Texas safety commit Junior Tu\u2019upo back in Bryant-Denny Stadium for his second Alabama game visit of the fall.<\/p>\n
Alabama QB commit\/@WARRIORNATION20<\/a> teammate Trent Seaborn next to him. pic.twitter.com\/k6veCEIM4l<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) September 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Tu’upo has been heavily recruited by both the Tide and the Auburn Tigers, the two Power Conference teams in his home state. However, after his first visit to the Horns’ home, Tu’upo committed to Texas.<\/p>\n Fears of Junior Tu’upo flipping to Bama grow with another visit to the Tide<\/p>\n While most recruiting insiders haven’t speculated that Tu’upo will flip his commitment to the Crimson Tide, the unease in Austin certainly grew when he was seen at Alabama’s third game of the year.<\/p>\n Of course, he shared his excitement about being in Austin for the Ohio State game just one week earlier, writing “Looking forward to the big game tomorrow! Texas vs Ohio, HookEm,” on X.<\/p>\n After the Horns mounted their 21-unanswered points to defeat the Buckeyes, Tu’upo added<\/a>, “What a game last night. Thank you for an incredible experience! Grateful to witness history being made between these great schools.”<\/p>\n What a game last night \ud83e\udd2f Thank you @TexasLonghorns<\/a> @TexasRecruiting<\/a> for an incredible experience! Grateful to witness history being made between these great schools. #HookEm<\/a> #TexasVsOhio<\/a> @Coach_Gideon<\/a> @MalikAntoine3<\/a> @raisingchamps_<\/a> @coachmarkf<\/a> @Coachdefoor2015<\/a> @JHaglerDBZ<\/a>\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/5x0y3udpEt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Junior Tuupo (two-p\u014d) (@TuupoJunior) September 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n According to On3 and Rivals’ recruiting insiders, the Longhorns still have a 96% chance to retain and cement Tu’upo’s commitment. However, the site also gives Auburn a 1.6% chance to flip his commitment, with no indication that the Tide has a chance.<\/p>\n Ultimately, it could just be a blue-chip prospect making the most of living right down the road from Tuscaloosa, taking advantage of the powerhouse program hosting him on game day. I probably would.<\/p>\n However, it may also be to Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian’s advantage to invite him back to Austin one or two more times this season, especially when they play top teams like Ole Miss at home.<\/p>\n The four-star safety is the No. 12 prospect out of the state of Alabama and the No. 2 safety in the 2027 recruiting cycle.<\/p>\n Tu’upo is the third-highest-rated defensive back in the Longhorns’ 2027 recruiting class, only trailing four-star cornerbacks Brandon Sherrard and Montre Jackson. Losing any of them in a commitment flip would undeniably hurt the depth of the DB room in the future, and it would only add insult to injury if the flip was to another top program in the SEC.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
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