Steve Sarkisian provides update on recruiting within the state of Texas

Recruiting in college football is not too regionalized anymore. Big-time programs will go anywhere in the country to acquire the best talent in the country, with the best example being the state of Texas. Not just Texas and Texas A&M wind up winning out for the state’s top players.

“They’re tough,” Steve Sarkisian said on in-state recruiting battles. “A lot of great players in the state of Texas. In my opinion, it’s the best football in the country. Best coaches. The high school coaches here do a tremendous job developing their players. But everybody in the country recruits the state of Texas. So, there’s some great battles.”

Look no further than the 2025 recruiting class as an example, where the top two players in the state are already committed. Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Dakorien Moore is a verbal to LSU while five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez committed to Ohio State.

Move back one cycle where the state’s top two players, once again, went elsewhere. Quarterback DJ Lagway is already drawing rave reviews at Florida while Houston area linebacker Justin Williams projects to be a star under Kirby Smart and the Georiga Bulldogs.

Out-of-state programs are not afraid to recruit elite players despite the presence of Texas and Texas A&M.

Sarkisian is still building things in Austin and hopes as the program develops, the hometown guys recognize what Texas has done. Those tough battles are still going to come, though — no matter how well the Longhorns are perceived.

“Hopefully, as we continue to build our brand and our development of players and what we’re doing as a team and how our players get treated in our program that overtime, that continues to get recognized,” Sarkisian said. “If you want to recruit the best players, you’re going to be in some heavyweight fights with some of the best programs in the country.”

Texas currently has five commits in its 2025 class, with two being in-state guys. Sarkisian certainly wants more than that as the recruiting calendar speeds up through spring and into the summer. Not just players who are currently uncommitted but the Longhorns have been known to secure late-cycle flips from prominent out-of-state schools.

At the same time, Sarkisian is not afraid to go outside state borders if he believes they are a better fit for the program. Talent acquisition is priority No. 1, no matter where a player resides in high school.

But when Texas does focus on a recruit from the Lone Star State, those battles are as tough as ever.