Recruiting Scoop: Texas Eyes Explosive Finish to Recruiting Class

Summary

Inside Texas Football – Recruiting Scoop: Texas Eyes Explosive Finish to Recruiting Class

Host: Cord (filling in for Joe Cook)
Guests: Justin Wells
Date: July 10, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode of the Recruiting Scoop on Inside Texas zeroes in on the Texas Longhorns’ recruiting efforts as they push for a dramatic close to the 2027 class. With summer visits and momentum peaking, Cord and Justin Wells break down the state of key targets, the staff’s recruiting strategy, and which remaining prospects could soon be joining the fold.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Landon Williams Callous: Texas’ Top Running Back Target

Timestamps: 02:38–09:24

• Background of Recruitment:

  • Rewind to six months ago, Texas wasn’t a favorite for Williams Callous. “Texas was probably the last team he wanted to talk about.” (Justin Wells, 03:19)
  • Coaching staff changes revitalize Texas’ approach, with Jabar Jaluke leading the renewed effort after other coaches (Tashar Choice, Chad Scott) had failed to gain traction.

• Game-Changing Visit:

  • Williams Callous’ official visit in June flipped the recruitment narrative. “I think that did it. I think that’s the thing that really clinched it.” (Justin Wells, 03:56)
  • The team at Inside Texas is confident about how things are trending, hinting a decision is imminent—and heavily leaning Texas’ way.

• Player Evaluation:

  • Williams Callous stands out for more than just his stocky build (5’8", recently up to 201 lbs as of the latest coach report).
  • “He follows blocks. He’s got a Jonathan Brooks vibe in that where he will literally just step, keep those feet chopping and keep those feet moving as those blockers start to build out the wall. …When it’s time to use that acceleration, he’s like on gummy bear juice. He just shoots off.” (Justin Wells, 07:29)
  • Versatility: Does special teams, excellent hands, dangerous in the open field.
  • Not just a battering ram—he’s dynamic and hard to tackle, with significant ability as a receiver and returner.

Notable Quotes

• “Give Jaluke credit. …Jaluke is taking that baton.” (Justin Wells, 05:57)
• “Turn on the tape if you have any worries. It’s some of the funnest you’re going to watch in Texas high school football in the last decade.” (Justin Wells, 08:56)

---

2. Montan Sales: Battle with Indiana

Timestamps: 09:24–14:00

• Emergent Recruitment:

  • Texas made late inroads with Sales, who is originally from Alabama but now resides in Indiana.
  • “Other schools are offering more money. It’s not about the money. Texas sells differently…they put as many kids in the NFL as any other college program in the country in the last three seasons.” (Justin Wells, 10:51)
  • Sales had “no relationship at all until around the spring,” but Texas quickly became a finalist.

• Personal Background & Recruitment Nuances:

  • Sales’ move to Indiana was driven by family situations; close relationship with his godmother, who became a major support system.
  • Texas vs. Indiana is the main battle, with Indiana the slight leader because of long-standing relationships and willingness to make Sales their highest-paid high school recruit.
  • Texas’ receiver coach Chris Jackson has been especially effective: “There’s something about him that he’s authentic. He’s got the NFL chops.” (Justin Wells, 13:16)
  • Blocking is a key attribute for Texas’ evaluation at receiver.

Notable Quotes

• “If anything they could size each other up. I love where Texas is at with Sales. Each day I feel like they’re getting a little bit closer and a little bit closer.” (Justin Wells, 12:00)
• “Chris Jackson…he just, there’s something about him that he’s authentic. He’s got the NFL chops.” (Justin Wells, 13:16)

---

3. Linebacker Recruiting: The Final Puzzle Piece

Timestamps: 15:02–18:11

• Position Priority:

  • Linebacker is the only unfilled slot in an otherwise top-five, potentially top-three class.

• Josiah Poirier (USC Commit):

  • St. John Bosco standout; currently solid to USC.
  • Texas is gently applying pressure: “They don’t push; they’re just keeping themselves around the rim…” (Justin Wells, 17:04)
  • Goal is to get Poirier on campus, especially for the high-profile Ohio State matchup (Week 2 in Austin).
  • Poirier offers inside linebacker instincts; Texas eager to land at least two in this cycle.

