2026 class recruiting crisis, Longhorns lose nine battles in one week

Sark has made it clear how Texas Football manages NIL.
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The important recruiting month of June has turned sour for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns coaching staff. Three huge official visit weekends gave UT high hopes for an announcement period that would take the Texas class to the top ten, maybe the top five for 2026. Instead, the Horns are searching for answers after losing nine battles over the past week.

Of course, there are six months until the Early National Signing Day. But the recruiting losses suffered by Texas in the past few days will reverberate for years to come. It could all just be bad luck or a coincidence. It could be that Texas, who’s NIL system has been among the industry leaders, just doesn’t allow them to sign every target.

In at least one case, it all came down to money. But NIL riches can’t account for all nine. Sarkisian believes Texas is managing NIL well. And it’s hard to argue based on the success of the last few years. Last recruiting cycle, the Longhorns had the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

“I think NIL has been good for the University of Texas. I think that we’ve managed it the right way. I think we’re fair with our players. We look at the value of the player on our roster and where he might sit. And then we put a number on it and it is what it is. … I feel like so many teams struggle when they don’t know and they’re just grab bagging. They’re reactionary instead of forward thinking. And we try to be forward thinking to try to make sure we get the right nucleus of people in our organization.” — Steve Sarkisian with Colt McCoy

Sark’s recruiting pitch is strong. “I honestly think this is the best place in the country to…

Source link : https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/longhorns/recruiting/2025/07/06/2026-recruiting-class-crisis-texas-longhorns-lose-nine-battles-in-one-week/84484311007/

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Publish date : 2025-07-06 17:04:00

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