Texas Gets Major Recruiting News on Saturday
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Texas Longhorns and Steve Sarkisian get an unexpected call from a top recruit just days before his official visit was set to take place
McKeogh is a 6’7″, 280-pound offensive tackle. He took an official visit to Notre Dame over the weekend. He is in his final three, with Texas and Penn State still in the mix. McKeogh praised the tradition and energy of the Notre Dame program. He also praised the academic and football prestige that the school has to offer. He said that playing alongside all those players and commits would be something he can see himself doing.
Since then, the scholarship offers have been rolling in fast. The Longhorns joined the fray extremely late (just within the last month or so), but that didn’t stop McKeogh from immediately announcing that Texas is in his final three.
Oddly, McKeogh rushed to make a commitment, praising Notre Dame for things he never gave Texas the chance to match.
“I just feel that it’s where I fit in best,” McKeogh told On3. “All those guys that surround the program feel like me and are people who I can surround myself with for the next couple years. You are who you surround yourselves with and aside from the great academic and football prestige that’s what they’ve got.”
McKeogh took his official visit to South Bend over last weekend.
“The environment was really something to see,” McKeogh said. “From the beginning to the very end it was all about the tradition and energy of the program. Even all the players had that energy and had the idea of presenting the program that they believed in. The way Coach Freeman and Coach Rudolph can develop me is really exciting. “Playing alongside all those players and commits would be something I can see myself doing.”
We’ll see if the big man ends up hitting Austin this weekend, or if he’s shutting it all down without being as thorough as he can be.
Texas Gets Major Recruiting News on Saturday
Four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland announced his commitment to Texas on Saturday. The Parker High School product is ranked the No. 5 defensive lineman in the nation. Cleveland becomes Texas’ highest ranked defensive player in the class. The Longhorns now hold 14 commits for the 2026 cycle and the class is led by five-star quarterback Dia Bell.
Texas’ football program is in the middle of a massive recruiting weekend.
While Steve Sarkisian’s staff is currently hosting several of the top recruits across the country for the 2026 class, the Longhorns received a verbal commitment from a player who visited Texas last weekend.
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Four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland announced his commitment to Texas on Saturday. The Parker High School (Birmingham, AL) product is ranked the No. 5 defensive lineman in the nation and the No. 4 overall prospect in Alabama for the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. In 2024, Cleveland recorded 50 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Earlier this week, several recruiting predictions were entered in favor of the Longhorns to land Cleveland after he took an official visit to Texas on June 13.
Cleveland initially committed to Alabama last October but his pledge lasted under two months. After decommitting from the Crimson Tide in December, Cleveland took official visits to Florida, Georgia, Auburn, UNC, Texas and Miami.
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His commitment bumped Texas’ 2026 recruiting class to No. 12 in the nation per 247Sports. The Longhorns now hold 14 commits for the 2026 cycle and the class is led by five-star quarterback Dia Bell and five-star athlete Jermaine Bishop. Cleveland becomes Texas’ highest ranked defensive player in the class.
Related: Dia Bell’s NBA Star Dad Reacts to His Elite 11 MVP Honor
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Texas A&M Aggies Get Major Update on 2026 Class Ranking After KJ Edwards Commit
Texas A&M football now has the second-best recruiting class in college football for the Class of 2026. KJ Edwards, a four-star running back, committed to the Aggies on Tuesday afternoon. The 247Sports Composite Ranking lists Edwards as the third-best running back and seventh-best player in Texas. The Aggies now sit second overall, only behind the USC Trojans, in the 2026 Class Ranking after Edwards’ commitment. The 2026 class also includes five players ranked in the Top 200 nationally, including five four-stars and two three-star prospects. Five-star Brandon Arrington, ranked the No. 1 athlete in the country by 247Sports, will make his decision on June 19 — one day before his scheduled visit to College Station.
Mike Elko and his coaching staff are building something special in College Station. Texas A&M football now has the second-best recruiting class in college football for the Class of 2026 after securing a massive commitment on Tuesday afternoon.
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KJ Edwards, who the 247Sports Composite Ranking lists as the third-best running back and seventh-best player in Texas in the Class of 2026, committed to the Aggies on Tuesday afternoon in a bit of a surprise move. The four-star prospect out of Carthage (Texas) had recently been listed as an eventual commit for rival program Texas, but LSU was also in the mix. As early as Tuesday morning, all three programs were “in the mix” for Edwards with a decision expected in August.
