The first big marker on the offseason timeline for Texas football recruiting for the 2025 calendar year is the first big Junior Day on Jan. 25. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian welcome multiple dozen unofficial visitors from the 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes to campus on the Forty Acres for the annual Junior Day festivities this upcoming weekend.
Texas football set to host its first big recruiting weekend of the offseason for Junior Day on Jan. 25
This is a big opportunity for the Longhorns to continue to build key relationships on the recruiting trail with the top targets for the 2026 class and establish the foundation for the 2027 cycle. While we're not too far away from Junior Day this upcoming weekend, the Longhorns are expected to get more recruits added to the visitor list in the coming days.
Here are five early names to watch on the Junior Day visitor list for the Longhorns this weekend on Jan. 25.
Jalen Lott, Frisco (TX) Panther Creek 2026 WR/ATH
Elite wide receiver Jalen Lott is one of the top in-state wideout recruits in Texas in the 2026 class. He had a big junior campaign for Panther Creek High School in the DFW Metroplex, registering over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns.
Lott, who has family connections to the Longhorns, already holds nearly three dozen offers from pretty much all the top programs in the nation. He's visited Texas multiple times since last offseason, and many have considered the Longhorns to be one of the top schools since early in his recruitment.
Texas coaches also visited Lott in DFW last week.
While the Longhorns are figured to be in the top group of schools in Lott's recruitment, these early-offseason visits will be critical for Texas to cement itself as the leader for the No. 1 wide receiver recruit from Texas in the 2026 class in the 247Sports Composite.