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Posts posted by Teryor
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6 minutes ago, Park Gothic said:
This thread prompted me to go back and look at our class on 247. I didn't realize that 22 of the 25 HS recruits are early enrollees. I knew it was a big number, but 22 out of 25 is insane. Awesome head start for all of those guys.
Believe it was nearly the same last year. I do wonder how much of it is the state of college football where guys who know they're going D1 get ready to give themselves the biggest edge vs Texas identifying guys who want to enroll early.
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They're really trying to import a full WR room but won't get someone to throw them the ball
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Huh, guess this is their response to Nwaneri
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31 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:
Probably the portal, dude.
Given the fucking NFL draft image on there I'd say that's a sign
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38 minutes ago, satyanash said:
Posting Ketch tweets is low, even for you
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Looks like next year will be much different/more hectic and compressed
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3 minutes ago, Post Oak said:
He could be correct but I'm not gonna put much stock in a guy who covers the Cowboys for the Star Telegram knowing what's going on with Texas players.
He was at 247 for years on the Texas beat
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Five-star LB Tyler Atkinson likes what he's seen from Texas, star LB Anthony Hill Jr.
QuoteSAN ANTONIO — Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson is putting his skillset to the test this week at the Navy All-American Bowl, the first year underclassmen are allowed to participate. Ranked the No. 1 linebacker and the No. 7 overall player in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout should be fine after helping lead the Rams to a Class 6A state championship this past season.
"I'm still working on my plan for the schools," Atkinson said of his spring visit slate. "I will be announcing what schools I'll be going to (visit) soon. The focus is really to start narrowing stuff down and try to be committed before the season."
Atkinson's been to Austin twice, most recently for the Georgia game in October. He took a visit to the Forty Acres earlier in the year as well.
"Texas is very good," he said. "The coaches, when it comes to the linebackers coach, Coach (Tashard) Choice, the head coach, he's very cool. Texas has been very good. I like Texas. I do. They've got a linebacker like Anthony Hill there. You see how he's been doing. It shows you they're versatile. I like to see that."
Prior to Texas' clash with the Bulldogs on Oct. 19, Atkinson met with Steve Sarkisian.
"He's actually a real cool dude," Atkinson said. "My first time meeting him I didn't expect him to be that cool. He's a very good coach. They struggled and almost lost their last game. I'm ready to see how they do this game."
The Longhorns signed offensive tackle Nick Brooks out of Grayson this past cycle. It also held a commitment from eventual Florida signee Joseph Mbatchou for a few days.
"He tells me all the time 'When you come here I'll be your host, I'll show you everything,'" Atkinson said of Brooks recruiting him. "He's definitely recruiting me to come there. The coaches are, too. It's just been very good."
The Crystal Ball reads 100 percent Georgia, but Atkinson himself says "all of them" when asked which schools are sticking out. He says the visits will help him make a decision, one that will be based "really on the feeling."
As for Texas-Ohio State this Friday in the Cotton Bowl …
"We're going to see who wins …" he said.
Atkinson checked in at 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, with 9 1/2 hands, 32 arm, and 75 1/2 wingspan.
Texas still in the mix for elite Texas A&M WR commit Aaron Gregory
QuoteSAN ANTONIO — Texas A&M is recruiting wide receivers at a high level, but the Aggies are going to have to work to hang on to 2026 four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory.
"Texas, Tennessee, Florida State, LSU, Auburn, Georgia," the Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County product told Horns247 of which schools he's still hearing from at the Navy All-American Bowl check-in on Monday.
No one school is giving Gregory any pause at the moment. He committed to the Aggies on Oct. 27.
"As of right now I don't know," he said of who's behind TAMU. "I feel like me and A&M are locked in. But, you know, things happen."
Gregory is trying to get back to College Station on Jan. 25. He wants to see Texas as well.
"Coach (Chris) Jackson, he's a real cool guy," Gregory said. "He's always talking to me. It's another school that produces receivers. They're not going to do nothing bad. I feel like with Coach Jackson I'd be in good hands."
Gregory hasn't visited Austin since he was 13, and it wasn't recruiting-related when he did.
"I think we're trying to get a date set, but we're not sure yet," he said of Texas.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder has been impressed with what he's seen from the Longhorns this season.
"I feel like they've been really good," he said. "It's been a long season for them, but definitely a great one. I feel like Friday if they do what they need to do, they'll pull it off."
Texas A&M wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins is a big part of Gregory's commitment. Wiggins coached at Alabama prior to Texas A&M.
"He sees like a mixture of like a lot of DeVonta (Smith's) attributes, Isaiah Bond when he was coaching (him), Jamo (Jameson Williams), a lot of different things he tells me about."
Gregory is ranked the No. 4 wide receiver and the No. 36 overall player in the country, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
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21 minutes ago, Newy25 said:
That guy has bust written all over him. He needs to go to a small school and just focus on playing.He is quite literally focused on going somewhere he can plays by transferring. I get he keeps going new places but he was behind Stockton and a true freshman so he was never seeing the field at Georgia.
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41 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:
5 day portal extension for Clemson players has already passed. Of course.
Dude sucked ass and has been rumored to be donezo forever. If anything him staying would have caused players to want to leave more.
