Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian during their first practice of the spring season on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

4-Star 2026 RB Snubs Texas Longhorns, Cancels Visit

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Emma Hutchinson | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 8:00 PM ET

As the Texas Longhorns continue to push for a star-studded recruiting class to join the Forty Acres in 2026 , head coach Steve Sarkisian and company were dealt with a major blow on Monday afternoon.

Four-star running back Javian Osborne named his final two schools, Michigan and Notre Dame, per a report from Hayes Fawcett of On3, and canceled his other remaining visits. Osborne was set to take an official visit to Texas in June after taking an initial trip to Austin on Jan. 25.

BREAKING: Four-Star RB Javian Osborne is down to Michigan & Notre Dame, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 5’9 195 RB from Forney, TX will cancel his remaining visits and only take OVs to his Final 2 Schools

Where Should He Go?https://t.co/8C6ki3HvmG pic.twitter.com/l8Wn8C8xT5
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 31, 2025

Osborne looked to be an elite addition to the 2026 Longhorns roster, and the announcement that Texas won't be in contention came as a surprise following his latest visit. On3 predicted Texas to be his new home, especially with just 187 miles standing between him and his hometown of Forney.

He told On3 reporters that the togetherness of the program and the priority shown by running backs coach Tashard Choice were some key reasons for his return during the offseason.

“I have been to Texas over six times already and on my last visit, I saw more togetherness in the program,” Osborne told On3. “All the early enrollees all hang together. The coaches and personnel department helping them navigate was good to see. That made my last visit a little different.”

However, it seems that Osborne has had a change of mind since going on his first official visit with Notre Dame on March 21.

And it appears that the exit of Choice did the Horns no favors either.

Osborne was one of the top running backs on the board for Texas in the class of 2026. On3 ranked him as the No. 8 running back, No. 97 player overall and No. 14 in the state of Texas. His speed and agility could have made for a dangerous combination alongside Longhorns quarterback commit Dia Bell.

Despite Osborne being out of the picture, Texas has recently scheduled an unofficial visit with another four-star 2026 recruit, KJ Edwards, alongside a multitude of other trips from potential commits.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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