When you think of head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns, the offensive side of the football is what usually comes to mind quickest. He is one of the best offensive minds in all of college football. Naturally, skill position talent tends to flock to Austin, Texas to be a part of the dynamic Longhorn offense.
For whatever reason, Texas has had a difficult time attracting skill position talent over the last several weeks. They have had multiple misses in the 2026 recruiting class at wide receiver recently, including priority Panther Creek (Texas) High School athlete Jalen Lott. He committed to Oregon on Tuesday over the Longhorns, LSU, and USC.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 ATH Jalen Lott has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 8, 2025
The 6’0 170 ATH from Frisco, TX chose the Ducks over Texas, LSU, & USC
“Time to create my own legacy, sco ducks!”https://t.co/sG22HUw5bj pic.twitter.com/OzI3hQbey7
The 6-foot, 170 pound athlete is currently ranked as the No. 49 overall prospect, the No. 5 athlete and the No. 8 ranked prospect in the state of Texas on the 247Sports Composite ranking.
A multi-sport star for Panther Creek, Lott is a dynamic athlete that can do a little bit of everything on the football field. As a junior, Lott manages to haul in 85 receptions for 1,111 yards and 16 touchdowns. Add in the that Lott is a Longhorn legacy, and this is a really tough loss for the program.
Lott isn’t the only Texas legacy that they have failed to land recently either. Aledo (Texas) High School star wide receiver Kaydon Finley also chose to leave the Lone Star State last week. He committed to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The son of former Longhorns star tight end Jeremichael Finley, Kaydon is one of the most productive wide receivers in the entire 2026 class.
As a junior this past season, Finley had a fantastic season for Aledo. In 14 games he played, Finley managed to haul in 81 receptions for 1,432 yards and 21 receiving touchdowns. That’s an average of 17.7 yards per catch, showcasing the big play ability that Finley brings to the table on top of his well-rounded game. Finley had a total of nine games where he went for over 100 yards this past season, showcasing his overall consistency.
From a recruiting rankings perspective, Finley is considered to be a four-star player by each and everyone of the major recruiting platform. He is currently rated as the No. 110 overall player and No. 14 wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. That ranking also has Finley pegged as the No. 15 overall player in the talent-rich state of Texas.
Letting two talents like Finley and Lott leave the state is a bad look for Texas. Letting two legacy wide receivers is even worse. The Longhorns have all the supports to bounce back but it has been a touch couple of weeks.
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