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Visited Aggie
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Longhorns QB commit Dia Bell talks Texas, shares injury update coming off state title run
QuoteTexas quarterback commit Dia Bell earned a plethora of postseason awards for his play leading American Heritage throughout his junior season. While Bell's playoff run was cut short due to injury, the Patriots still managed to band together and win the state championship.
Bell passed for 2,597 yards and 29 touchdowns to six interceptions, while carrying the 67 times for 561 yards and another five scores in his time leading the offense.
He earned Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida for his efforts, among several other major accolades.
"I felt like it went well as it pertains to how many games we won and lost," Bell told Horns247. "Obviously we got some games back due to issues with other teams. We didn't win as many games as we wanted to. I feel like the adversity we went through earlier in the season set us up for the late run we made and ended up winning state. I'm happy with how it went."
Bell went down with a lower leg injury against Dillard on Nov. 22. He's already on the fast track to getting back on the field this spring, though.
"It impacted me a lot," Bell said. "It hurt a lot to know I wasn't going to be able to play in the last three to four games of the year. I've been going through it pretty good now; I've been feeling pretty good. I just got out of the cast today actually. I'll be starting physical therapy soon. It was just tightrope surgery. I mean, Coach Milwee and Coach Sark have been through it with Tua at Alabama, so they kind of know what was going on. It definitely wasn't the worst thing in the world. Thankfully it wasn't anything as bad as we thought it was going to be. Just grateful that it's not going to take that long to bring it back."
Bell joined the Longhorns' class last June. He was Texas' top priority at the position, and remains QB1 in the 2026 class in UT's eyes.
"I feel great about the decision I made," Bell said looking back on his commitment. "I'm still head over heels a Longhorn right now. I love what they're doing. You see that they're playing at the highest level again like they did last year. Hopefully they can come out on top this year, which would be really nice. You saw how good the '25 class set up towards the end because of how good we're playing. It makes more kids want to come. For a recruiting standpoint for me, it helps how good they're playing. I've been very happy with my decision. I'm looking forward to trying to get people to jump on board."
Speaking of recruiting, Bell talked about some of the prospects he's working on.
"It's a lot of guys," he said. "Coach Milwee will give me a couple names and other people around will give me some names. I've talked to guys like Jalen Lott, Kaydon Finley, Javian Osborne, John Turntine III, Adam Guthrie, and there's plenty more to be named. There's a whole bunch of guys. Unfortunately I was supposed to go play in the Under Armour All-America Game where I was going to hopefully meet those guys and hang out with them and get to know them a little better. Obviously the injury didn't allow for that. But there are going to be plenty of opportunities. I have another year to be out there visiting and seeing those guys. Hopefully I can make the most of those times when I see them again."
With a year to go, you can bet programs are going to try and sway Bell from his decision. It would be recruiting malpractice for other teams to not try and test the waters. Bell tweeted an Alabama offer during the season. But at this point, he's only thinking about Texas.
"That's obviously something I have to think about, but as of right now what goes through my head is I'm committed," he said when asked if he'll take visits elsewhere. "I'm very confident in my decision and I'm very happy with it. At this point in time I don't think I would be taking another official visit."
Bell looked ahead to the Peach Bowl this Wednesday with the Longhorns getting set to duke it out with Arizona State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
"I'm very excited to watch," Bell said. "Obviously Arizona State has a great running back, Skattebo. Our defense has held up very well all year. That'll be a great test for them. Then offensively we've been playing very well lately. We got the running game back going this past game. I'm excited to see what that sets up in the passing game. We've been playing really well lately. Hopefully we can continue having that momentum through the rest of the playoffs.
"I have Texas by at least two touchdowns."
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Think Spring portal period is gonna be louder than last year given more playoff teams locked for longer. Obviously can't take SEC transfers then but there's a handful of teams that have very clear QB needs that haven't addressed them which makes me assume they'll try to get their guy in a few months once they know exactly what they have.
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The Stampede: Six major storylines to monitor for the 2026 recruiting class
QuoteWith the New Year set to begin before the end of the week, the Texas Longhorns will soon turn the page to the 2026 recruiting cycle.
The burnt orange made several headlines just weeks ago for landing the nation's No. 1 overall recruiting class, but there's still several needs left for the 2026 class the Longhorns will have to hit on to maintain the program being in the National Championship hunt year in and year out.
That said, here's six major storylines for the Longhorns in the 2026 recruiting class.
In what's a good but not great group of prospects in the in-state class, the Longhorns will likely be forced to go out of state at a few different positions.
Let's get into it!
QB ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF:
The Longhorns are one of six teams that made that 2024 College Football Playoffs that already holds a commitment from a Top247 ranked quarterback in the 2026 class. It's always a need to lock in a solid commitment at the most important position in the sport, and the Longhorns have that with one of the nation's best in Dia Bell.
The Longhorns haven't had to recruit a quarterback into the summer before the prospect's senior year since landing Arch Manning in the summer of 2023, and it's been a huge benefit to building out the rest of the Texas classes as other offensive prospects will oftentimes find themselves getting peer recruited by the Texas QB commit as KJ Lacey helped peer recruit several prospects last cycle like Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench.
