5-star Texas commit John Meredith III reclassifies to join Longhorns ahead of 2026 season
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A prized member of Texas' 2027 recruiting class will be joining the Longhorns this summer.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed Thursday at SEC media days that cornerback John Meredith III had reclassified and would be a part of Texas' team in 2026. Meredith, who recently turned 18, was a five-star recruit in the class of 2027 but had been ruled ineligible to play his senior season this fall.
Meredith is now the No. 4 cornerback recruit in the class of 2026, according to Rivals, as well as the No. 4 recruit in the state of Texas. The Fort Worth native has an estimated NIL value of $1.5 million and is one of two top-five in-state recruits joining the team this fall. Defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton, the No. 5 prospect in Texas, had been the Longhorns' best in-state recruit in the class.
Carlton went to North Crowley High School before joining the Longhorns. Meredith transferred from Trinity to North Crowley in the spring, but the University Interscholastic League, the entity that governs high school sports in the state, ruled that Meredith had transferred for athletic reasons.
That decision made Meredith ineligible for the upcoming season. He appealed, but the decision was upheld earlier in July.
Texas' pass defense took a step back in 2025. The Longhorns allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete over 62% of their throws and average 235 yards a game. In 2024, opponents completed fewer than 60% of their passes for just 174 yards a game.
The secondary is down three starters from a season ago, but Sarkisian has recruited well in recent years. Kade Phillips got time as a true freshman in 2025 and Bo Mascoe transferred from Rutgers during the offseason. There's a path for Meredith to get playing time in 2026, but Sarkisian didn't commit to that happening right away.
"When he's ready, I think he'll be good enough to play," Sarkisian said (via On3). "How long it takes to get him ready, that's going to be the race. That's the challenge. Week 1? Week 4? Week 8? I don't know."
Texas opens the season with Texas State before hosting Ohio State on Sept. 12. The Longhorns' SEC opener is Week 4 at Tennessee. Texas officially has the No. 6 incoming freshman class in the country in Rivals' rankings behind Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia.
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