Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns Among Finalists For The Top 2027 DB Recruit

The Longhorns continue their aggressive pursuit of the 2027 class
Carter Long|
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian enters before a game against the Texas El Paso Miners.
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian enters before a game against the Texas El Paso Miners. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns have fully set their recruiting sights on the class of 2027.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff currently have the No. 9 class next year, but they continue to fire on all cylinders.

That includes landing Texas in the final top-six of one of the top recruits in the nation.

No. 1 Safety in Class of 2027 Honor Fa'alave-Johnson Lists Texas in Final Top-Six

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian takes a photo after game against the Oklahoma Sooners | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, the No. 1 safety and top player in California in the class of 2027 according to 247 Sports composite rankings, recently announced his top-six schools via Hayes Fawcett on X.

Take a look:

While the Longhorns made the list, they still have an uphill battle if they want to land the touted defender.

247 Sports lists the Cathedral Catholic product as leaning towards either the nearby USC Trojans or the always enticing Alabama Crimson Tide. That being said, they have yet to release a 'Crystal Ball' prediction for Fa'alave-Johnson, meaning the race is still wide open.

The Longhorns and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp are heavily interested in the safety. Muschamp even made him a priority visit on a recent recruiting trip.

This should come as no surprise to who are familiar with both Fa'alave-Johnson and Muschamp. Fa'alave-Johnson is one of the most versatile and athletic players in the country and would be an absolute weapon in Muschamp's blitz-heavy scheme.

Calling Fa'alave-Johnson 'versatile' is an understatement. Not only did he dominate various assignments in the defensive backfield, he also racked up over 2,000 combined yards and 30 touchdowns as a do-it-all back for the California 1-AA runner-up.

Calling Fa'alave-Johnson 'athletic' is a similar under-sell. The Max-Preps Junior All-American was clocked at 22.7 miles per hour, half a mile-per-hour faster than any other 2027 prospects.

That time is also faster than anyone in college football in 2025, according to Reel Analytics.

On top of being a hyper-athlete and ultimate utility-man Fa'alave-Johnson also has a natural feel for the game.

As a runner, he has a knack for making one cut and getting north in a hurry. As a safety, he has a nose for the ball, coming up with 40 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble last season.

It is easy to see why Muschamp is making Fa'alave-Johnson a target for Texas. However, the Longhorns will need to make an aggressive push to steal the talented safety from USC's backyard.

The Longhorns landed the top safety in the class of 2025, Jonah Williams, however he was from Galveston, Texas's Ball High School.

Still, Texas has shown a willingness to recruit from all over the country and will no doubt continue to pursue the best players regardless of their state.

Published
Carter Long
CARTER LONG

Carter Long is a sophomore Journalism and Sports Media student at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a general sports reporter for the Daily Texan on the baseball beat. Long is from Houston and supports everything H-town.

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