SOMEWHAT TOPHEAVY, BUT ELITE GROUP OF IN-STATE 'BACKS:
The state of Texas currently has four running backs ranked in the Top247 — Texas High's Tradarian Ball (Oregon commit), Carthage's KJ Edwards, Cibolo Steele's Jonathan Hatton Jr., and Forney's Javian Osborne. Frisco Lone Star's Davian Groce is a bit of a tweener as a five-star ATH that's a mix between RB and WR, but the Longhorns have been more focused on the other four names I've mentioned as they've yet to offer the state's No. 3 prospect per 247Sports. Hatton is also yet to receive an offer from the Longhorns, but he did camp with the Longhorns before committing to Oklahoma as a freshman, a commitment he recently backed out of after the Sooners' struggles. With the 200-plus pounder back on the market and just down the road on I-35, there's a chance Texas circles back for the bruiser with 10.65 speed.
Tashard Choice also really likes Amari Latimer from the Peach State, but with Texas signing at least two running backs each recruiting cycle since he arrived in Austin, it's likely at least one of the three in-state names that currently holds offers ends up as a Longhorn.
Ball seems pretty locked in with the Ducks for the time being, but Texas was the school he pulled for growing up and I wouldn't be surprised if Texas pushed for and eventually was able to get him back to campus for the first time since giving his Oregon commitment this past summer. Edwards is relatively open at this time and is just now beginning to whittle down his process but seems likely to stay in the region whether it's in-state or in the bordering states around Texas. Osborne has yet to post anything officially saying this, but Horns247 has heard through multiple sources Texas is in the top two with Michigan for the Forney star.
Texas will have a great running back class if they can start with landing one of Ball, Edwards, or Osborne before potentially going out of state or staying in-state for the second RB take.
WR RECRUITING COULD BE A PUZZLE:
It's always fun to land a five-star, much less two of them at the receiver position in Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench. The bad part is however, it makes it harder to recruit the following cycle as all of the other schools will make it very well known that playing time is going to have to be scratched and clawed for to get on the field in Chris Jackson's wide receiver room.
Although there are some similarities here with what Texas had to deal with after landing Arch Manning in 2023 and recruiting QBs in 2024, the Longhorns are set up well to still sign a more than solid class with Shadow Creek's Chris Stewart already in the fold and legacy prospects like Jalen Lott and Kaydon Finley still available.
It will still be a puzzle with figuring out the other receiver spots after Stewart though, as just about everyone in America wants those two legacy prospects in Lott and Finley. Chris Henry Jr., Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, and Naeem Burroughs are three out of state prospects the Longhorns will likely work to host for visits this offseason, and Jordan Clay, Zion Robinson, and Brayden Robinson make up in-state names that have received offers and visited in the past.
Like last year, there will simply be more receivers trying to commit to Texas then the Longhorns will have spots for, making it a puzzle for Chris Jackson and Co. as they have to navigate timelines while also staying true to the board. The Longhorns have successfully navigated puzzles like this in the past with Trey Owens ending up as a damn good evaluation from AJ Milwee and Co., but the Longhorns will have to figure it out again at the receiver position.
TWO ELITE IN-STATE OPTIONS AT A POSITION OF NEED:
After missing on Michael Fasusi and not landing any of the three in-state offensive tackle prospects ranked as five-stars in the 2025 class, landing a true left tackle is one of, if not the biggest needs for the Longhorns in 2026, and luckily for Texas, there's two elite ones up in the metroplex.
I don't know if I've ever covered a more popular (at least with the UT fanbase) offensive tackle heading into the spring of their junior year then North Crowley's John Turntine III. Turntine fits everything the Longhorns need in a perfect way as an elite left tackle, and the Longhorns have done a phenomenal job in the early parts of the recruitment in getting Turntine to campus more than any other school up to this point. Texas is off to a great start, but it'll be about maintaining their positioning as more schools come into the picture once Turntine is able to take a round of spring unofficial visits.
While Mansfield Lake Ridge's Felix Ojo is rarely talked about to the same degree as Turntine, he's just as elite of a prospect with major plus length at 6-foot-6 with plenty of frame space to one day hold north of 300 pounds. Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Michigan are the main schools mentioned at this point in time, but the Longhorns will have to do some work to put themselves in the same standing as they are with Turntine.
Just based off looking at how things unfolded this past cycle, it's probably unlikely to expect Texas to land both Turntine and Ojo, but they will need to land one of them. The 2027 in-state offensive tackle class has some ridiculous body types and there's a few really impressive offensive linemen that have already emerged, but Texas can't delay the need of an elite left tackle one more cycle after what happened in 2025 as 2026 will have to fill that need.
GONNA NEED AT LEAST ONE OUT OF STATE 'BACKER:
Carthage's DaQuives Beck, Katy Mayde Creek's Kosi Okpala, and Port Arthur Memorial's Tank King round out the three linebackers Texas has offered thus far in the in-state 2026 class, but with how the need is at 'backer after only signing two in 2025 and one in 2024, the Longhorns are going to have to go out of state for at least one of their linebacker takes in 2026.
Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne three-star Kenneth Goodwin, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson four-star Anthony Davis, and Loganville (Ga.) Grayson five-star Tyler Atkinson are three out of state linebacker names Texas likes and has already gotten on campus for gameday visits this fall.
Getting those three out of state guys back to campus for the January Junior Day and eventual spring recruiting events before official visits start will make the recruitments a bit easier for the Longhorns, and it'll be important because they'll in all likelihood need at least one out of state 'backer take.
