As the Texas Longhorns continue vying for one of the nation’s top running back recruits, other programs in the mix aren’t backing down.
Four-star KJ Edwards hails from Carthage, Texas, and he’s currently ranked as the No. 4 running back in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
The recruit revealed to Rivals on May 22 that Alabama and LSU have joined both Texas and Texas A&M as schools he will take official visits to before coming to a decision on his commitment.
He’s set to take all four of these officials within the next month, beginning with Alabama on May 30. He will see LSU on June 6, A&M on June 13 and finish with Texas on June 20.
Starting with nearly 30 offers, Edwards has narrowed his search significantly and will likely reach a decision after taking these four officials.
He has selected four programs with some of the highest ranked NIL efforts in the nation, with the Aggies and the Longhorns ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively.
The East Texas native has also chosen four schools that fare similarly in terms of proximity to home, though A&M and LSU have a slight edge in being closest to his hometown.
Being one of the nation’s top running back recruits and one of the top overall recruits in Texas, it’s likely that each of the four programs will prepare top of the line pitches for Edwards’ visits. However, he isn’t the only top running back recruit some of these schools have their eyes on.
Both Alabama and Texas remain in the running for running back Ezavier Crowell, another blue-chip recruit in the class of 2026. Alabama is the favorite to land Crowell, given that the school is in his home state, but he has yet to eliminate Texas from the running.
It will be important for Edwards, Crowell and other top recruits to monitor where their peers start to land as this season of official visits ramps up with the start of summer. Important factors for consideration will include coaching and opportunities for playing time and development early on.
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