Texas 2027 Recruiting: Top prospects, battles to watch and predictions

Texas is notorious for stellar high school football and the ensuing talent that emerges from across the colossal state. The Lone Star State is known for producing 5-stars and NFL talent, and boasts incredible depth that feeds into college programs across Texas and around the country.

Here’s a look at some of the top prospects, recruiting battles and predictions on some of the top recruits inside the state this offseason:

Texas Recruits to Watch

5-star DL Jalen Brewster: The No. 1 prospect in the Rivals300 for 2027 committed to Texas Tech midway through his junior season at Cedar Hill, the same school Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire won three state championships. The 5-star DL is incredibly athletic for a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder with elite verified testing numbers as an underclassman. Brewster is firmly committed to the Red Raiders, though Texas A&M and Indiana are among the teams still swinging away.

5-star CB John Meredith: Meredith is the top prospect in the Rivals Industry Rankings and fits the mold as a long, sticky cornerback to can play and cover at a high level on the perimeter. The Five-Star Plus+ prospect transferred to Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley for his senior season. Meredith is coveted by Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama and Ohio State.

5-star OT Kennedy Brown: Brown is one of the top prospects regardless of position in this 2027 recruiting class. The 5-star OT has position flexibility and has been outstanding seeing snaps at both tackle spots and inside at guard. Brown is highly coveted by programs inside the state like Texas, Texas A&M and SMU. Oregon, Alabama, Tennessee and others are also in pursuit.

5-star LB Cooper Witten: The son of future NFL Hall of Famer tight end Jason Witten, Cooper is the top linebacker prospect in the country and was outstanding playing multiple positions for Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian. That includes 700-plus yards receiving with 12 touchdowns and 87 tackles, 10 QB hurries, nine TFL, seven forced fumbles, four recovered fumbles, four passes defended, two sacks, and an interception. Texas A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are top schools in contention for Witten.

Biggest Recruiting Battles

Texas A&M, Texas and Alabama for John Meredith: The Aggies are leading the way on the Rivals RPM for Meredith, who is set to return to campus this month. Visits to Alabama and back to Texas in-season moved the needle for the Five-Star Plus+ cornerback, who is trending toward having a commitment in place later this offseason.

Texas A&M, Tennessee Oklahoma for Witten: Witten is a Tennessee legacy that is leaning toward playing college football in the SEC. His father was just hired to Oklahoma’s coaching staff, and Texas and Texas A&M are both working feverishly to keep the 5-star LB inside the state.

LSU, Texas and Texas A&M for 4-star OL Ismael Camara: Rivals’ No. 2 interior OL prospect is originally from France and is coming off a superb junior season at East Texas powerhouse Gilmer High. Camara has suitors from coast to coast — from Alabama to Oregon — and is highly coveted by schools in-state like the Aggies and Longhorns, and has made a string of visits to nearby LSU.

Texas, Texas Tech and Oregon for4-star WR Julian Caldwell: Caldwell is moving closer toward making his college decision and has made a string of visits to top contenders. Texas, Texas Tech and Oregon are separating themselves from the pack for the blue-chipper from Argyle (Texas) High.

Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State and Oregon for 4-star RB Landen Williams-Callis: Williams-Callis is one of the most explosive prospects regardless of position in the 2027 class. The Aggies are off to a fast start with the Rivals Industry Ranking No. 3 RB from Houston, who is coveted by some top College Football Playoff contenders across the country.

In-State Outlook

Texas: The Longhorns have inked top-10 recruiting classes consistently under Steve Sarkisian and are already on pace to repeat again in 2027. Texas holds a commitment from 5-star WR Easton Royal and are starting to trend in the right direction with several top targets across the state. With a deep and talent-rich crop of talent in-state, the Longhorns are tracking to have another strong presence in-state and nationally this cycle.

Texas A&M: Mike Elko has turned the Aggies into a championshop contender, and they’re recruiting at an exceptional clip, too. Texas A&M signed the No. 7 class for 2026 and is sitting on the No. 4 haul so far in 2027. The Aggies recently bolstered their class with a commitment from 4-star OT Kaeden Scott and are trending for even more fireworks with blue-chip talent this spring and into the summer.

Texas Tech: There was no better turnaround in college football last season than the Red Raiders. Joey McGuire and James Blanchard signed their best recruiting class yet while capturing their first Big 12 title and advancing to the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech is standing on the No. 1 class in the country — with commitments from No. 1 overall prospect Brewster and Rivals’ No. 1 QB Kavian Bryant already on board. The Red Raiders have shown no signs of slowing down either.