There could always be a prospect or two that emerges in the spring like how Jonathan Cunningham did this past cycle, but until that happens, we'll continue discussing the current group of prospects that have Texas offers.
REVENUE SHARING'S EFFECT ON 2026 RECRUITING:
With revenue sharing very likely to come into effect before the start of the 2025 season, the 2026 group will be the first cycle that experiences revenue sharing and legal pay for play directly from the schools themselves.
Most schools will have a little over or around $20 million to disperse across athletics programs how they please, but in speaking with NIL sources across the country, the large majority of colleges where football is the No. 1 sport are expecting to have around $15 million earmarked each year for their respective football program.
Texas and a small handful of other programs in the sport already have experience with managing a roster with a budget of $15 million or greater, but for some programs, they've never had that money before. This will obviously have a direct effect on recruiting and it's likely that we continue to see the overall score of the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation decrease year by year. After all, Texas' No. 1 class score of 312.66 per the 247Sports Composite class rankings is the lowest class score of a No. 1 class since 2016 when Nick Saban's haul scored a 302.04.
With the new wealth set to hit the sport, schools will be looking to lock up commitments early and with promises of deals that are set up with the new rev share money. This will in all likelihood lead to more flips as the schools with the more patient approach could just top whatever offer it is that a prospect commits to if a prospect were to settle in on a school early. And if you followed recruiting this past cycle when things got crazy in the NIL space and especially towards the end as the Longhorns made their push to the No. 1 class ranking, you'll know that Texas has been better equipped for the NIL/pay for play era then just about every other school and the same patient approach is expected to take place in 2026.
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We had offered, don't think we were that involved though
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Guess he didn't like his grade (undrafted)
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PLEASE sign him, this dude fucking sucks. He also spits in the face of all of those posts where they talk about Elko building the right type of culture etc.
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I remember us being in on him last time he was in the transfer portal and when he was a croot
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Feldman: Those who never doubted Cameron Skattebo share validation: ‘No one understood what we were looking at’
QuoteArizona State was picked to finish last in the 16-team Big 12. The Sun Devils are now meeting Texas in the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The player who sparked that incredible run also epitomizes it.
Cameron Skattebo — 1,568 rushing yards, 19 rushing touchdowns, 506 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns — went from high school graduate with no FBS offers to fifth-place finisher in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting. The running back has gone from cult hero to folk hero, displaying an uncanny knack for breaking tackles and for blowing people’s minds.
Leo Skattebo III (Cam’s father): Before he turned 3, we got him a bike for Christmas.
Becky Skattebo (Cam’s mother): He (Cam) argued with my dad (Cam’s grandfather) to take the training wheels off. “I don’t want em! I don’t want em!” wouldn’t take no for an answer. My dad popped them off. “Welp, he’ll eat dirt a couple of times and then he’ll figure it out.”
Leo Skattebo IV (older brother): They took him out on the bike. He goes down the street, and within two minutes, he’s full speed pedaling back and goes, “Watch this!” And he stands up on the seat of the bike coming down the street.
Becky: He’s going, “I don’t have to hold the handlebars!” The neighbors just stood outside hysterically laughing.
Leo III: I think that’s when I knew he was gonna be different.
Becky: At about 18 months, we were sitting at the dinner table and a neighbor knocked on the door. She’s standing there with Cam in a diaper. He had climbed over the fence and dropped over the other side to play with her kids.
The scariest thing he ever did was when he was 2. We were watching his dad play softball. He had been standing next to me and we were watching his dad at bat. It seemed like a split-second but when I turned and looked. He was gone. I started to panic. Everybody was yelling his name. His brother ran to the bathroom and was calling his name. People are looking under the bleachers. Then, the umpire says, “Well, there, he is!”
We looked straight up above us. He had crawled all the way up the chain-link backstop and was looking down on his dad that was at bat. It was like 14 or 16 feet up on those rounded backstops. One of the guys started to climb the fence and Cameron turned around but instead of backing down like a normal person, he came down head first, like a little Spiderman. He’s been doing things that are inexplainable from pretty much Day 1.
Leo III: Yeah, he did a lot of weird things.
Leo IV: All he ever cared about was winning. It didn’t matter if we were playing a video game, or wrestling on the trampoline. He wanted to beat me.
Becky: We had many holes in the sheetrock from the boys wrestling, slinging each other around the house. They never took it easy on him. They tossed him around pretty good, and he’s just always been able to handle it.
Leo IV: I was six years older than him and he wanted to beat me in everything. I didn’t take it easy on him.
Becky: He’d always competed with older kids, whether that was wrestling in the front yard or on the field. When he says he can do something, it’s real hard not to believe that he can do it.
Jack Garceau (Rio Linda (Calif.) High School coach, Skattebo’s coach from 2017-19): I’ve known Cam since he was a little boy, because I coached his older brother, so we’ve always heard about Cam coming up in our youth program. We’d go watch him. He was just a little ball of muscle. He had that little mohawk and it just always fit his image.
I became the head coach when he was a sophomore. It was the first day of spring ball. It was a blocking drill. No pads and he just was not going to lose. If he got beat in any one-on-one drill, he was going again. I came home and told my wife, “This guy is way different than anybody we’ve ever had.”
