Texas Longhorns Land Commitment From Elite 4-Star Linebacker and Pass Rusher

The Texas Longhorns needed to make a splash this weekend on the recruiting trail in order to gain some momentum heading into the final stretch of the 2026 cycle.

On Thursday, the first domino from a long list of decisions on July 4th weekend fell in their favor.

During an announcement event at his high school, 4-star linebacker Kosi Okpala out of Mayde Creek (Katy, TX) committed to the Longhorns over the Baylor Bears, Houston Cougars, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Penn State Nittany Lions.

And according to Okpala himself, it was the relationship he shared with Steve Sarkisian and linebacker coach Johnny Nansen that sealed the deal for him.

"I like Coach Nansen, and I like Coach Sark," Okpala said in an interview with Griffin McVeigh of On3 Sports. "It's a great place to go with academics and the football team. I feel like the great players there, they're going to make everybody better. I'm going to come in there and complete and ultimately make myself better and make everybody else better too."

What the Texas Longhorns are getting in Kosi Okpala

The On3 Industry Rankings currently rank Okpala as the No. 19 linebacker in the 2026 class, and the No. 35 player in the entire Lone Star State. On3 themselves currently rank Okpala as the No. 194 recruit and the No. 11 linebacker in the 2026 On300 ranks.

Meanwhile, The 247Sports Composite Ranking puts Okpala as a four star recruit, the No. 281 player nationally, and No. 27 edge rusher in Texas.

And they project him as a high end NFL Draft prospect if developed correctly.

"Long-levered two-point edge defender who could stay at the line of scrimmage or move to an off-ball linebacker role," Gabe Brooks of 247Sports said in his scouting report. "Legitimately 6-foot-2 and around 230 pounds with significant frame potential given a wingspan greater than +7 inches relative to height. Good functional athlete who's still putting together technical nuance and possesses ample developmental upside... Projects as a P4/high-major defensive piece whose ultimate positional home could depend on scheme/staff. Owns physical traits and natural athleticism that could lead to long-term NFL Draft candidacy.

Okpala has had a very productive 2023 and 2024 season, recording 121 total tackles as well as seven sacks, including 17 tackles for loss as a junior last season. The year before as a sophomore, he totaled 66 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and two sacks with eight pressures.

He now heads to Austin as the latest in a line of recent defensive recruits, including five star edge Richard Wesley, and four star defensive linemen Vodney Cleveland, Corey Wells, and Dylan Berrymon.

He is also the first linebacker commit of the class.