Texas Longhorns top remaining 2026 target has decision date set, but Steve Sarkisian and his staff are still in the dark when it comes to where he’s leaning
IMG Academy (Fla.) EDGE Jake Kreul was going back-and-forth on when he wanted to announce his commitment. For the longest time, he told reporters and coaches he needed time and would wait until later in his senior season. Now, he has changed his mind and has moved the date up considerably.The four-star prospect will announce […]
IMG Academy (Fla.) EDGE Jake Kreul was going back-and-forth on when he wanted to announce his commitment. For the longest time, he told reporters and coaches he needed time and would wait until later in his senior season. Now, he has changed his mind and has moved the date up considerably.
The four-star prospect will announce his commitment next week on ESPN’s College Football Live August 12. The three finalists are Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas.
Kreul is the No. 41 overall prospect and No. 8 EDGE in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He’s also the No. 7 player in Florida. It was long believed he was an Oklahoma lean, but both Ole Miss and Texas are reportedly pushing hard down the stretch.
So where do things stand?
247Sports’ Tom Loy thinks Texas is in a great spot with a week to go.
“Texas is a big, big player in this one,” Loy said. “Obviously, they’ve been on an absolute heater on the recruiting trail, so I’m not going to rule out the Longhorns.
“They’ll spend top dollar to get a guy. There’s a need along the defensive line. That one is going to be a fun battle. The smart money is on Oklahoma, but Texas is absolutely surging.”
New defensive line coach LaAllan Clark wasted little time making an impression and a push for Kreul. Sources say the Florida prospect knows he is valued and would pair nicely with five-star Texas commit, Richard Wesley.
“I was actually pretty close with him when he was at Ohio State, so it’s been nice to get in touch since he got to Texas,” Kreul said. “Coach Clark was a big fan of me there, and him going to Texas felt like them doubling down on how much they want me.”
Another school making noise down the stretch, Ole Miss has given Jake Kreul lots to think about ahead of his decision.
“Golding was at Alabama under coach Saban, so he has great experience,” Kreul said. “I like his defense and coach (Randall) Joyner is arguably the best defensive ends coach in all of college football, so I would get good coaching at Ole Miss. I really like the knowledge of the staff.”
Still, this one seems like it could be pointing Texas’ way. He spoke with Rivals’ John Garcia Jr., over the weekend to update where things stand as he faces his decision.
“I don’t know, it’s gonna be hard,” Kreul said about making his decision. “A lot of life-changing conversations with these coaches, so I’m trying to stick to this October timeline.”