Who's the best player in the College Football Playoff at each position?
In 2018, Rio Linda won its first section title in 14 years, led by Skattebo. The junior running back scored seven touchdowns and ran for 313 yards in a 63-12 win over Casa Roble.
Chris Horner (Casa Roble (CA) High School head coach): After that game, I saw him by the bus. I remember dapping him up. I said, “Bro, you were so fun to watch. I’ve never seen anything like that. Good luck. I’m a huge Rio Linda Knights fan from here on out.”
Skattebo had a prolific high school season but struggled to gain traction with major FBS programs. (Photo: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images)
A few weeks later, on Rio Linda’s opening series of the CIF State Division 5-AA Title Game against San Gorgonio, Skattebo had a 67-yard touchdown run where he broke 11 tackles. He finished with 396 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in a 38-35 win. He was doing it all through his parents’ divorce.Leo IV: My mom and dad had been together for about 20 years. That was hard. It was hard on Cameron. I was away at college. I lived in Ohio, had a son. I wasn’t there to be the big brother for him. And at the most formative moment for him — he’s 16 and everything around him is falling apart. Somehow on Friday nights, he was able to tune out all that emotional distress, when he was falling apart on the inside, and still be the best player in the state. A lot of kids can’t handle that. That showed me this kid has something different than other kids have mentally.
It’s very easy to let that affect you, and start lashing out at other people around you. He just didn’t do that. He continued to be a leader.
Becky: When we split up, his coach was really instrumental in keeping him focused and letting him vent, giving him room when he needed. I don’t think we’ll ever really know if it fueled him or if it almost derailed him.
That same year, Skattebo led the Knights to the California 5-A state title by rushing for 3,550 yards and 42 touchdowns. He averaged almost 12 yards per carry but he was still a zero-star recruit who had no scholarship offers.
Garceau: Bigger schools did come. We had UCLA, USC. Utah, Air Force but they just passed on him. It made us all kind of doubt ourselves.
Cam Skattebo: I went to UCLA right after my junior year. They told me that I wasn’t good enough for this level. I can’t remember who I was sitting with at the time. It was (Bruins running backs coach Deshaun) Foster’s assistant. Bjian (Robinson) was at the facility and that was their focus. They spelled my name wrong on my name tag. It was just an unofficial visit there. I was just sitting in? the back, hanging out. Me and my father. It was a humbling experience.
Troy Taylor (Stanford head coach, former Sacramento State head coach 2019-22): We were evaluating players. I couldn’t really find anybody who said we should go on the kid. I put on the tape. You could see the anger when he ran and the determination. I was five or six clips in and I said, “We’re taking this guy!”
I remember specifically that run (where he broke 11 tackles in the state title game). I just couldn’t believe that no one else would go on the kid. I’m not always right but I decided on the spot. We were his only offer. Everybody missed on that one.
Cam Skattebo: I wasn’t too worried because I knew at some point in my life I was gonna take that next step even if I had to go the juco route. I knew I was gonna make it. But I definitely sat around a lot of days hoping for a text from somebody, which never happened. I finally got Sacramento State, and I was the happiest kid in the world.
Taylor: Then he came to our camp and he was kind of a prick when he competed. It was one-on-ones against the linebackers. He would win the rep and then get up and cut in line and take another rep. He just had that attitude that you don’t want to compete against this kid. I just fell in love with him.
Malcolm Agnew (Sacramento State running back coach, 2021-22): In 2021, he was unbelievable in spring ball because of how physical he was, and because of how competitive he is. It was practice No. 6. This kid touched the ball probably around 10 times that practice, and he scored every time. And we had a pretty good defense.
My favorite play was when we ran this middle screen with him. It was a poor throw, but the dude caught it with his left hand like down towards where his knees are — and he played baseball so he’s really good at tracking the ball — and had the ability to make a guy miss as he was turning and catching it. Then, he made another guy miss and scored. I said to our head coach, “that is one of the best plays I’ve ever seen.”
Taylor: His first game, it looked like he was playing with younger people who didn’t belong on the field with him.
Jason Eck (New Mexico head coach; then-Idaho head coach): He killed us (Idaho) in 2022. He reminds me of Jim Brown highlights.
Agnew: I’ve seen this kid hit standing backflips. I’ve seen this kid broad-jump almost 11 feet. He did a 10-7. I’ve seen him throw a baseball 95 miles an hour to the point where the Sac State baseball coach asked him if he wanted to play in the offseason. We didn’t let him.
Skattebo is the heart and soul of Arizona State’s turnaround. (Photo: William Purnell / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In Skattebo’s first season at Sacramento State, he ran for 520 yards, averaging over 9 yards per carry, scoring six touchdowns. In his second year, he had almost 1,900 all-purpose yards and was named Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year, helping the Hornets go 11-0 in the regular season. But after Taylor left to become Stanford’s head coach, Skattebo opted to enter the transfer portal.Taylor: (Then-Arizona State offensive coordinator) Beau Baldwin called me: “We’re trying to figure out whether to go on Skatt. What do you think?” I said, “Beau, he’s an incredible player. You guys would be crazy not to take him.” Beau pulled the trigger.
