together.
As we’ve outlined quite a bit over the course of the last 12 months, Steve Sarkisian almost overnight is less bothered by his overall class recruiting rank as much as he wants to put his head on a pillow every night and sleep comfortably knowing that his top 6-7 guys in each class can stand toe-to-toe with any top 6-7 guys any school in the country can piece together.
It’s the ultimate game of Big Bank/Little Bank.
As things currently stand, here’s how the top seven in the class look after the Meredith commitment (rankings listed as from Rivals Industry):
The Current Big 7
* CB John Meredith (No. 2 nationally)
* WR Easton Royal (No. 6 nationally)
* DL Kasi Currie (No. 62 nationally)
* TE Brock Williams (No. 80 nationally)
* Edge Jabarrius Garror (No. 107 nationally)
* Edge Cam Hall (No. 118 nationally)
* OT Brian Swanson (No. 218 nationally)
While no other school in the country currently has two commitments in the top 10 like the Longhorns have in Meredith and Royal, you can see where some extra pop is needed in the middle of this top seven. Yet, with Meredith’s commitment filling the slot at the top of the class, the number of critical targets left for the Longhorns has been cut considerably with his presence off the needs list.
After communicating with sources this weekend, you can probably slot the following needs like this.
Most Important Targets
* WR Monshun Sales (No.8 nationally)
* OL Ismael Camara (No. 28 nationally)
* RB Landen Williams-Callis (No. 47 nationally)
Next Most Important Targets
* DL Markus Fakatou (No. 31 overall nationally)
* Jhadyn Nelson (No. 65 nationally)
A lot could happen between now and National Signing Day, but if I had to guess at the moment, the Longhorns will most likely take two of the three guys in probably someone that fits the profile of this tier, but hasn’t emerged as a target in June.
It very likely would make the top of the class look a little like this …
Projected Top 7
* CB John Meredith (No. 2 nationally)
* WR Easton Royal (No. 6 nationally)
* OL Ishmael Camara (No. 28 nationally)
* RB Landon Williams-Callis (No. 47 nationally)
* DL Kasi Currie (No. 62 nationally)
* LB Jhadyn Nelson (No. 65 nationally) or someone with his prospect profile
* TE Brock Williams (No. 80 nationally)
Outside of Texas A&M, which is loading up on super blue chips in the 2027 class at a rate of what most superpower programs would combine over two seasons after not making a big dent in the 2026 portal window, you can probably take the Texas Top 7 and play Big Bank/Little Bank with anyone.
That’s what Sarkisian wants to do. The Texas decision-makers do not want to overextend themselves too much because the January Portal is seen as at least as important of a talent acquisition period as December.
Ok … it’s a little more than “at least” as important …
“The portal is 10X more important,” one source texted me this weekend.
Whether it’s the right plan or not (I am very pro-current strategy), the plan is coming together.