SMU: The Mustangs are on a steady upward trajectory under Rhett Lashlee and the arrow is pointing up for SMU as the foundational pieces of the 2027 class fall into place. Four-star QB Malachi Zeigler and in-state DL Amari Vickerson are on board, as SMU continues to bring in talent from all different parts of the state. The Mustangs’ 2026 class featured a heavy dosage of Dallas-based recruits with Houston, East Texas, Central Texas and multiple states all represented. SMU is on track to follow a similar blueprint in 2027.

Houston: Willie Fritz and the Cougars pronounced themselves on the field and on the recruiting trail last season. Houston capped a remarkable 2025 season by signing 5-star QB Keisean Henderson and a host of 4-star talent in the Metro area and across the state. The Cougars have a strong foundation in place with several top prospects in their backyard as they look to jumpstart this 2027 class before too long.

TCU: The Horned Frogs inked a terrific 2026 recruiting class that was comprised 95-percent of in-state talent. Sonny Dykes and his staff of evaluating and bringing in talent across the Lone Star State. Local Waxahachie (Texas) High QB Jerry Meyer is an early building block for TCU. are in a strong position to bolster their 2027 class with more Texas-based recruits.

Baylor:Dave Aranda and the Bears are already off to a fast start in this 2027 cycle with commitments from three in-state recruits headlined by 4-star athletes Davontrae Kirkland and Karece Hoyt, and 3-star EDGE Jalen Price. This coaching staff has emphasized local recruiting and a roster rich with in-state talent. They’re pacing to follow a similar blueprint in 2027.

Sleepers to Watch

3-star WR Briceson Thrower: Thrower boasts excellent size (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and speed to make vertical plays downfield and win one-on-one on the perimeter. Thrower has plus ball skills and can generate separation from defenders.

3-star S James Roberson: One of the most coveted safeties in the state, coaches love Roberson’s ability to play different positions in the secondary. Roberson is sound in coverage with great quickness and ball-tracking skills. He flies to the ball evident by 60 tackles as a junior with six pass break-ups and two picks.

3-star OT Jasper Ngokwere: There are some exceptional offensive linemen in the Lone Star State for 2027 and Ngokwere is among the top OT prospects. Ngokwere has great length, smooth footwork and is massively powerful at the point of attack, and is coming off a breakthrough junior campaign playing left tackle for Richardson (Texas) High.

3-star WR Brody Knowles: One of the most productive pass-catchers in the state out of powerhouse Southlake Carroll, Knowles comes from an athletic family. His father was a tennis pro and is brother plays QB for Georgia Tech. Those around the program believe Brody could be the best athlete in the family. He is a big-framed WR (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) with fantastic ball skills and body control. He is excellent stretching the field and also is a force earning yardage after the catch.

3-star ATH Jaiden Fields: Fields had one of the best in-person evaluations I caught last year after watching Hutto (Texas) High in a preseason scrimmage. Fields effortlessly made plays at WR and was even better in coverage at safety. The Sooners recently offered Fields at WR, while TCU and SMU both covet the dynamic ATH in the secondary. Regardless of position, he’s one of the best-kept secrets in Texas.

Parting Predictions

1. Oklahomapoised for a big cycle in Texas: The Sooners are sitting on the No. 3-ranked recruiting haul in 2027 with a large Lone Star State presence. Rivals300 CB Mikhail McCreary, OT Luke Wilson and RB Keldrid Ben are early pieces on board. Oklahoma is also in a strong spot with Witten and 4-star DL target Zane Rowe, and should have another big presence in Texas.

2. Texas A&M or Texas Tech captures No. 1 class in 2027: The Red Raiders are sitting on the No. 1 class for 2027 with multiple blue-chip pieces on board. That includes Brewster and Bryant, in addition to talented 4-star pieces like WR Benny Easter and DL K’Adrian Redmond. Texas Tech is also trending for more in-state talent that should keep the Red Raiders right in the thick of a recruiting crown. Their biggest competition will likely come in-state from the Aggies, who are recruiting in-state and nationally at an outstanding clip. The talent-rich foundation comprised of 4-star S JayQuan Snell, 4-star EDGE Kaden McCarty, 4-star ATH Hakim Frampton and Scott has Texas A&M in position to make a run for the No. 1 class.

3. In-state programs will have a stronger presence in the top 10: Five of the top 10 prospects in-state (and 12 of the top 20) signed out-of-state in 2026. Houston (Henderson), Texas Tech (Felix Ojo), Texas (Jermaine Bishop, John Turntine) and Texas A&M (KJ Edwards) all signed prospects in that group. So did Oregon (Rivals 5-star WR Jalen Lott), Oklahoma (Bowe Bentley), Florida (Davian Groce) and USC, (Boobie Feaster and Jaimeon Winfield).

In this year’s top 10, the in-state programs are in line to have a better percentage. Texas Tech holds commitments from two top-10 prospects. So do the Aggies, who are also among the favorites for five more.