Surging SEC power Texas winning on the recruiting trail, too

Texas' football recruiting is thriving so far during the Longhorns' first year in the powerhouse SEC. To be fair, the Longhorns had their share of recruiting wins as long-time member of the Big 12. The SEC is on a different level when it comes to college football, though.

The Longhorns (2-0) — ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll — dominated defending national champion Michigan on the road last weekend and seem to be a significant contender to return to the College Football Playoff , which expands to 12 participants this season.

High school prospects are noticing Texas' success on the field and with the Longhorns now playing in the loaded SEC, that makes the program even more enticing to top-flight recruits.

On Thursday, Texas scored a verbal commitment from 2026 five-star prospect Zelus Hicks, who is rated the No. 1 safety in the 2026 class by ESPN . The standout junior at Carrollton (Ga.) High School checks in at No. 25 overall, No. 3 at safety and No. 5 in Georgia via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite .

Heavyweights such as Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Southern California were also in pursuit of the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Hicks, who explained his ultimate decision to On3 director of recruiting Chad Simmons .

"Texas is a top program," Hicks said. "I want to be an impactful player that is competing for championships at a top program like Texas. They are elite with elite players. I can come in, make an impact and help the program keep winning."

According to recruiting services, Texas boasts 2025 and 2026 classes that are each ranked in the top seven nationally. Assuming the Longhorns (2-0) continue to fare well this season, that would help Texas' recruiting efforts even more.

Over the past few weeks, the Longhorns have snagged verbal pledges from at least four highly ranked 2025 prospects . They include five-star athlete and top-10 national prospect Jonah Williams, five-star wide receiver and top-20 national prospect Jaime Ffrench, four-star offensive lineman Nick Brooks and four-star defensive lineman Myron Charles.

Looking further out to the 2026 class, with Hicks on board, Texas has three verbal commitments in this cycle.

Per 247Sports, the Longhorns are also heavily involved with numerous other outstanding 2026 targets , including five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, five-star offensive lineman John Turntine III, four-star defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton, four-star athlete Jalen Lott, four-star running back Javian Osborne and four-star wide receiver Jordan Clay.

Per the 247Sports Composite, from 2015 to 2024, Texas had an impressive eight top-10 recruiting cycles . Yet, with the Longhorns suiting up in the nation's top football conference these days, Texas now has a legitimate opportunity to contend for the No. 1 recruiting class year after year.