The University of Texas announces Sean Miller as their new men's basketball coach Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Basketball Finalists for 4-Star Forward in 2026 Recruiting Class

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Tyler Firtel | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 4:11 PM ET

In the college basketball landscape, high school recruiting seems to be having diminishing value for many top-tier programs due to the rise of the transfer portal. But for Sean Miller and his new Texas Longhorns regime, a balance between recruitment and the transfer portal is vital in the program-building process.

Miller's first offseason in Austin has seen him combine retention, transfers and recruits to fill out the team's personnel. Miller has stated that recruiting, both inside and outside the state of Texas, can be expected to maintain a role in yearly roster construction -- and Texas could be getting its first 2026 recruit soon.

Four-star recruit Sammy Jackson is visiting Austin this Sunday ahead of his commitment announcement on June 25, per recruiting analyst Sam Kayser. A product of Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, Jackson is the 99th-ranked player in ESPN's Top 100 for 2026.

Jackson is down to his final four schools -- Indiana, Texas, VCU and Saint Joseph's. The Longhorns are the only one he has not visited out of the four.

In a May 25 article on Zagsblog by Sam Lance, Jackson spoke on his recruitment by some of Texas's new staff and his potential fit in the Longhorns' system:

“Sean Miller, David Miller, coach [Adam] Cohen and the rest of staff have all been talking to me," Jackson said. "They started recruiting while they were at Xavier. They went to Texas and they brought the same amount of love, the same amount of recruiting. I’ve had a relationship with them for a while now. They have a lot of guys. They play one big guy, play a lot of guards, big guards. I feel like that’s a good fit for me, being able to show off my skillset. They have a great plan for me to show off my skillset and improve, get my body bigger, be great.”

Jackson is the son of seven-year NBA veteran Marc Jackson. Though his father was a big man, the four-star views himself more as a backcourt player.

“I’m a big guard,” Jackson said in the Zagsblog article. “So I’m 6’7-6-8. I play the one, the two, the three. I think my skill set’s unique. I’m able to dribble the ball, bring it up for my team, get into our sets, shoot the ball.”

Texas has gotten their offseason practices started recently in Austin, meaning Jackson seems to be visiting campus at a great time. Miller and company will get a chance to win him over this weekend ahead of his commitment date next week.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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