Texas eyeing another blockbuster 4-star flip from Big Ten powerhouse

Texas football recently flipped 4-star defensive tackle recruit James Johnson from Georgia, officially giving the Longhorns two of the top defensive players in the 2026 recruiting class. Although flipping already committed players is very hard, the team might be attempting to do it one more time within the next couple of months.

Malakai Lee, the No.11-ranked offensive tackle in the 2026 class, recently committed to Michigan a few weeks ago. When it came down to decision day, his top two choices were between Texas and the Wolverines.

Lee also visited Texas on June 6th and reportedly had a great time in Austin, getting to hang out with Kyle Flood and the rest of UT's offensive staff. Flood has been Lee's main point of contact throughout his recruitment process.

The 6'7", 310-pound offensive tackle from Honolulu, HI, might be next up on the Longhorns' flip list after securing James Johnson. There was enough genuine interest between Lee and Texas to reasonably think that a "change of heart" could happen.

Lee would solidify a Texas offensive line that's lacking overall depth and blue-chip players right now. The top backup offensive tackles heading into 2025 are Jaydon Chatman and Andre Cojoe, who have little experience and haven't been overly impressive in practice. Cojoe has shown flashes of above-average play, but consistency is the weak point for the Longhorns' 2nd-team offensive line unit.

If they're able to add Lee to the 2026 class, he'd join John Turntine III, Max Wright, and Nicolas Robertson in a much-needed offensive line-heavy class for Texas next year.

The Longhorns are currently set to lose two starters along the offensive line following the 2025 season, possibly three if either Neto Umeozulu or Trevor Goosby play at an All-American level. If that's the case, then the NFL's College Advisory Committee might give them sufficient NFL Draft grades.