The Biggest Misses for the Texas Longhorns on National Signing Day

Here's who Texas missed out on the first day of the early signing period.

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail view of a Texas Longhorns helmet on the sideline during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

As the end of the college football season approaches, so does the Early Signing Day for high school recruits. Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns looked to improve on an already talented recruiting class.

But like every program, not every major target is signed during the early signing period. It's important that we remind ourselves that while the Longhorns are scouting high-level talent, so are many other schools. Many programs may hand out hundreds of offers, but in the end, coaches normally only walk away with 20-30 commitments during the early signing period.

With all that being said, here are some of the biggest targets that the Texas Longhorns missed out on in the early signing period.

Corey Wells, DL - Petal High School

Petal defensive lineman Corey Wells (74) cheers with teammates after a high school football game between Petal and Brandon at Bulldog Stadium in Brandon, Miss., on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Petal defeated Brandon 27-21. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Corey Wells, a defensive lineman from Petal, Mississippi, was one of two defensive linemen to flip their commitment on Wednesday. The interior defender signed with Auburn instead of the Longhorns on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Wells committed to Texas back in early June, only three days after Steve Sarkisian hosted the defender on an official visit. It was in early September that Wells took another official visit to Auburn. The visit likely swayed his opinion on the Longhorns, leading to the flip.

Standing at 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Wells is an unfortunate miss for the Longhorns' recruiting efforts. Wells is currently ranked as the No. 31 defensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting class.

Vodney Cleveland, DL - Parker High School

Vodney Cleveland is the other defensive lineman who flipped his commitment from the Texas Longhorns to North Carolina. Standing at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, the interior defender from Birmingham, Alabama, has shown some incredible offensive line penetration at the high school level.

While Cleveland isn't projected to be a first-year contributor at the college level, he could be a multi-year starter who excels at stopping the run. Cleveland is currently the No. 28 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Malakai Lee, OT - Kamehameha High School

Malakai Lee was one of the more notable names in this year's recruiting class. The Honolulu, Hawaii native garnered offers from over 20 schools, including Washington, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, and Miami. The 6-foot-7 offensive tackle is currently ranked the No. 14 tackle prospect in the 2026 class and committed to Michigan on Wednesday.

Lee is widely regarded as a game-changer for any offensive line and is expected to be a dominant offensive tackle at the college level. While the Longhorns weren't exactly expected to land the star offensive tackle, there was a chance of a flip late in the process, and missing out on a prospect of his caliber shows just how competitive the recruiting scene can be.