Last year, Texas ruled the 2025 class, finishing No. 1 with its signees. That class had 5 five-star recruits, including Jonah Williams, Justus Terry, and Lance Jackson. But for the 2026 class, Steve Sarkisian’s recruiting efforts seem to be struggling, with only one five-star commitment so far—quarterback Dia Bell. Even with strong past seasons and a playoff run, their 2026 recruiting class is surprisingly low at 13th. This isn’t what you’d expect from the Longhorns, who have Phil Knight’s NIL backing and an HC throwing flashy visits. However, things can change after a key 5-star target wrapped up his official visit to Austin.

This past weekend was an important two days for the Longhorns staff. They hosted a slew of 5-star targets for official visits. Sarkisian made sure to make the weekend a treat for the prospects and flashed bright orange Lamborghinis on campus to wow them. The whole shebang and the weekend are making quite an impact on a major target out of California.

5-star safety and top CB Davon Benjamin has good things to say about Sarkisian and Co. at Austin. His addition to Texas’s 2026 class can potentially bump them up a few places higher. It won’t be easy for Sarkisian to land Benjamin, but he is making steady progress.

“Highlight of the visit was just getting out there, seeing how everybody operated in the building. Seeing how the players are connected with each other,” Benjamin told On3. “Everything out there was real good to see.” If he is interested in the Longhorns, he’ll be joining a class that has stars like Bell and Jermaine Bishop Jr. Texas is rooting to land the California CB, especially because the state is known to produce defensive talents who go as top picks in the draft.

Benjamin was in Michigan before this visit. He doesn’t have any more official visits scheduled for now. But that calendar is always subject to change. Nothing planned for now means he has time to think about these two visits more freely. However, Sarkisian still has two contenders to fight off if he wants Benjamin to sign.

The elite CB is also being heavily pursued by Dan Lanning’s team. On3’s prediction machine shows Oregon has a 94% chance of landing him. Another favorite is USC, the local school for the star safety. Based on his social media feed, Michigan is also a program close to Benjamin’s heart.

“Michigan stood out with how serious they are about player development,” he told On3. “They’re all about building you up on & off the field, & you can tell they’ve got a plan to help you succeed long term,” he added. Texas has to pull something more attractive than a couple of Lambos to wow this promising defensive star. Correction: Two-way star.

Oregon is leading the fight for Steve Sarkisian’s dual-threat

Benjamin dabbles as a receiver as well, putting up some great numbers on that side of the ball. He has 562 total rushing yards, five TDs, and 137 total tackles. His scouting report says that he “could end up starting at corner, safety, or nickel.” Apart from that, Benjamin is also a punt returner, having 25 of them in total. This makes him a steal-worthy player until the end of signing day. He has shown growth in all three areas, which is another key reason why Benjamin should be fought for by Sarkisian.

Dan Lanning’s recruiting genius, Chris Hampton, might be the dark horse that takes the deal away from Texas. His heroics got 5-star CB Na’eem Offord to backtrack from Ohio State on Signing Day. The co-DC and DB coach has sent some of the best defensive backs to the NFL, like Brandon Johnson and Kam Alexander. Benjamin is yet to announce an official visit to Eugene, but it sure is coming soon. More than Texas, it is Oregon that is almost through the door in Benjamin’s recruitment.

Benjamin will visit Oregon and Washington officially in the coming weeks, having already seen these schools unofficially. He’s not ready to commit yet, as he has a long way to go in his recruiting process. He explained his priorities, saying, “Seeing where I can fit myself in, seeing where I can be myself. See where there are coaches that can give me the most opportunity, trust and development.” After these visits, he plans to “go back to the drawing board with my team and make my decision.”

Steve Sarkisian has a national championship-worthy team this year. How he fares in the 2025 season will also dictate the way he fares with recruiting. It’s a waiting game for the coach with Benjamin, who’ll need to win him over against tough recruiters like Dan Lanning.