success in coverage at the collegiate level.

Most Impactful from Day 1 - RB Derrek Cooper

Texas' running back situation may complicate this offseason with the potential exits of both Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter, as well as the transfer portal departure of Jerrick Gibson. As a result, Texas will be looking to its younger and incoming players in the backfield, making Cooper a 2026 signee who could have a big role as a freshman.

Cooper chose the Longhorns over plenty of other high-caliber programs, as he received 32 offers and took eight visits in his recruitment, signaling out Texas as "RB-U" during his commitment.

The Florida native, who faced off against Bell in his high school career, is described by Ivins as a back that "can turn short runs into long runs" and someone who "creates yardage in traffic with his timing and cuts." Ivins compared Cooper to former Arkansas and South Carolina back Raheim Sanders, who ran for 1400 yards in his collegiate sophomore season back in 2022.

Across Cooper's high school junior and senior seasons so far, he's tallied over 2000 rushing yards on 8.6 yards per carry and for 30 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. He comes to the Forty Acres as a rusher ready for college-level physicality and who could be a long-term force in the backfield for the Longhorns.

Published
Tyler Firtel
TYLER FIRTEL

Tyler Firtel is a sophomore Journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. He has been writing for Texas Longhorns on SI since May 2025. Firtel also writes for The Daily Texan, currently serving as a senior sports reporter on the women’s basketball beat. Firtel is from Los Angeles, CA, splitting his professional sports fandom between the LA and San Diego teams.

Share on XFollow tylerwf_
Home/Football