Texas Longhorns Favorites to Land Top In-State Recruit

As the summer rolls on, so do the commitments for a lot of the talented players in the 2026 recruiting class. Official visits are wrapping up, and many players have decided on their home already, while others are nearing their date to do so.

Kosi Okpala, one of the nation's top linebackers of the cycle, has been given the On3 crystal ball to land with the Texas Longhorns.

On3 ranks the Lone Star native as the number 11 linebacker in the 2026 class and has him rated as the number 281 player overall according to their composite rankings.

The other team to watch out for in this race is Penn State, which has recently made a push for the Houston native. He recently visited there this month and was impressed by the Nittany Lions' ability to put players at his position in the NFL.

Texas Longhorns could land a major difference maker in Kosi Okpala

Texas insider Eric Nahlin has logged the Texas Longhorns to get the four-star commitment when he announces on July 3rd. Okpala would add to an already impressive 2026 defensive class highlighted by Richard Wesley and Vodney Cleveland.

Gabe Brooks, a 247Sports scouting analyst had this to say about the linebacker:

"Long-levered two-point edge defender who could stay at the line of scrimmage or move to an off-ball linebacker role. Good functional athlete who's still putting together technical nuance and possesses ample developmental upside. Shows flashes of redirecting twitch at edge and linebacker, whether in pads or elite camp settings. Still, more natural as a forward-oriented player, whether rushing the passer or defending the run.".

Okpala had his official visit this past weekend to the Forty Acres, and when he was asked about his thoughts on Steve Sarkisian's program, he offered this:

“It’s a great place to go to with academics and the football team. I feel like the great players there, they’re going to make everybody better. I’m going to come in there and compete and ultimately make myself better and make everybody better too.”.

Kosi Okpala will announce his decision on July 3rd between Houston, North Carolina, Baylor, Penn State, and Texas.