Texas Longhorns Lose Two Legacy Recruits In One Week

When it comes to recruiting, programs must anticipate that they will lose some battles.

Top prospects earn offers from such a wide range of strong programs, making it logistically impossible to earn every commitment.

That being said, two losses that the Texas Longhorns suffered on the recruiting trail this week were particularly puncturing.

Jalen Lott and Kaden Finley will take their talents elsewhere

Despite being Longhorn legacies and in-state prospects, four-star wide receivers Kaydon Finley and Jalen Lott have opted to head north for their collegiate careers.

Finley committed to Notre Dame on July 4, while Lott committed to Oregon on July 8.

Lott is the higher-ranked of the two by most sites, with 247Sports placing him as the No. 5 Athlete in the country and No. 8 overall prospect in Texas.

His father, James Lott, played quarterback at Texas from 1983-1985, and his mother, Fey Lott, played basketball for the Longhorns too. Jalen attends Panther Creek High School in Frisco, Texas, making his ties to both the state and the university undeniable.

But, if his personal connection with the Forty Acres doesn’t make his decision to become an Oregon Duck a heartbreaking one, his statistics as a high school athlete might do the trick.

Lott accumulated 85 receptions for 1,111 yards and 16 TDs on 13.1 yards per catch during the 2024 season. He ran 18 times, logging 106 yards and four touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry, and he completed two of two pass attempts for 55 yards and a touchdown.

The dual-sport athlete has also demonstrated the athleticism inherited from his Longhorn parents through a successful tenure in high school track & field. He became a Texas 4A silver medalist in both the high jump and long jump during his junior year, recording respective distances of 6-10 and 23-7.25. He also competed in the USATF National Junior Olympics in July 2024, where he won the title in the long jump and achieved bronze in the high jump.

This proven athletic strength could make him an asset at Oregon in the years to come.

The Longhorns missed out on another dual-sport standout in Finley. His father, Jermichael Finley, played tight-end at Texas from 2005-2007 and then for the Green Bay Packers from 2008-2013.

Finley goes to Aledo High School, where he spent his junior season racking up 81 receptions for 1,432 yards and 21 TDs on 17.7 yards per catch. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 14 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 15 overall recruit in Texas.

He also played a key role during his sophomore season, a season in which Aledo went 16-0 and won the Texas 5A D-I state title. As a track & field athlete, Finley posted a time of 11.47 in the 100 as a sophomore in Spring 2024.

247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks describes him as a “massively productive receiver with a solid, sturdy build in the 6-foot, 200-pound range and gifted with big hands.” Brooks believes that he “projects as a valuable asset in a high-major receiver room who could follow family footsteps to the pro level.”

That being said, he will be developing at a different program than his father did.

Finley expressed respect for both the Longhorn coaching staff and its players, but he ultimately decided to pursue a different path.

Although the Longhorns remain in decent shape in terms of recruiting, losing battles for in-state legacies leaves a different type of soreness.