Texas football recruiting has zeroed in on its top priorities on the trail for the 2026 class as we approach the upcoming offseason and the first Junior Day after the New Year. The exact calendar date of the first Junior Day of the 2025 offseason for Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian likely depends on when UT's run in the College Football Playoff is over.
Which elite recruits in the 2026 class could Texas football get on campus for the first Junior Day next offseason?
Since the Longhorns are in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff against the Arizona State Sun Devils on New Year's Day, it's certainly possible that the first Junior Day for the 2025 offseason happens in late January or sometime in February.
That said, the Longhorns are already off to a decent start recruiting key positions, especially on the offensive side of the ball, for the 2026 class. Texas has commitments from five-star Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage quarterback Dia Bell and four-star Pearland (TX) Shadow Creek wide receiver Chris Stewart.
With the holidays approaching over the next couple of weeks, the Longhorns have a group of elite priority recruits in the 2026 class in mind for who they will pursue on the trail for the upcoming cycle.
Here are three elite 2026 recruits the Longhorns would love to get commitments from on their Christmas wish list.
Javian Osborne, RB
High-four-star Forney (TX) running back Javian Osborne has been a top priority on the recruiting trail for the 2026 class for RB coach Tashard Choice and the Longhorns going back multiple years. Choice has a great relationship with Osborne, which has the Longhorns among his top schools entering the 2025 offseason.
Osborne has already visited Texas multiple times since last offseason, including for a couple of gamedays at DKR this fall. He's witnessed the coaching and development that Texas's running back room has received this fall, including the rise of sophomore running back Quintrevion Wisner, who is on the cusp of his first career 1,000-rushing yard season.
Choice and the Longhorns want to take two running back commitments in the 2026 class. And Osborne is arguably the top name on the big board at the position for the Longhorns' recruiting efforts at running back for the 2026 cycle.
Osborne told Inside Texas that the two schools currently "standing out" to him are the Michigan Wolverines and Texas.