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Get to know 2026 signee and four-star LB Kosi Okpala

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook17 hours agojosephcook89

Whether you’re a diehard recruiting aficionado in need of a refresher or a casual recruiting fan needing only the particulars, this will be the series for you.

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The first national signing day for college football is Wednesday, December 3. This series will give you the chance to familiarize yourself with the next class charged with keeping Texas near the top of the college football world.

To win at a consistently high level requires talented class after talented class. The top-10 2026 class does that following a No. 1 class in 2025.

On the first national signing day, Inside Texas will offer profiles of each member of the 2026 signing class. Up next, Kosi Okpala

The Player: Kosi Okpala, LB/EDGE, Katy (Texas) Mayde Creek

The Rating: 93.06 (four-star)

The Ranking: Okpala is ranked as the No. 131 overall prospect, the No. 17 EDGE, and the No. 18 player in Texas in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Rivals ranks Okpala as the No. 159 overall prospect, the No. 20 EDGE, and the No. 23 player in Texas.

The Highlights:

The Recruitment: After a junior day visit in 2024, Okpala picked up his offer from the Longhorns. He followed that up in June 2024 with a camp at Texas to show that the coaches were right to put their faith in him. During the official visit process in 2025, Okpala saw Houston, Penn State, Miami, and Baylor, and eventually chose the school where he had been leaning the longest in Texas. It’s worth noting that former Longhorn Rashad Bobino is on staff at Mayde Creek. Okpala is set to fit into a Trey Moore role where he can be utilized both off-ball and on the edge.

The Quote: “Texas was the right choice because the coach and the staff and the players and the connections I’ve built throughout my recruiting process. Taking the final official visit made me realize this is the right choice for me and what I’m trying to achieve.”

The Projection: Right now, Okpala excels as a natural pass-rusher. His get-off is elite, and he consistently puts pressure on quarterbacks with pure athleticism and effort. While he’s still developing his instincts as an off-ball linebacker, he’s been training with respected Houston-based coach Donnie Baggs to learn the position and grow his football IQ.

Once he learns how to consistently diagnose plays and develops feel for reading offenses, Okpala has a chance to be really special. With his natural twitch and speed, he projects as someone who can blow up plays before they start from the second level.

Okpala has also shown flashes on film of his ability to drop into coverage. He’s been effective in zone, particularly in the curl-flat and hook zones. That kind of versatility gives Texas options — whether they want to bring him off the edge in third-down pressure packages, use him to cover backs and tight ends, or have him drop into coverage. His speed and flexibility allow him to do all three.

Watching him live at the Under Armour Camp last year reinforced what his tape shows. In person, Okpala impressed with his footwork, coordination, hip mobility, and burst during bag drills. He moves like a high-level athlete and has the physical tools to become a complete linebacker under the guidance of Coach Johnny Nansen.

The Final Word: A well-handled recruitment made sure the Longhorns nabbed a player that can fit into a role being vacated by Trey Moore in the coming offseason. While there’s still plenty of room to grow for Okpala in certain aspects of his game, his athleticism will translate immediately if needed.

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