The Texas Longhorns were in a good position to make one big case as to why elite 2026 defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy should play in Austin. Only days away from his official visit to Texas, though, McCoy let the Longhorns know he had a change of heart.
While McCoy was considering Texas alongside Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida, the Longhorns appear out of the race. Per On3's Hayes Fawcett, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound pass-rusher will no longer visit Texas and will instead go back to Florida for the second time in three weeks.
NEWS: Elite 2026 DL JaReylan McCoy has cancelled his OV to Texas & instead is set to return to Florida this weekend, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 9, 2025
The 6’7 245 DL from Tupelo, MS already took an Official Visit to the Gators May 30thhttps://t.co/SJoZAWQnn5 pic.twitter.com/CNKThlPaJW
The Mississippi native has repeatedly been to Ole Miss, with a dozen reported trips to his in-state option. However, this decision points toward the inevitable. Corey Bender of On3 logged a prediction that he'll wind up with the Gators.
"Just submitted a pick for Florida to land McCoy. Like I said after his time in Gainesville, the Texas OV was the only reason I never submitted one before. Was wary of him getting to Austin and then NIL taking over. We’ve seen that before. Now that it’s off, there is no reason to wait any longer. Love where Florida stands."
Here's a scouting report on McCoy from Charles Power of On3.
Physically gifted defensive lineman with a huge frame and plus athleticism as a high school underclassman. has measured in over 6-foot-6.5 and close to 250 pounds prior to his sophomore season. Owns plus length for the position with 34.25-inch arms. Registers as a top athlete, running a 4.89 second 40-yard dash at Student Sports' All-22 camp. Lines up as a big defensive end for his high school. Physical gifts are readily apparent on Friday nights. Flashes good speed and functional movement skills. Closes to make some impressive plays. Has upside as a run defender, using his big frame to body offensive linemen. Still early in his development. Likely not done growing and could see his frame maxing out at north of 300 pounds. Size and athleticism make him one of the early top defensive linemen in the 2026 cycle.
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