Steve Sarkisian and Texas Longhorns get some excellent recruiting news as they land their next star linebacker of the future
The Texas Longhorns and Steve Sarkisian may be coming off the number one recruiting class for the 2025 cycle, but the team has been starting a bit slow for 2026 and 2027. Yes, the Longhorns are finalists for a long list of players set to potentially commit this summer. And yes, they do have their […]
The Texas Longhorns and Steve Sarkisian may be coming off the number one recruiting class for the 2025 cycle, but the team has been starting a bit slow for 2026 and 2027. Yes, the Longhorns are finalists for a long list of players set to potentially commit this summer. And yes, they do have their quarterback lined up for life after Arch Manning with Dia Bell (2026 five star).
However, the Longhorns only have four commits for 2026, and until this week zero for 2027. It was about time the team started getting some good news on the recruiting trail, and now they have it. A five star linebacker recruit announced on Sunday, April 6th that he'll be heading to Texas as the first commit in the 2027 recruiting class.
Taven Epps, Four Star LB Recruit
Taven Epps (Tustin, CA) has been one of the most highly sought after recruits in the entire 2027 recruiting class for quite a while now as he's been raking in the scholarship offers for the last year and a half. He burst onto the top tier recruiting scene as an impressive, productive, extremely athletic freshman, immediately landing offers from schools like Georgia, USC, Oregon, and the Texas Longhorns in early 2024.
Since then, Epps has grown even taller (6'4") and boasts a long, lanky, versatile frame with speed that gives him unbelievable range to make plays anywhere on the field. Now he's finally said "no" to 30+ top college football programs, announcing that he'll be joining the Longhorns in 2027.
Many experts believed Epps may have been leaning towards Texas in recent weeks already, then he visited with the Longhorns about a week ago, confirming that significant interest. Despite heavy involvement and investment from all the top west coast schools Epps decided to cross the country to join Steve Sarkisian and company.
The Texas Longhorns have sent two off-ball linebackers on to get drafted already since Steve Sarkisian became the head coach and Anthony Hill Jr. will certainly make it three in 2026 given how well he's played in 2023 and 2024. Given that both Anthony Hill Jr. and Liona Lifau (the two off-ball linebacker snaps leaders for Texas last year) will both likely be off to the NFL Draft by 2027 there's a good chance Taven Epps will play a pivotal role early on for the Longhorns at linebacker.
Elijah Barnes, a top tier four star linebacker freshman this year, will likely be the one showing Epps the ropes by the time he actually lands on campus. If Barnes turns out to be as special as projected, and Epps lives up to what his athletic upside suggests, it looks like the legacy of elite linebacker play is going to continue for a long time at Texas.
We'll be back with more Texas Longhorns coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to check out some of the plays that made Taven Epps a highly touted four star linebacker recruit you can watch his highlights in the video below!
