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Get to know 2026 signee and three-star S Yaheim Riley

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook3 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, Yaheim Riley.

The Player: Yaheim Riley, S, Austin (Texas) Anderson

The Rating: 86.13 (three star)

The Ranking: Riley is ranked as the No. 1152 overall prospect, the No.108 safety, and the No. 156 player in Texas in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Rivals ranks Riley as the No. 68 safety and the No. 161 prospect in Texas.

The Highlights:

The Recruitment: Riley was committed to Houston in the spring of 2025, but started making trips down the road to Texas to see where he stood with the Longhorns. Texas and Duane Akina told Riley they wanted him and the Longhorns defeated Vanderbilt and Houston for his services. Riley hasn’t wavered and has made multiple gameday trips to DKR while leading the Anderson Trojans to a historic season.

The Quote: “My phone’s not ringing a lot now. It’s cool. I like it. Coaches hit me up every now and then from Texas, just checking up on me. I check up on them. We’ve got a cool relationship.”

The Projection: Riley is a rangy, instinctive safety who can cover from hash to half but also has the ability to spin down and play nickel. He’s shown the ability to line up man-to-man in the slot, displaying excellent hips, quick feet, and strong route recognition. On film, Riley consistently high-points the football and is always around the ball.

When it comes to tackling, Riley doesn’t hesitate—he will absolutely lay everything into the ball carrier. He forced three fumbles this past season and brings a physical presence every time he steps on the field.

While he projects more as a free safety at the next level, Riley’s versatility allows him to play either safety spot or slide into the nickel, especially within Texas’ scheme. His football IQ, toughness, and multi-positional ability make him a valuable addition to the Longhorns’ secondary.

The Final Word: Once Duane Akina and company wanted Riley in the class, there wasn’t much Houston or Vanderbilt could do to keep ‘Miami’ from committing to the the hometown team.

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