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2026 DB Yaheim Riley commits to Texas

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•05/16/25•

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Yaheim Riley
Yaheim Riley. (courtesy of Riley)

Texas enjoyed a considerable amount of success in 2024 thanks to a secondary made up of three Austin-area defensive backs. The Longhorns’ latest addition to the 2026 class looks to keep that going. 2026 Austin (Texas) Anderson defensive back Yaheim Riley has committed to Texas, choosing the Longhorns over Vanderbilt and Houston.

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Riley, who was previously committed to Houston, is ranked as the No. 682 overall prospect, the No. 62 safety, and the No. 104 player in Texas in the On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranks Riley as the No. 56 safety and the No. 139 player in Texas.

Riley picked up his offer in March, and had a sense he wanted to be part of the program that turned Jahdae Barron, Michael Taaffe, and Andrew Mukuba into stars.

“It means a lot to me because now I know I really have the power to help my mom and to help myself as I progress as a young man,” Riley told Inside Texas at the time. “With the Texas program building, I’d love to be a part of that type of culture.”

What drew the Longhorns to the former LBJ standout?

“(Texas) likes how I show that I’m not scared to hit,” said Riley. “I can come down hill fast, and if they needed me to come down and cover, I’ll be able to. They just love how I’m an all-around (player), but they like me at the safety position very much.”

In 2024, he tallied 80 tackles, six pass break-ups, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles. Riley had camped for Longhorn coaches in 2024.

Riley had competing offers from Texas Tech, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Maryland, Stanford, TCU, Utah, Vanderbilt, and Washington.

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He joins Dia Bell, Jermaine Bishop, Max Wright, Chris Stewart, Hayward Howard Jr., Trott O’Neal, and Nicolas Robertson in Texas’ 2026 class.

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