Texas Longhorn News: Gaining ground on top RB recruit, Dia Bell's rise, and MLB Draft woes

This rendition of the Longhorn news roundup includes a Derrek Cooper recruiting update, Dia Bell's rise in the Rivals300 rankings, and losing Gavin Fien to the MLB Draft.
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves fans attend the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves fans attend the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorn sports had a lot of things going on over the past couple of days, and one of the most exciting or intriguing aspects might be revolving around 4-star running back target Derrek Cooper.

Texas might be gaining ground in Derrek Cooper's recruitment

Despite being absolutely stacked in the running back room with young players like Jerrick Gibson, Christian Clark, and James Simon, the Longhorns have decided to "turn up the heat" in Cooper's recruitment.

According to some reports, Texas might even be the leader right now, but it's most likely going to be a battle between the Longhorns and Georgia for Cooper's commitment on July 20th. Miami was one of the clear-cut favorites, but appears to be falling behind.

5-star commit Dia Bell now ranked as the No.1 QB recruit in 2026

Rivals recently released an updated Rivals300 list, and 2026 commit Dia Bell has been bumped up to the No.1-ranked quarterback spot over Georgia commit Jared Curtis.

Bell has also hit an interesting milestone regarding the history of Longhorn quarterback recruits, dating back to the mid-90s.

Longhorns lose top baseball recruit to the MLB Draft

Gavin Fien, who was one of Texas' prized baseball recruits, was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. The star third baseman and shortstop was expected to play a key role for the Longhorns next season.

He's caused a bit of an uproar due to a seemingly "convenient" change of plans after the conclusion of the draft.

BONUS: 4 Projected starters who could be unseated in 2025

Fall camp is almost here, and there are a handful of players who could potentially lose their starting jobs unless they take the next step in 2025.

Also read: Hook ’Em Hold Outs: Two of Texas' top 2025 NFL Draft picks remain unsigned