Steve Sarkisian's Texas among frontrunners as top 2026 class target sets commitment date

Texas' top target Jamarion Carlton announced Saturday that he will make his college commitment on July 10. Besides Steve Sarkisian's program, the Temple High School (Texas) edge rusher will also consider SMU, Baylor, LSU, Texas A&M and USC.

"#AGTG I will be Committing to a School July 10th!!!" Carlton tweeted on Sunday.

Expand Tweet

On3 gives Texas a 91.8% chance to land him, followed by SMU at 2.6% and Texas A&M at 1.8%.

At 6-foot-4.5 and 230 pounds, Carlton has the physical tools to develop into either an edge rusher or a full-fledged defensive lineman. He has already outlined key factors influencing his decision.

“Outside of the relationships, playing early will be a factor in my commitment,” Carlton told On3 earlier this year. “That feeling on campus is important for me too. Feeling comfortable and making sure everything fits me is what I am looking for on the visits and when I make my decision.”

Carlton is the No. 43 recruit in the nation and the No. 8 edge rusher in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He can be a big addition to the Longhorns' 2026 cycle, which has yet to secure an edge rusher commit. This class is headlined by five-star quarterback Dia Bell and ranks No. 6 in the Southeastern Conference.

Jamarion Carlton sets an official visit to Texas in June

Edge rusher coach LaAllan Clark is spearheading Texas' pursuit of top prospect Jamarion Carlton. Carlton previously built a relationship with the Longhorns coach during his time at Ohio State and carried over that connection to Austin.

“Texas is building something special," Carton told On3. "They have winning coaches and a winning culture. I have a good relationship coach with coach LaAllen Clark too. I know him well."

Carlton has scheduled a visit to Texas for June 6. As of now, Steve Sarkisian’s program is the clear frontrunner to land him. Carlton began his official visits at Texas Tech in April and is also set to visit Texas A&M on June 12 and Baylor on June 20.

During the June 6-8 recruiting window, Texas will host a strong group of prospects, including tight end Mark Bowman, running backs Ezavier Crowell and KJ Edwards, defensive lineman Dylan Berymon and safety Davon Benjamin.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

Know More

Edited by Rajdeep Barman