Who was the 2026 recruit that made even committed players jump in the race to land him in their program? It was none other than the Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge 5-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo. The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder had landed a big heartbreak for Brent Venables’ squad after cancelling his trip to Oklahoma. That’s when Sherrone Moore appointed Bryce Underwood to woo Ojo. And the No.1 quarterback pounced into action, and bonded with the hot recruit discussing NIL, culture, and development opportunities in Ann Arbor.

While Michigan has been blessed with heavier pockets, Ojo’s heart has been beating for Steve Sarkisian’s Texas for quite some time now. Coming back from his trip to Austin, Ojo shared, “My latest visit was great. Always nice to go back and see the coaches and players.” But in the end, Sarkisian lost Ojo to their in-state rivals, Joey McGuire’s Texas Tech. Well, the buzz has been about it being the NIL catch.

This commitment indeed has left the college football fans scratching their heads. They are finding answers to what made Sarkisian lose out on Ojo? It was then taken up on the July 9th episode of the Rivals podcast. As Pete Nakos shared, “Felix Ojo commits Texas Tech, picks them over Texas and Ohio State on the 4th of July, and his agent Derek Shelby puts out it’s a $5.1 million fully guaranteed deal over three years.” Red Raiders have spent more than $50 million on their athletes in both front, loaded with money this past spring. As per the reports, Ojo went with a $2.3 million revenue-sharing deal with the Red Raiders, closing his doors to Sarkisian’s Longhorns and others. But now the deal guarantees the hot recruit at least $775,000 per year. “Where’s that ranked?” the analyst asked.

“So it’s less than what Jackson Cantwell is going to make in year one at Miami, because he’s supposed to make, in the 2.5 range, and it’s less than what David Sanders is going to make this first year at Tennessee,” Nakos continued. “So, in the world of offensive line recruits, I mean, the 775k annually is not the most money we’ve heard.” But turns out that it’s not about the money that led Sarkisian to back out of the Ojo race.

As per the reports, Sarkisian’s program’s NIL budget sits between $35 to $40 million. Turns out that the Longhorns’ head coach was not ready to gamble $5.1 million for Ojo. That’s because he is yet to prove himself. Nakos thus noted, “This wasn’t as much a financial thing as it was the how long the deal was. I mean, three years is a substantial commitment to a player that isn’t on campus yet, isn’t your weight room, and you don’t really know how it’s all going to pan out on the field.” Does that mean Sarkisian dodged a bullet by not taking in Ojo? 

A costly swipe or a smart play by Steve Sarkisian?

There have already been concerns about loyalty with Ojo. Rivals analyst Bobby Burton informed that Ojo purposely strung the coaching staffs of Texas and Ohio State along in the waning stages of his recruitment. His playing coy came off as a big red flag for Sarkisian. Besides his behavioral concerns, Sarkisian could not overlook Ojo’s recent struggles on the gridiron. The 5-star has shown multiple signs of struggle when it comes to his gameplay.

Ojo struggled against elite defensive talent while social media videos showed his struggles, including inconsistent hand placement. Sarkisian’s blinders soon fell off, and he got his much-needed clarity. By swiping left on the hot target, Sarkisian saved himself some costly time and money, which he can invest somewhere else. After all, the Longhorns are still a long way to go to catching up in the 2026 recruiting trail.

 As per On3’s 2026 Industry Ranking football Team Recruiting Rankings, Steve Sarkisian’s program sits at No. 16 with 17 recruits locked in. But the scenario is totally different when it comes to their 2025 class. The Texas head coach had their first-ever No. 1 class in the ESPN recruiting rankings era (since 2006) last cycle. Maybe that’s what fuels Sarkisian to push harder. As Inside Texas tweeted, “Texas has 3 DTs committed in the 2026 class, but with Kendall Guervil to Florida, the search for a fourth carries on.” They have locked in the big trio- Corey Wells, Vodney Cleveland, and Dylan Berymon. So, the Longhorns’ head coach is now on a mission to make his quadruple net dream come true by filling the fourth spot.