While the College Football Playoff debate rages on, Texas football continued to build for the future by signing 23 players as part of its 2026 class.
Quarterback Dia Bell and athlete Jermaine Bishop, who are both five-star recruits based on 247Sports’ cumulative rankings, headline a Longhorn class currently ranked seventh in the nation. The class also includes a late flip from UCLA in defensive back Toray Davis, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound three-star prospect from Boulder, Colo., who’s considered a late recruiting riser.
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Texas was still waiting on a signed letter of intent Wednesday afternoon from commit Corey Wells, a four-star defensive tackle from Petal, Mississippi. Brandon Harris, the Longhorns’ general manager, also told the Longhorn Network on Wednesday that Texas may get “a couple more surprises as we end the rest of the week.”
Texas did lose two firm commits Wednesday on the defensive line when four-star defensive tackle Vodney Cleveland of Alabama flipped to North Carolina and four-star recruit Corey Wells from Mississippi flipped to Auburn.
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The final signing day for the 2026 class will be Feb. 4.
Here’s a list of the 23 players who signed Wednesday with Texas on National Signing Day:
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian enters the stadium ahead of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas football 2026 signees
The Longhorns’ four five-star recruits
Jermaine Bishop, ATH, Willis: The 5-foot-11, 155-pound speedster is ranked as the second-best ATH in the nation, the third-best recruit it Texas and the 16th-best recruit in the nation.
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Dia Bell, QB, Plantation, Fla.: The 6-2, 215-pound son of former NBA player Raja Bell is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in the nation, the third-best recruit in Florida and the 27th-best recruit in the nation.
Tyler Atkinson, LB, Loganville, Ga.: The 6-2, 210-pounder is ranked as the second-best linebacker in the nation, the fifth-best recruit in Georgia and the 38th-best recruit in the nation.
Richard Wesley, edge, Chatsworth, Calif.: The 6-5, 250-pounder who could also play inside is ranked as the 11th-best edge rusher in the nation, the ninth-best recruit in California and the 80th-best recruit in the nation.
The rest of the class
Kosie Okpala, four stars, LB, Katy
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Samari Matthews, four stars, CB, Cornelius, N.C.
Derrek Cooper, four stars, RB, Hollywood, Fla.
Jamarion Carlton, four stars, edge, Temple
James Johnson, four stars, DL, Miami
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John Turntine III, four stars, OT, Fort Worth
Hayward Howard Jr., four stars, CB, New Orleans
Toray Davis, three stars, ATH, Boulder, Colo.
Chris Stewart, three stars, WR, Pearland
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Rocky Cummings, three stars, LB, Carlsbad, Calif.
Nicolas Robertson, three stars, OL, Klein
Kohen Brown, three stars, WR, Waxahachie
Jett Walker, three stars, RB, Georgetown
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Yaheim Riley, three stars, DB, Austin
Charlie Jilek, three stars, TE, Portrage, Mich.
Kaden Scherer, three stars, OL, Georgetown
Mikey Bukauskas, three stars, P, Prosper
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Jake Collett, three stars, K, Ringgold, Ga.
Trott O’Neal, three stars, LS, Plano