Texas is back — back on the recruiting trail, at least.
Since landing a commitment from coveted five-star quarterback Arch Manning on Thursday, the Longhorns have been beneficiaries of a recruiting surge. A whopping seven prospects have committed to Texas in the wake of Manning’s announcement, including five on Sunday alone.
Most recently, five-star defensive back Derek Williams — the No. 37 prospect in the nation, according to 247Sports — committed to Texas Monday.
“That kind of shocked me,” Williams told ESPN of Manning’s decision. “I knew (Manning) was (likely) going there, but I was just making sure. That impacted my decision going (to Texas).”
The Manning effect has vaulted the Longhorns to the third-ranked recruiting class in the nation, up from their mid-thirties ranking just last week. If it holds, the mark will constitute the best Texas class since 2019.
“This has been a great run,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told ESPN Monday. “Hopefully it’s not over. I don’t think it is. We may have a few more to go here this week. Hopefully we can continue to capture some of the momentum that has been created.”