Steve Sarkisian flies in via helicopter to check in on 5-star Texas football commit

It isn't every day that a college football coach pulls out a helicopter to check in on a prospect who is already committed to their program.

Yet, that's exactly what Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian did when he paid a visit to five-star cornerback Jermaine Bishop Jr., even though the blue-chip prospect had been committed to the Longhorns for over four months.

The Texas head coach visited in style, taking the team's helicopter to visit Bishop, choosing the chopper over the plane, cars, or other modes of transportation.

Sarkisian, who was enjoying his bye week by hitting the recruiting trail during his "free" time, visited Bishop, who lives in Willis, TX. The in-state prospect committed to Texas over powerhouse programs like Penn State, Michigan, and more.

Bishop is part of yet another top-10 recruiting class for the Horns, including five-star quarterback Dia Bell and five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson.

So far, Sarkisian has landed 21 commitments from the class of 2026, which features three five-star prospects, eight four-star prospects, and 10 three-star prospects. Currently, it ranks fifth in the country and second in the SEC, a surprising step down from Texas's class of 2025.

Sarkisian, alongside his staff, brought in the No. 1 nationally-ranked class, including five-star safety Jonah Williams, five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry, five-star edge rusher Lance Jackson, and more blue-chip prospects from across the country.

While Texas enjoys its bye week and Sark busies himself on the recruiting trail, the Longhorns are actually preparing to kick off SEC play with a road trip to Gainesville, where the Horns will take on the Florida Gators in their first conference game of the season.

Next week, Florida and Texas are scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT. The television network for the conference matchup has yet to be announced.