The Texas Longhorns are wasting no time stacking talent for 2026. Sitting comfortably inside the national top 14, Sarkisian’s squad already has a pair of five-stars in the bag, headlined by Elite 11 MVP QB Dia Bell and reclassified edge rusher Richard Wesley. The trenches are getting love, too, with a couple of four-star big men up front and the No. 1 kicker in the country joining the mix. But while Texas is off to a strong start, there’s still plenty of work to do. With recruiting wars heating up and decision days looming, Steve Sarkisian is still sweating out two major battles—one of which might already be slipping through his fingers.

On June 30, 247Sports insider Tom Loy lit up X with some spicy intel: “Five-star edge Trenton Henderson is set to announce his college commitment this week. The elite pass rusher will announce LIVE on 247Sports and CBS Sports on Wednesday, July 2 at 7 pm ET.”

Now, Trenton Henderson’s name has been buzzing in Austin for months. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound monster from Florida has been a top priority for Sark & Co. despite already locking down five-star EDGE Richard Wesley. Henderson, ranked No. 11 among all edge rushers and sitting inside the Top 60 nationally, would’ve been a nasty 1-2 punch off the edge with Wesley. But here’s the kicker—On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine says LSU is now driving this bus.

Henderson’s June tour of Texas, Florida, and LSU was crucial. And despite the Longhorns rolling out burnt orange carpet treatment, the Bayou Bengals might’ve sweet-talked him out of it. Sources close to LSU told Tigers On SI this weekend that the Tigers have the inside track. Steve Sarkisian isn’t completely out of the picture, but it’s definitely DEFCON 2 in Austin right now.

Missing out on Henderson would sting. He’s that type of player who doesn’t just start—he shifts your whole defensive ceiling. With a commitment date ticking closer, fans better buckle in. Even if Texas loses this one, they still got one more shot to level up the class.

The second 5-star Target: Bryce Perry-Wright

Just as the Henderson update dropped, Tom Loy doubled down. “Five-star DL Bryce Perry-Wright is set to announce his college commitment this week,” he posted. “The elite pass rusher will announce LIVE on 247Sports and CBS Sports on Saturday, July 5 at 5 pm ET.”

If Trenton Henderson is the one who might get away, Bryce Perry-Wright is the guy Texas has to bring home. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound beast is a different type of problem on the line. He’s already Top 5 in Georgia and the No. 5 edge rusher in the country per On3’s industry rankings. And his resume? Built like a tank. As a sophomore, 51 tackles and 7.5 sacks. As a junior? Even better—57 tackles, 12 TFLs, 9 sacks. Consistency, baby.

Texas made a strong impression during Perry-Wright’s June 13 official visit. But they’re not in this race alone. Clemson just rolled out the red carpet. Miami and Texas A&M are both lurking with official visits in the same month.

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What makes Perry-Wright’s recruitment even more intense is the timing. Texas just snatched Wesley, so the perception out there is they’re stacked. But Steve Sarkisian made it crystal clear—they want two alpha dogs up front. And Perry-Wright knows he won’t just be “another guy” in Austin. He’d be a cornerstone in year 2 or 3.

There’s a belief around the program that if Sark can land Perry-Wright, it stabilizes the class no matter what Henderson does. It also pushes Texas up the national rankings. Land BPW, and you’re looking at single digits. Bottom line: Sark’s staff has put themselves in position. They’ve locked in top-tier commits, and they’ve made the right visits at the right times. But now it’s a waiting game—and fans in Austin know all too well how wild July can get in the recruiting world. By Saturday, this entire narrative could flip again.