The Sun Devils were in the midst of a massive rebuild. They finished 3-9 in 2022 and subsequently hired 32-year-old Kenny Dillingham, an ASU graduate, to lead the program. They were an undermanned team in 2023, but Skattebo emerged as the backbone of the overhaul. He did almost everything for the Sun Devils. He was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile player. He’d run for 788 yards, but also played some quarterback, completing six passes on 15 attempts for 150 yards and a touchdown. He averaged over 42 yards per punt. He lined up at receiver for another 100-plus snaps.
This year, the Sun Devils were seeded fourth and got a bye in the first iteration of the 12-team College Football Playoff. They will play 5-seed Texas in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 for a spot in the Playoff semifinals.
Marcus Arroyo (ASU offensive coordinator): I think (former USC analyst Kliff) Kingsbury was the first guy who told me about him (Cam). Kliff’s like, “Dude, they got a back down there that is bananas. This little sawed-off White guy.”
Joe Connolly (ASU strength coach): Last season, we saw a lot of flashes of unbelievable balance, unbelievable body awareness. He was our starting quarterback at one point, our starting punter, our starting running back, often playing wide receiver. One of the biggest things we did this offseason was tightening the nutrition, the consistency. He was north of 230 pounds and now he’s around 218. He’s increased his speed and his quickness. All those things really showed this year. He never has to come off the field. He is absolutely relentless.
Cam: I think my top speed was the high 19s (miles per hour on the GPS) last year. Right before training camp this year, I almost hit 21.
Arroyo: The guy can really run. He’s hitting 20 MPH on his GPS in the game. It’s crazy where he doesn’t look like he’s moving that fast sometime. When you see guys go up against real guys, and you’re like, “OK, let’s see what this looks like?” And every time, he takes the torch. God-dang, these guys just can’t even tackle this guy. Against Utah, those guys are really big and fast and talented, and he ran over those guys. He was absolutely insane against Iowa State.
Morgan Scalley (Utah defensive coordinator): For as much punishment as he dishes out, and as much as he takes, he is so durable. His shirt get ripped and all the crap he takes, and he just keeps coming back. He’s like Rocky.
Taylor: I always said he was like a Viking. A couple of hundreds years ago, he’d have been at the front of the boat with horns on his helmet, ready to jump onto the other boat to take it over.
Horner: Our coaches (at Casa Roble) had a text chain while we were watching what he was doing to Iowa State (in the Big 12 title game). It was another level. When we lose to a guy like this doing what he’s doing to a college team, it should make us feel a lot better about that drubbing that he put on us in his junior year of high school. Yeah, we lost to Cameron Skattebo, but so did everybody else!
Taylor: He’s been doubted at every single level, and they’ll doubt him again for the NFL, but watch, he’ll end up being an NFL player — and a good one.
Leo III: Whoever drafts him or wherever he ends up, if he just plays in the preseason, he’ll earn his spot on the team. But if they get him on the field and give him the opportunity, he’s going to make somebody very smart.
Garceau: Now, we all feel validated. We knew exactly what we were looking at and nobody else understood. We would hear everything from he’s too small, he’s too short, he’s not fast enough. There was the stigma of the White running back; the fact that we weren’t a giant school. There was just always that one little thing. I am just glad he got the opportunity to show everybody what he can do. But if you change that, and he maybe he gets a big ride out of high school, maybe we’re not here today.
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30 minutes ago, texifornia said:
Chris Henry Jr. And Chris Johnson Jr. feel a bit surprising to me in contemporary classes. Never really remember watching Finley and definitely don't remember Lott.
Speaking of, from Tom Loy. Frankly feels like wasted effort and he's ending up at OSU still but 🤷
QuoteDAVIE, Fla. — Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei Top100 receiver Chris Henry Jr. was in the Sunshine State this weekend to hang out with the South Florida Express 7-on-7 team. Unable to show what he can do on the field, Henry was sidelined due to his hamstring injury, which he suffered against Bishop Gorman earlier this season. That said, 247Sports couldn't be much higher on him as a prospect, as the 6-5, 205-pounder from the class of 2026 is currently listed as the No. 13 overall player in the nation.
On the recruiting front, Henry committed to Ohio State back on July 28, 2023. He chose the Buckeyes over just about every program in the country.
So, what's the latest on his recruitment? He spoke with 247Sports' Gaby Urrutia about a variety of topics. Here is a rundown f that discussion.
On his commitment to Ohio State: "I'm still high on Ohio State. I love Ohio State. I love the coaches. I love coach Day and coach Hartline. Still locked in, for sure."
On his plan during recovery: "Right now I'm just focused on getting better and recovering from my injury. That's really it."
On the schools looking to flip him: "Definitely Oregon, for sure. They hit me up every day. I've got a good relationship with them. West Virginia. They just started getting back in the mix. Tennessee and Alabama. Those are the schools."
On potential visits before completely shutting down his process: "Definitely want to get to some schools for official visits. Probably Oregon, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M. Schools like that."
On what he's looking for in a school: "For me, it's just how I am going to developed as a player and a person. The coaching staff, just how I blend with the players and coaches there. What is the right fit for me as a person and where I feel comfortable at."
On his interest in Tennessee: "They have been consistent in recruiting me. They are always hitting me up, always calling me. I have a great relationship with the coaches there."
On his interest in Oregon: "Definitely their coaching staff. It's something different for sure. I have a great relationship with every one of their coaches. The culture they are building there is different."
