Louisiana State University officially announced the firing of head football coach Brian Kelly last night (10/27), ending an underwhelming era of LSU football. Though the Tigers may be elated that he's gone, Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns might be even happier.
The biggest reason as to why is because two of Texas' highest rated and most sought after 2026 recruits are currently committed to LSU. This might be the perfect time for the Longhorns to dive back in on blue-chip defensive line prospects Lamar Brown and Trenton Henderson.
Brown, the No.1 ranked defensive tackle recruit in the 2026 class, committed to LSU on July 10th after a heated recruiting battle between the Tigers, Texas A&M, and Texas. Longhorns defensive assistant LaAllan Clark was absolutely devastated when Brown chose to commit to LSU, and it goes without saying that he's ready and willing to reach out to Brown now that Brian Kelly is out.
Henderson, who was one of DC Pete Kwiatkowski's top priority targets over the summer, committed to LSU after reportedly choosing between Texas, Florida, and the Tigers. He's currently ranked as the No.5 defensive end in the 2026 cycle as well.
Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic five-star EDGE Trenton Henderson shares photos from his Texas official visit @Horns247 | #HookEm https://t.co/mhe02cE99J pic.twitter.com/Cyq539ZXQz
— Jordan Scruggs (@JScruggs247) June 21, 2025
The Longhorns were "leading" for a while, but they just couldn't close the deal with Henderson. Both Lamar Brown and Henderson have the talent and potential to see legitimate playing time as true freshmen, so it's easy to see why Texas was hot on their trail before, and why they'll most likely jump back in now.
Another possible benefit would be regarding the simple fact that LSU currently has 10+ blue-chip players on their roster who were big targets for the Longhorns in the past. There's a greater than 0% chance that Steve Sarkisian and Co. could try and get some of them to transfer to Texas before the 2026 season begins. Two players in particular, Ory Williams and Weston Davis are both 6'7", 320+ lbs. offensive lineman that spurned the Longhorns for LSU. Both are from the state of Texas as well, Williams from San Marcos and Davis from Beaumont.
If Texas plays its cards right, they could be one of the top beneficiaries from this entire situation. It'll be interesting to watch the fallout of Kelly's dismissal from a Longhorns football standpoint going forward.