Texas trying to battle Penn State at the top for elite EDGE Luke Wafle

The recruitment of Middletown (N.J.) Hun School four-star EDGE Luke Wafle has entered a crucial few weeks. The 6-foot-5.5, 245-pounder has begun his official visit schedule and has narrowed his list of top schools down to five.

Texas is one of two SEC representatives on Wafle’s final list. While the Longhorns haven’t been consistently mentioned throughout his process, they remain a top contender and are set to receive his final official visit on the weekend of June 20.

When it comes to production around the defensive line, few have done more than Texas as of late. That continues to catch the attention of high-caliber recruits. Last cycle saw the Longhorns sign five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry and five-star EDGE Lance Jackson.

That said, head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff do have some work to do in Wafle’s recruitment. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine currently favors Penn State, and according to Texas insider Justin Wells, the Longhorns will have to work hard to get past the close-to-home Big Ten program down the stretch.

“I think Texas has done a really good job in this recruitment, I just think it’s going to be tough to get past Penn State. I think Penn State’s the leader,” Wells told On3’s Josh Newberg on ‘The Inside Scoop’.

So what does have Texas in the mix for Wafle? According to the potential five-star, it’s easy to see how he’d fit on The Forty Acres.

“It is a blue-chip program,” Wafle told On3’s Chad Simmons earlier this month. “The defensive ends coach (Pete Kwiatkowski) is also the defensive coordinator, so that is cool. They also hired LaAllen Clark to help with the pass rush too, so they have two great coaches. There are great minds in that room, there are great players in that building and they are going to compete hard, so Texas makes a lot of sense for me.”

Longhorns continue to push hard for Wafle

Wafle took his first official visit earlier this month to Florida. He’ll head to Ohio State this weekend, then see PSU and USC in June before rounding things out in Austin. Getting that final OV is often crucial, as Texas will be fresh on the mind of Wafle as he enters decision mode.

Wells sees Penn State as the frontrunner entering June, but there’s reason to believe that Texas is right behind the Nittany Lions right now.

“A lot of these EDGE kids, a lot of these D-linemen, they are seeing what Texas is putting in the NFL. They are seeing what they’re putting on the field, especially in the last few seasons, so it’s very alluring,” Wells said. “Then you’ve got Kyle Flood going up and watching Wafle play basketball, getting closer to the family, building that relationship. If Penn State didn’t have that family tie, I think Texas would be squarely in it.”

“I think Texas looks good, I just think Penn State looks a little better.”

Wafle is the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2026 On300. He checks in at No. 52 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.