On his interest in Alabama: "It's Alabama. You can't go wrong with that. I have a good relationship with coach Shep."
On his interest in West Virginia: "Rich Rod coached my pops and my uncle. It's West Virginia."
On his interest in Texas: "Just what they recently have been doing with receivers. They have quarterbacks there, so I know I'll get the ball."
On his interest in Texas A&M: "Coach Wiggins, I got to work with him when he was at Alabama. I like how he coaches and I like him as a person as well."
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The Stampede: The 10 most important prospects in 2026
QuoteThe Texas Longhorns are currently in the thick of the National Championship race while also recruiting the NCAA Transfer Portal, but the chapters will soon turn to the 2026 class as the junior class is soon to rise to the forefront of the Longhorns' staff once they start prepping for year five in Austin this coming offseason.
Since arriving in Austin in 2021, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have landed a top six class in four consecutive cycles with the most recent haul landing Texas at the prized No. 1 recruiting class in the nation spot that few programs have managed to get to in the last decade.
The 2026 in-state class is unique like all classes as it doesn't hold many Texas level prospects at positions like tight end or safety, while on the flip side having an incredibly strong group of offensive linemen and running backs. Texas under Sarkisian has always shown they're gonna get their guys at the end of the day, regardless of whether they come from in-state lines or across the country.
And in this edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we break down the 10 most important prospects for the Longhorns in the 2026 recruiting cycle (no order).
Let's get into it.
North Crowley 5-star OT John Turntine III
John Turntine III (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
After Texas lost John Mills to Washington and officially lost five-star Michael Fasusi to its Red River Rivals all in a matter of a few days just earlier this month, Turntine's profile as an in-state five-star offensive tackle in the 2026 class rose to even greater priority for the Longhorns. An NFL legacy, Turntine has held it down as one of the state's top prospects since his sophomore year and after Saturday he'll now have a 6A-DI State Championship ring after a memorable season from North Crowley that included statement wins over DeSoto, Duncanville, and Westlake. The state's top ranked o-line prospect has visited Texas more than any other school as he's taken about half a dozen trips to the Forty Acres this calendar year alone, and the Longhorns stand in a great spot as the calendar gets ready to flip over to 2025 and eventually the 2026 cycle. Texas will have to hold their momentum and continue to be in a great spot once the out of state schools get involved in the spring and visits are taken outside of the Lone Star State, but nonetheless, Horns247 like our early 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions that were placed back in the summer.Mansfield Lake Ridge 5-star OT Felix Ojo
Felix Ojo (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Another in-state offensive line prospect that's currently projected by 247Sports to be a first round pick when the day comes, Ojo earns his spot on the list for similar reasons to Turntine as true offensive tackle takes will be a need in the 2026 class. Ojo is a different type of offensive tackle prospect as a longer and taller prospect at 6-foot-6 with a frame currently hovering undering 300 pounds. Ojo might not have the same exact ranking or quite the coverage as a Mansfield Lake Ridge prospect compared to the star power Turntine has attracted since the beginning of the cycle, but he's just as coveted across the country and even holds a few more offers than his fellow DFW five-star offensive tackle prospect. The Longhorns aren't quite in the same spot with Ojo as they are for Turntine at this current point in time, as his recruitment is more open having already seen a few out of state schools on an early round of unofficial visits. Texas will have opportunities to pick up momentum this spring as they look to potentially sign a class similar to the 2022 class that brought them two offensive tackle starters in Kelvin Banks and Cam Williams.Willis Top247 ATH Jermaine Bishop Jr.
Jermaine Bishop Jr. (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Although he's not the top ranked prospect in Texas according to any of the major outlets, Bishop is arguably the state's top player and not just pound for pound. If there was a draft for high school players and I was a high school coach in Texas with my pick of the litter amongst in-state prospects, Bishop would likely be my first choice. It's truly remarkable what he's accomplished at Willis in just three years as he's racked up over 112 tackles, 14 PBUs, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 13 interceptions, three pick sixes, four tackles for loss, 489 rush yards and nine rushing TDs off of 36 carries (13.6 YPC), and 2,981 receiving yards off of 164 receptions for 35 touchdowns on an average of 18.2 yards per catch. Oh, Bishop has also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in his career as well. Even with Texas signing two of the nation's top defensive back classes in back to back cycles, defensive back won't be of utmost priority in the 2026 class, but with Bishop arguably being the state's top player pound for pound, he will assuredly be of priority. The Longhorns and just about every school in the recruitment want Bishop on either side of the ball, and while some folks want to pigeon hole him into one position, he's a guy you just get in the boat first and figure out the rest for later. Texas, Texas A&M, and Florida continue to be the schools heard the most around the Willis star but it's still early in the recruitment as programs will begin to truly start separating from the pack this spring.Frisco Panther Creek Top247 ATH Jalen Lott
Jalen Lott (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
