Where the Texas Longhorns Go Next After Missing on 5-Star WR Monshun Sales

After failing to land Monshun Sales, where do the Texas Longhorns turn to on the recruiting trail?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Longhorns are one of the most highly anticipated teams for the 2026 season, as the program is consistently making headlines as one of the favorites to win the national championship and return the trophy to Austin for the first time in over 20 years.

With those expectations on the field, they also follow head coach Steve Sarkisian off the field as well, including onto the recruiting trail. Tasked with landing top talent in the country, they often find themselves on the losing end of recruiting battles.

The latest one comes after missing out on five-star receiver Monshun Sales, who chose the Indiana Hoosiers over the Longhorns. Now Sarkisian will turn his attention to retaining his recruiting class and working to flip a few names as well.

Retention is the Key

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas players take the field for warm up at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It came down to the wire for the Longhorns in the Sales battle, with the Hoosiers as the other team. Unfortunately for Sarkisian and his staff, this recruiting battle didn't go the way they would have liked, and while missing out on Sales is a huge blow, it would have just been adding to the riches in the class.

Sales, who was the No. 2-ranked receiver in the class, would have joined current Longhorns commit Easton Royal, who is the No. 1-ranked receiver in the country for the 2027 cycle. Ideally, having both would have put the Longhorns class over the top, but with Royal still committed, the Longhorns will shift their focus to retaining him.

Locked in a heated recruiting battle on that front as well, especially as the LSU Tigers are making a significant push to flip him to stay home, the Longhorns will need to do everything they can to keep him. With extra NIL available after Sales went elsewhere, the Longhorns could further sweeten their recruiting package to Royal to strengthen his loyalty.

Sarkisian and his staff will also focus on retaining the rest of the class, and with potentially more recruits on the way, the Longhorns are far from done adding to the class. There are some flip opportunities available to the Longhorns that they could pursue, more so on the defensive side of the ball at the linebacker role as well.

The priority lies on keeping Royal committed for the cycle and keeping the rest of the top-five class committed through signing day.

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