Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners Frontrunners for Five-Star Recruit

The Texas Longhorns' 2026 recruiting class recently received commitments from a pair of five-stars in running back Derek Cooper and linebacker Tyler Atkinson, and flipped the commitment of four-star defensive linemen James Johnson. The trio of commitments pushed the Longhorns forward to the No. 4-ranked class in the country per On3's industry rankings.

Now Texas is looking to keep its momentum on the recruiting trail, as Rivals' Steve Wiltfong reported that the Longhorns, along with rival Oklahoma, are the two frontrunners for five-star edge rusher Jake Kreul, who will be deciding his commitment between the aforementioned Longhorns and Sooners, along with the Ole Miss Rebels.

The Florida product is highly-touted as the No. 4 player at his position per ESPN and ranked as the fourth-best player from the state of Florida. The five-star also has national pedigree, being listed as the No. 22 player in the country in the 2026 class.

How Texas Could Separate Itself From Oklahoma

Kreul talked about what stands out about the Longhorns earlier this summer after his official visit in June, especially the relationship he has with Texas defensive edge coach LaAllen Clark, who Texas hired from Ohio State earlier this offseason.

"Coach Clark was recruiting me back at Ohio State, and moved over to Texas now. So I've had a good relationship with him, and I believe he can develop me," Kreul said. "I think he's going to be one of the best coaches at doing that. And you see the success in that scheme with Colin Simmons, who's a guy very similar to me with how we play the game. So I can definitely see myself being successful there."

The Longhorns have proved their ability to develop players at a high level in recent years at the edge position. Most recently, having Barryn Sorrell, who arrived at Texas as a three-star prospect, and in four years in the Longhorns program, grew into an NFL prospect and was recently drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round.

Another example of the Longhorns' development of edge players is Ethan Burke, who, like Sorrell, arrived at Texas as a three-star prospect and in three seasons has racked up 74 tackles, 19.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks. Now Burke heads into his senior year as one of the primary edge rushers in the Longhorns rotation this upcoming season.

Texas has also been a hotbed for premier edge prospects in the last few recruiting cycles. Beginning with the 2024 recruiting class, the Longhorns signed five-star and No. 2 edge prospect in the class, Colin Simmons, who, as a true freshman, was an impact player right from the jump, recording nine sacks. The 2025 recruiting class continued the hot streak as Texas signed a pair of highly touted edge players, with five-star and No. 2-ranked edge Lance Jackson and four-star Smith Orogbo, who was listed as the No. 11 edge rusher in the 2025 class.

With a commitment from Kreul, the five-star can join a talented position group that is quickly establishing itself as one of the best rotations in the country. And a 2026 recruiting class that already features one five-star edge player in Richard Wesley along with other touted prospects on the defensive side of the ball.