A Texas legacy that's a top 100 prospect whose father is in the esteemed Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, Lott has been one of the state's top prospects since 2022 when he was forced to play sub varsity ball as a freshman due to transfer rules when he could've started on varsity. The Longhorns are recruiting Lott to either side of the ball like plenty of others, but if Lott ends up focusing on just one position it's likely to be receiver and not defensive back though he could realistically do either at the power four level. That said, Lott is the type of a prospect like Bishop where you just get them in the boat first and figure everything else out later. USC has been the main competition for the Longhorns up to this point, and with Texas holding a legacy advantage over every school in the recruitment with Lott's father and his mother being former Longhorn athletes, the burnt orange will have no excuse to lose this recruitment.Aledo Top247 WR Kaydon Finley
Kaydon Finley (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Finley is another Texas legacy that finds himself on this list and for similar reasons. You simply never want legacy prospects and specifically legacy prospects of one of your top tight ends in program history going elsewhere, and Chris Jackson and Co. are set up well to not let that happen. The Longhorns were the first school to offer Finley back in the summer heading into his freshman year of high school, and if I'm not mistaken, Finley might have also been the first prospect in the entire 2026 class to receive an offer from Texas back when the burnt orange extended a scholarship on June 17, 2022. In what will likely be a tough year to convince five-star wideouts to come to Austin the year after Texas signed two five-stars and another Top247 prospect at the position, Finley fits Texas incredibly well as a legacy big-bodied receiver that's produced incredibly well since his freshman year for one of the state's top programs.Tight End
Camden Jensen
Camden Jensen (Photo: Brandon Huffman, 247Sports)
I know the title of this story says prospects and not positions, but tight end seems to be the most wide open position group for Texas as far as recruiting in 2026 goes. Of the handful of tight end prospects Texas has offered, a few have already settled in on commitments or have released top schools list that don't include a Longhorns logo. With JC Anderson and Camden Jensen likely being the names that make the most sense at this super early point in time, the Longhorns could end up with a tight end coming signing day that we're not even talking about now. Regardless, the tight end position will be of importance after only signing one in 2024 and two in 2025 with one of the '25 takes being a bit of a gadget player as Emaree Winston is only 6-foot-1.5 and around 245 pounds. A name that would make sense is Mark Bowman, a five-star in 2027 out of Mater Dei that Texas is in a great spot for, but until he officially reclasses we can't pin him into being one of the main targets in 2026.Carthage Top247 LB DaQuives Beck
DaQuives Beck (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Beck is the top ranked in-state linebacker prospect and deservedly so after putting on a show and taking home Defensive MVP honors in the 4A-DII State Championship game this past weekend. In a relatively weak in-state linebacker class that only features three prospects the Longhorns have offered thus far, Beck stands above the rest as a true off-ball 'backer that has plenty of experience and comfort playing off-ball as it's something that won't have to be taught to him once he gets to the college level like other prospects who will need to be "spun up" to the position. Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, and LSU were a few of the schools mentioned when Horns247 spoke with Beck on Friday, and the Longhorns will have opportunities to gain some momentum in the recruitment once Beck takes a round of unofficial visits in the spring. After signing only two high school linebackers in 2025 that followed a 2024 class that only brought one linebacker to the Forty Acres, the Longhorns will need a larger class in terms of numbers and Beck should be high up on the list as the state's top 'backer.Monroe (La.) Ouachita Parish Top247 DL Dylan Berymon
Dylan Berymon (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Even though the Longhorns signed arguably the top defensive class in 2025, the position will continue to be of massive priority as long as Texas plays in the SEC. Berymon finds his spot on the list for that reason and because he's one of the higher ranked defensive linemen the Longhorns will have a good to great shot for. Yes, he's in neighboring Louisiana which is damn near impossible to pull kids out of when LSU truly wants them, but with the Tigers' staffs seat getting warm and a big season being a necessity to keep that staff in Baton Rouge after this upcoming season, Texas could have plenty of opportunity to land Berymon. The 300-plus pounder also has family in the Cedar Park area and has already seen the Forty Acres at least three times in 2024 alone. LSU and other schools in the region will likely shape up the main competition for Texas, but as things currently stand, the Longhorns are definitely in the think of this one.Bastrop 3-star DL Tiki Hola
Tiki Hola (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
Hola finds himself of the list for similar reasons to Berymon as the DL position will always be of massive importance with the Longhorns now in the sport's top league, and with Hola being a local prospect that's tripped to Texas nearly a dozen times already, you can bet that Hola will be one of the more important prospects for the Longhorns to lock up in 2026. Notre Dame, USC, and Oregon were a few of the schools mentioned alongside Texas back in the summer when Hola visited the Forty Acres, but as long as Texas continues to covet him, the Longhorns will have no reason to lose this recruitment.Katy Maybe Creek 3-star LB Kosi Okpala
Kosi Okpala (Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
I thought about going with a few different players for this one but settled on Okpala due to the need at linebacker. Yes, Okpala will have to be taught some of the linebacker position and he'll have to be "spun up" to off-ball linebacker as he's spent the majority of his high school snaps as an edge rusher, but Okpala is a recruit with some of the best junior tape of any prospect you'll find in 2026. At the end of the day Okpala is an impact maker type of prospect that's a great football player, and teams win more when they have more of those guys. With Texas and Texas A&M being the main two schools of note for quite some time, expect the out of state schools to potentially creep in as the spring goes on and visits are taken out of state. Okpala was the first linebacker in Texas to receive an offer from the Longhorns in 2026, and if the burnt orange could have two more linebackers to pair with him in '26, Okpala would be a phenomenal addition.-
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