Mike Elko finds himself excited on the sideline of a Texas A&M Game at Kyle Field.© Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With Edwards arriving at his choice earlier than expected, his commitment propelled Texas A&M ahead of numerous programs, including SEC rival Georgia, in the 247Sports Class of 2026 Recruiting Rankings. The Aggies now sit second overall, only behind the USC Trojans. Edwards is the 17th player to commit to Texas A&M in the class, but the highest-ranked yet as the 47th overall player among 2026 prospects.
Texas A&M’s 2026 class includes 15 four-star prospects and 2 three-star prospects so far, including five players ranked amongst the Top 200 nationally — in addition to Edwards, Toledo Central Catholic (Ohio) prospect Victor Singleton ranks within the Top 60 players nationally. Jordan Carter, Jonathan Hatton Jr. , Aaron Gregory, and Jermaine Kinsler are the other four Top 200 recruits.
The Aggies might not be done yet, either — Elko and his staff have been hard at work trying to land five-star Brandon Arrington, ranked the 10th-best player nationally and No. 1 athlete in the country by 247Sports. Arrington announced recently that his decision will come down to Texas A&M and Oregon, and he will make his choice on June 19 — one day before his scheduled visit to College Station.
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“It is the people at [Texas] A&M,” Arrington told On3. “They all want me and they recruit me hard. From the start, it never changed with A&M. They recruited me the same, they built relationships and how consistent they have been stands out.”
Related: Five-Star Cornerback Narrows Decision Down to Two With Texas A&M in the Running
Related: Texas A&M Football in Mix for Top 3 RB Nationally in Class of 2026
Related: Top 10 Class of 2027 OL Prospect Impresses at Texas A&M Football Camp
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Florida gets commitment from 5-star DE JaReylan McCoy
Five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy has committed to Florida. McCoy is ESPN’s No. 9 overall prospect and the nation’s second-ranked defender. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound rusher from Tupelo, Mississippi, is the top-ranked pledge in the Gators’ 2026 recruiting class. Florida also landed the pledge of four-star wide receiver Marquez Daniel (No. 216) on Saturday, lifting the Gators to seven ESPN 300 commits in the cycle. The Gators hit the busy summer recruiting period seeking to secure back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes.
Doering on UF vs. Miami: ‘There’s a lot of hate between these two’ (2:30)
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Five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy has committed to Florida, sources told ESPN on Saturday, securing his place as the top-ranked pledge in the Gators’ 2026 recruiting class after returning for a second visit in the span of three weeks.
McCoy, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound rusher from Tupelo, Mississippi, is ESPN’s No. 9 overall prospect and the nation’s second-ranked defender in the current cycle.
Initially committed to LSU, McCoy reopened his recruitment in February and trimmed his finalists to Florida, LSU and Texas last month before his process swung on an official visit with the Gators from May 30 to June 1.
Sources said McCoy’s connection with Florida coach Billy Napier and defensive ends coach Mike Peterson, along with the program’s “family atmosphere,” were central drivers in his decision to nix a scheduled official visit to Texas and instead return to Florida this weekend, where he sealed his pledge Saturday.
McCoy has recorded more than 140 tackles and 18.5 sacks in three varsity seasons at Tupelo High School, and his commitment represents a major recruiting victory for Napier and Florida.
McCoy’s signature would mark Gators’ first five-star addition since they landed quarterback D.J. Lagway (No. 8 overall) and pass rusher L.J. McCray (No. 10) in the 2024 class. If he ultimately lands with Florida, McCoy will arrive as the program’s highest-ranked defensive signee since it inked five-star defensive end CeCe Jefferson in the 2015 class.
McCoy now stands ahead of four-star quarterback Will Griffin (No. 69 overall) and Friday night running back commit Carsyn Baker (No. 167) as the top ranked of five ESPN 300 prospects in the Gators’ 2026 class. Florida also landed the pledge of four-star wide receiver Marquez Daniel (No. 216) on Saturday, lifting the Gators to seven ESPN 300 commits in the cycle.
Five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro (No. 19) and top-40 running back Davian Groce are among the high-profile visitors joining McCoy at Florida this weekend as the Gators hit the busy summer recruiting period seeking to secure back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes. Florida signed the nation’s 10th-ranked class in the 2025 cycle on the heels of the program’s decision to retain Napier in November and four straight wins to close the 2024 season.