The Longhorns are just under two weeks away from kicking off the season in Columbus as they face the No. 3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. But as the current Longhorns roster is preparing for the big game, future Longhorns are beginning their senior years of high school.

The 2026 Texas recruiting class currently sits with 21 commits, including three 5-star players. The class has been ranked No. 5 in the nation for weeks now after Sarkisian got hot on the recruiting trail, landing 4-star cornerback Samari Matthews, 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, the No. 1 defensive lineman in James Johnson, and 4-star running back Derrek Cooper.

Those four blue-chip recruits committed to the Longhorns within nine days, surging the Texas class to the top. But now, a month later, these recruits are about to start their senior campaign, if they haven’t already, as they hope to further make a name for themselves and finish their senior season ranked at the top of their positions.

There are three Texas commits that have already played in their first game of the 2025 high school season, all helping lead their teams to season-opener victories.

QB Dia Bell

5-star quarterback Dia Bell is entering his senior year ranked as the No. 1 QB in the nation and the No. 4-ranked player nationally, hailing from Plantation, Florida. It is there that he plays football for American Heritage High School.

American Heritage played its first game of the season on Friday, beating MacArthur 23-14 after an impressive first-half performance from Bell, who threw for two touchdowns with an 85% completion rate.

Bell gave Texas fans a small showcase of the skills he possesses, putting his mobility and accuracy on display. Throughout the game, he showed great ability to sense when the pocket was breaking down, scrambling outside, and taking off for a gain with his legs, or launching it on the run with accuracy, which was how he scored his second touchdown of the game.

If Bell can maintain this level of performance, then there should be no reason for the Patriots to lose more than one or two games or for Bell to drop in the rankings. Texas fans can look forward to hearing how his second game of his senior year goes when American Heritage takes on St. Joseph’s Prep on Friday.

RB Derrek Cooper

Derrek Cooper is also a Florida native, playing for Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood. Although Cooper is rated as a 4-star, he is ranked as the No. 2 RB in the class, and a fifth star is not out of reach.

Cooper made his senior season debut a day before Bell, on Thursday. In a game that seemed marked by early-season struggles, Cooper left his mark late in the game in the fourth quarter, helping lead the Lions to an 18-10 win over West Boca Raton.

Although he didn’t see much action throughout the game against the Bulls, he broke off for about a 70-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. He gave Texas fans a look at the speed that makes him one of the top backs in the country.

He shows strong cuts and quick bursts of speed, able to separate himself from defenders while also being a big 210-pound running back with the ability to frequently run over and shrug off defenders for extra yardage. Longhorns fans can expect to hear more about Cooper after his next game, when Chamindade-Madonna takes on the No. 4-ranked high school team, St. Frances.

What’s next

Kicker Jake Collett also played his first game of the season on Friday for Heritage High School in Georgia. In his first game as a senior, he made six PATs, one field goal, and missed one PAT in the Generals’ 51-13 win over Christian Heritage High School. Heritage’s next game will take place on Friday, when it takes on Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.

Bell, Cooper, and Collett were the only Texas commits to begin their senior campaigns last week. Although No. 1-ranked LB Atkinson was supposed to play his first game of the season for Grayson High School on Friday, he never got dressed for the game and was out for undisclosed reasons. Longhorns fans can hope to see him back on the field on Friday to face Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School.

As for the rest of the Texas commits, here are when the rest of the future Longhorns will make their first appearances:

• 5-star No. 3 EDGE Richard Wesley for Sierra Canyon (CA): Friday, Aug. 22, against JSerra Catholic
• 4-star No. 1 DL James Johnson for Northwestern (FL): Saturday, Aug. 23, against Orange Lutheran
• 4-star No. 2 IOL John Turntine for North Crowley (TX): Thursday, Aug. 28, against Lancaster
• 4-star No. 5 ATH Jermaine Bishop Jr. for Willis (TX): Friday, Aug. 29, against Benjamin Davis
• 4-star No. 14 CB Samari Matthews for William Amos Hough (NC): Friday, Aug. 22, against South Pointe
• 4-star No. 16 DL Vodney Cleveland for Parker (AL): Thursday, Aug. 21, against Ramsay
• 4-star No. 22 DL Dylan Berymon for Ouachita Parish (LA): Thursday, Aug. 21, against Parkway
• 4-star No. 45 WR Chris Stewart for Shadow Creek (TX): Friday, Aug. 29, against Summer Creek
• 4-star No. 31 DL Corey Wells for Petal (MS): Saturday, Aug. 30, against Hattiesburg
• 4-star No. 18 LB Kosi Okpala for Mayde Creek (TX): Thursday, Aug. 28, against Fort Bend Travis
• 4-star No. 32 CB Hayward Howard Jr. for Edna Karr (LA): Friday, Sept. 5, against Archbishop Shaw
• 4-star No. 38 IOL Nicolas Robertson for Klein (TX): Friday, Aug. 29, against Oak Ridge
• 3-star No. 34 OT Max Wright for Melissa (TX): Friday, Aug. 29, against Don Bosco Prep
• 3-star No. 93 WR Kohen Brown for Waxahachie (TX): Friday, Aug. 29, against Ennis
• 3-star No. 91 S Yaheim Riley for Anderson (TX): Thursday, Aug. 29, against McCallum
• 3-star No. 3 P Mikey Bukauskas for Prosper (TX): Friday, Aug. 29, against Westlake
• 3-star No. 4 LS Trott O’Neal for Prestonwood Christian (TX): Friday, Sept. 5, against All Saints Episcopal