Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II Ricardo B. Brazziell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas Longhorns Named Finalist for Top-Rated 2026 Defensive Lineman

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Harrison Reno | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 10:48 AM ET

The Texas Longhorns entered June as a program that was expected to start building momentum on the recruiting trail. And just six days into one of the biggest months on the recruiting calendar, it does the Longhorns are setting themselves up for a busy next few weeks where they could land some top prospects.

One of those top prospects could be Jamarion Carlton, the four-star defensive lineman in the 2026 class, who unveiled his top-five schools just a month before his commitment date. Texas was one of those schools in contention for Carlton, as a graphic showed the Longhorns alongside Texas A&M, LSU, Texas Tech, and Baylor.

At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, Carlton ranks as the No. 4 defensive lineman in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports composite. He is the No. 5 player from the Lone Star State and ranks No. 40 nationally.

With his decision date approaching, Carlton is set for a busy June. He will take three official visits over the next three weeks after already knocking out two. He first took an official visit back in April to Texas Tech, before making a trip to LSU a month later in May.

He will be in Austin this coming weekend to visit the Longhorns, before going to their arch-rivals, the Aggies, on June 12th, ahead of Baylor on June 20th.

As for his scouting report, 247Sports' Gabe Brooks says this of the four-star defensive line prospect:

"Physically and athletically gifted front-line defender who could play from the edge in the long run, or bulk to a true defensive lineman thanks to immense frame space, ..." Brooks writes. "Plays upright at times and will need to work on fluidity and flexibility. Move set should expand with experience. Looks like one of the higher-upside front-line defenders in TXHSFB's 2026 class."

Texas has just eight commits in their 2026 class so far, which currently ranks No. 30 nationally. With no defensive linemen committed thus far, Carlton could be the first that Texas lands this cycle.

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

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