Texas high school football stars staying in-state to play at the college level

The state of Texas is a high school football hotbed when it comes to top recruits, and the 2026 class looks to be no different.

More than 200 Lone Star State products are currently committed to Power 4 programs, with even more set to play at the Group of Five and FCS levels. This year’s crop might include only two five-stars, but in total there are nearly 50 players ranked as blue-chip prospects by the Rivals Industry Ranking.

And a few universities in the state have made it their goal to lock down the borders and keep Texas recruits in Texas. Of the state’s Power 4 programs — Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, SMU, TCU and Houston — five have filled up their class with a majority of in-state prospects.

In terms of the state’s top 50 prospects, 27 are committed to in-state schools with the two five-stars committed to Texas Tech and Houston. With the high school season now underway, Rivals looks at how the states power conference programs have recruited their own state and which Lone Star standouts will be staying at home next season.

TCU

In-State Commits: 19
Percentage of Total Commits: 100%
Notable Players: EDGE Jesse Ford (Marlin), IOL Vincent Johnson (Sulphur Springs), SAF Jason Bradford (Temple)

Sonny Dykes and his staff have made good on their promise to recruit the state of Texas during his tenure, signing 20 players from the state last cycle and 18 the year before. In 2026, they’ve filled out the entirety of their class without leaving Texas, and that includes three blue-chippers from the western part of the state.

Texas Tech

In-State Commits: 16
Percentage of Total Commits: 84%
Notable Players: OT Felix Ojo (Lake Ridge), WR Chase Campbell (Frenship), CB S’Vioarean Martin (Palestine)

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire was a high school coaching legend before jumping to the college ranks in 2017. He has connections with prep programs across the state because of it, and he has used those to his advantage — as well as a well-funded NIL operation. Both of those things helped the Red Raiders land Ojo, Campbell and Martin, the headliners of a very deep class that ranks No. 26 nationally.

Houston

In-State Commits: 13
Percentage of Total Commits: 81%
Notable Players: QB Keisean Henderson (Legacy SSS), WR Jayden Warren (Iowa Colony), ATH Paris Melvin (Cy Springs)

Willie Fritz isn’t a Lone Star State native himself, but Houston’s head coach has no shortage of familiarity with the state. He served as a grad assistant, full-time assistant and head coach at Sam Houston State, and also led the program at Blinn Junior College for four season. Few coaches are more aware of the talent around the state than he is, and the Cougars have recruited the heck out of their own city. That includes landing Henderson, a five-star QB, over multiple major programs.

Baylor

In-State Commits: 12
Percentage of Total Commits: 75%
Notable Players: EDGE Jamarion Carlton (Temple), CB Jamarion Vincent (Connally), WR Jordan Clay (Madison)

2025 is a make-or-break season on the field for Dave Aranda, but he also can rebuild some goodwill with a strong recruiting class on top of a winning season. He has done the latter, landing a group that ranks No. 27 nationally despite having only 16 commitments. Carlton and Vincent are big reasons for that, ranking among the top-100 players nationally and in the top-15 in the state.

SMU

In-State Commits: 15
Percentage of Total Commits: 71%
Notable Players: RB Christian Rhodes (Lake Highlands), IOL Drew Evers (Flower Mound), WR Aljour Miles (Kaufman)

Coming off their College Football Playoff appearance, SMU has built a lot of momentum on the recruiting trail under Rhett Lashlee. That isn’t just limited to the Texas, but the Mustangs have been cleaning up locally as well with the third-highest number of in-state commitments in this group.

Texas

In-State Commits: 10
Percentage of Total Commits: 48%
Notable Players: IOL John Turntine (North Crowley), ATH Jermaine Bishop Jr. (Willis), WR Chris Stewart (Shadow Creek)

Texas has had to expand its recruiting footprint this cycle, in part because of the success of other in-state programs like Baylor and Texas Tech. Both took top targets off of the Longhorns this summer (Ojo and Carlton). But Steve Sarkisian and Co. have still managed to fill nearly half their class with Texans — led by Turntine, the state’s No. 5 overall prospect.

Texas A&M

In-State Commits: 9
Percentage of Total Commits: 33%
Notable Players: RB KJ Edwards (Carthage), RB Jonathan Hatton Jr. (Steele), LB DaQuives Beck (Carthage)

Similar to the Longhorns, Texas A&M has had to shift its focus some to other prospects outside the state because of competitive the battles are for in-state players. After signing a class last cycle that featured 16 Texans, the Aggies have nine in this class while they’ve dipped into California and Georgia to fill other needs. Two of their top commitments are local though in Edwards and Hatton, a dynamic rushing duo coming to College Station.