Recapping the Texas Junior Day weekend

The Longhorns kicked off the 2026 recruiting cycle by hosting blue-chip recruits and building relationships with other targets and potential targets across cycles.

With the 2024 season in the rearview and the 2025 class (barring any late additions) already signed, sealed, and delivered, it is officially time to start familiarizing yourselves with the 2026 recruiting class for the Texas Longhorns.

Blue-chip recruits from across the country and other targets and potential targets across classes made their way to Austin over the weekend for the Junior Day, and so far the returns have been positive for the Longhorns.

Fresh off of another trip to the College Football Playoff Semifinals, head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are looking to capitalize on their on-field performance by getting off to a strong start with their priority recruits for the 2026 cycle.

After securing the No. 1 recruiting class in 2025, Sarkisian and company are looking to lay the foundation towards building another one in 2026.

Let’s take a peek at some of the storylines we are keeping an eye on coming out of Junior Day weekend.

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QB commit Dia Bell recruiting OL

Texas prioritized getting Dia Bell into their class early on and making him their ring leader and bell cow for the cycle. The elite quarterback prospect and son of former NBA player Raja Bell was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Florida after throwing for 2,597 yards and 29 touchdowns while also rushing for 561 yards and an additional five touchdowns.

Over the weekend, Bell had his recruiter cap firmly on and one of his primary focuses was getting in the ear of some of the state’s top offensive linemen.

Felix Ojo, Max Wright, Zaden Krempin, Drew Evers, and Pupungatoa Katoa are all high on the Texas staff’s recruiting big board and they will be looking to take a hefty number along the offensive line with the position room needing to be beefed up. The tackle position in particular will be a high priority after not being able to flip Michael Fasusi from Oklahoma in the 2025 early signing period.

With players like Ojo, Wright, and John Turntine all looking like tackle takes for this cycle, I will be curious to see how the staff manages the numbers at the position.

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Texas trending for three blue-chip visitors

Following these events everyone wants to know who committed are who may be on the cusp, so let’s take a look at some of the targets that have received positive Texas buzz coming out of the weekend.

The Longhorns trending for three blue-chip targets in four-star EDGE rusher Jamarion Carlton, four-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, and four-star safety Chace Calicut after On3’s Steve Wiltfong entered Texas picks for all three following their weekend visits to Austin.

Obviously it is still very early in the cycle, but landing these three prospects would be a very nice kickstart for Texas on the recruiting front. Both Carlton and Ojo are premium players at premium positions and figure to be high-effort recruitments until the ink is dry, while Calicut is one of the latest studs to come out of the Galena Park North Shore talent factories.

Texas has earned credibility on the recruiting trail with on-field results and development that leads to the NFL Draft picks. That credibility is manifesting into early-cycle momentum that could carry over into the summer when we start seeing official visits roll around.

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Texas makes the top five for Pupungatoa Katoa

More good news for Kyle Flood and his offensive line big board — Euless Trinity offensive lineman Pupungatoa Katoa announced he has narrowed his recruitment down to five programs following his trip to Texas over the weekend.

The Longhorns, along with Oklahoma, SMU, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. round out Katoa’s top five. Each of the programs will likely host the giant offensive linemen for an official visit, with Tennessee already on the docket for the weekend of June 20th.

We know Flood loves him some big humans and Katoa fits that blueprint. We will see how things continue to progress in this recruitment, but it probably won’t hurt that Texas will have a couple of offensive linemen in Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams hear their names called early in the NFL Draft later this spring.

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Texas legacy Kaydon Finley opts to seeNotre Dame

Ready to feel old? Aledo wide receiver Kaydon Finley is one of the top wide receiver prospects in country and he is also the son of former Longhorn tight end Jermichael Finley. The Texas legacy was slated to be in Austin over the weekend for the Junior Day, but he instead opted to head to South Bend and see Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.

On one hand, it is a bummer when a guy you are prioritizing shows up elsewhere on weekend you were hoping to have him in for. On the other hand, Finley being a Texas legacy likely means he has been to the Forty Acres more than any other place in the country. The Horns still look to be in a fine position for him longterm and his detour to South Bend doesn’t seem to be giving off bad vibes to the folks in Austin.

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Texas hosts two of the nation’s best running backs

Tashard Choice is going to be a busy man this cycle because the Texas running backs coach is aiming very high at his position and two of the top five running backs in the country reside in the state of Texas this cycle.

Carthage unning back KJ Edwards and Forney running back Javian Osborne were both on campus over the weekend and both are top-100 prospects overall this cycle.

Osborne has Texas and Michigan out in front early and Texas figures to factor in to the decision process for Edwards. The Longhorns took two backs in 2025, but they will absolutely be taking two more given the amount of talent at the position in-state and nationally in 2026.