The Longhorns have made a late addition to the 2026 recruiting class.
With the advent of the early signing period, National Signing Day in February features little drama in the current era of college football, but that didn’t stop the Texas Longhorns from continuing to evaluate options in the 2026 recruiting class, landing a Saturday commitment from Downey (Calif.) St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy defensive tackle Elijah Ali.
The 6’5, 285-pounder took an official visit to the Forty Acres this week and officially picked up his offer from the Longhorns. Ali will sign on Wednesday.
“This Texas offer means everything to me because I went from having nothing to getting a shot at one of the best collegiate programs,” Ali told Horns247. “The visit was great all around. The staff showed me hospitality and the meetings with Coach (Will) Muschamp and Coach (Kenny) Baker were able to open my eyes to opportunities further beyond my imagination. After the visit, Texas stands as my No. 1 school above all else. Thanks to the amazing coaches, I will be signing with the Longhorns on Wednesday.”
Not much is known about Ali, who is unranked by the recruiting services and also held offers from Delaware State, San Diego State, Sacramento State, and Temple, but his film shows an extremely raw prospect who is a developmental take for Texas enabled by the expansion of scholarship limits from 85 to 105.
Ali is the 24th member of the 2026 recruiting class for the Longhorns, which ranks No. 8 in the 247Sports Composite team rankings.
Category: General Sports
