5 most important 2025 Texas recruitments this spring

Next week, Texas football will begin hosting key targets on the recruiting trail for visits during the start of spring practice. Over the next five weeks, Texas will host over two dozen targets on the recruiting trail in the 2025 and 2026 classes.

Two of the biggest visit weekends for head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns staff will be on April 6 and on April 20 for the annual Orange-White spring football game.

Top priority recruits for Texas football in the 2025 class as spring ball begins next week

Spring is a time for the Longhorns to continue to build relationships with priority recruits, especially those in the 2025 class, before the action on the trail really heats up during the summer. Texas prioritizes loading up its recruiting class during summer official visits to get its class in place before the season begins during the fall.

Playing the patient game with many of these top recruits in the 2025 class also means that Texas isn't throwing in the towel until we hit the finish line on signing day.

Here are five of the most important recruitments for the Longhorns entering the spring.

Riley Pettijohn, LB

Texas is on a quest to add another elite in-state defensive recruit from McKinney High School after landing five-star safety Xavier Filsaime in the 2024 class. High-four-star McKinney linebacker Riley Pettijohn would be a huge addition for the Longhorns in the 2025 class if they could eventually seal the deal in this recruitment.

A top in-state linebacker target in the 2025 class, Pettijohn recently included the Longhorns among his six finalist schools. Pettijohn announced his top six schools on March 12. He will visit Texas during spring practice in April. He is also a possibility as an unofficial visitor for the spring game on April 20.

The other five schools that made Pettijohn's top six are the Ohio State Buckeyes, USC Trojans, Florida State Seminoles, Texas A&M Aggies, and Georgia Bulldogs.

Pettijohn also has official visits set for this summer to see Texas (June 14-16) and USC (June 21-23).

Texas has Pettijohn's attention thanks to the relationship he's built early this offseason with new co-DC/LB coach Johnny Nansen and the direction this side of the ball is trending entering the SEC in 2024.

The Longhorns have had success with elite in-state linebacker talents making an early impact for this defensive front, namely Freshman All-American Anthony Hill Jr. who was among the best first-year LBs in the Power Five last season.