The 2026 early signing window is just days away, and Texas’s recruitment board looks strong with 23 top-tier commits. Ranking 9th in the recruiting cycle, Steve Sarkisian is pushing to secure some last pieces, trying to flip a 4-star in-state prospect. While there were big hopes building in the last few weeks, the latest update has shut down the momentum.

Oregon’s 4-star WR commit Jalen Lott is one of the top-tier targets of Texas’ 2026 recruiting class. He’s a Longhorn legacy, as both of his parents were athletes there. The 6-foot, 176-pounder committed to Oregon in July 2025, yet Texas never went out of his picture. He visited the Longhorns at least six times, and the speculations were hinting at a flip. However, recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong reported that he stays locked in with Oregon.

“Well, him [Jalen Lott] spending time in Eugene over the weekend, I think everybody that spent time with him feels good about him signing with Oregon in nine days and being one of the jewels of this class,” said Steve Wiltfong on the Nov. 24 episode of the Rivals’ Wiltfong Whiparound.

Wilfong didn’t just shut the door on the flip rumors but also revealed Oregon’s intention of building a top-tier receiver room to strengthen the offense for the upcoming years.

“Receiver is a big position emphasis for Oregon this cycle, as they dealt with injury this year. They want to replenish that room with difference makers. They have Jalen Lott, Messiah Hampton committed in this class. They flipped the young man from Utah, and now they would like to add Chris Henry Jr. to the fold and put together a group of guys that can come in and push the likes of Dakorian Moore and be an electric offense for years to come.”

Lott is a great addition for the Ducks, and his numbers reveal why he was a top target. Last season, he had 85 receptions, 1,111 yards, and 16 touchdowns while also having 106 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the 12 games he played for Panther Creek High School.

This could be a costly miss for Sarkisian’s Texas, but their roster still looks stronger for future national contention.

Steve Sarkisian’s other flip targets for Texas’ 2026 class

Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns’ flip targeting hopes don’t end with Jalen Lott. They are expected to flip two other school commits before the signing window. According to On3’s Insiders report, Stanford’s commit Kaden Scherer, an offensive tackle from Georgetown (Texas) offensive tackle has a high chance of flipping his commitment to join the Longhorns.

He’s a three-star prospect from the 2026 class, ranked No. 621 nationally, No. 53-rated linebacker, and No. 47 talent in California. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder committed to Stanford in June 2025, holding offers from TCU, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Virginia, Tulane, Houston, and Northwestern. Reports suggest that there’s a 60% chance of Scherer committing to Texas.

The other flip target of Texas is California Golden Bears’ commit Rocky Cummings. The 6-foot-3.5, 220-pound linebacker is a three-star prospect from Carlsbad, ranked No. 621 nationally, No. 53 linebacker, and No. 47 talent in California. Cummings committed to the Golden Bears in June 2025, holding offers from Utah, Arizona, BYU, Minnesota, Boston College, and San Diego State. Reports suggest that there’s an 80% chance of Cummings committing to Texas.