• Broader Strategy:

  • “There’s going to be more names that pop up—stay tuned.” (Justin Wells, 18:03)
  • Last cycle’s LB hauls serve as the blueprint; Johnny Nansen leading the linebacker pursuit in this cycle.

Notable Quotes

• “Poirier may be a three star, but this is a kid that I believe that tracks and smacks.” (Justin Wells, 16:05)

---

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the state of Texas recruiting:

  • “Recruiting is about as hot as I can remember in the Steve Sarkisian era. …I’ll take a nice, crisp July—warm some Friday.” (Justin Wells, 02:17)

• Regarding Texas’ recruiting approach:

  • “Texas sells differently. …They’ve also got incredible development. …They’re going to put a dozen in the draft in 2027.” (Justin Wells, 10:51)

• Assessing John Sales’ recruitment:

  • “Now it’s down to Indiana and Texas. Now I kind of lean Indiana as of today, and that’s only because they were early.” (Justin Wells, 12:45)

• On the linebacker search:

  • “When linebacker is the only position you have not filled in a top-five, potentially top-three level recruiting class, yeah, you’re going to turn up the heat on some guys.” (Justin Wells, 15:46)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:01–02:38 – Episode intro, staff changes, Justin joins
• 02:38–09:24 – In-depth on Landon Williams Callous’ recruitment and fit
• 09:24–14:00 – Montan Sales: Texas vs. Indiana and recruiting dynamics
• 15:02–18:11 – Linebacker targets, Josiah Poirier, and recruiting strategies
• 18:11–18:35 – Wrap-up and call to follow Inside Texas for latest updates

---

Summary

This episode delivers a comprehensive, insider’s look at the final pivotal moves Texas is making to secure an elite 2027 football class. Anchored by detailed updates on Landon Williams Callous (RB), Montan Sales (WR), and the ongoing linebacker search (focusing on Josiah Poirier), Cord and Justin Wells spotlight the Longhorns’ relentless, relationship-driven approach to recruiting. Listeners get a sense of the program’s blend of old-school evaluation and modern recruiting strategy as the staff aims for an explosive, “muy caliente” finish to the cycle.

For in-depth real-time recruiting coverage, visit InsideTexas.com and the Inside Texas Football YouTube channel.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

We know you'll always find ways to look out for the people you love. And with Amica Life Insurance, we'll help build a plan to make sure you always can. Visit amica.com and get a quote today. Good morning students. Soccer teaches us teamwork, leadership, geometry, art, physics and a lifetime of lessons we can take with us long after we leave the field. That's why bank of America and US Soccer are committed to helping bring soccer to every school. Soccer is officially in session. Raise your hand to help bring soccer to [e-mail] socceratschools whether you're rushing out the door or eating on the way to work, conquer morning chaos with Belveda Baked with whole grains, Belveda Breakfast Biscuits go great with coffee and are a part of a balanced breakfast when paired with low fat dairy and fruit. And when you're looking for a post breakfast snack to tide you over till lunchtime, try Belvita Energy Snack Bites. They're a good source of fiber and come in delicious flavors like Banana Dark Chocolate with Sunflower seeds. Find Belvita at your local store today.

[Kalshi Advertiser]

The World Cup Champion will be crowned this week and you can trade the tourney through the finals on Kalshi, America's number one prediction market platform. Right now, Spain is trading at 58% to beat Argentina, meaning 100 trade pays out $166 if they win. On Cauchy, you're trad trading against other people in a live market. No house, no odds makers. For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code hoops to get $10 when you trade $10 K A L S H I Kalshi Trade the Beautiful Game 18 only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. Prices, values and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see kalshi.com regulatory hello

[Cord]

and welcome to the Recruiting scoop here on Inside Texas. I'm hosting today in place of Joe Cook, who is on his Colorado sabbatical. We're all taking a few summer trips and Joe's no different so hope he's having a good time. But welcome to the show here joined by Justin Wells. Justin, how we doing Bubba?

[Justin Wells]

Man, we are blessed. It is a wonderful Friday. Recruiting is about as hot as I can remember in the Steve Circusian era. It's also pretty muy caliente outside here in East Texas. But you know what? I'll take it. The humidity hasn't flown through here just yet. I'll take a nice crisp July, warm some Friday.

[Cord]

You know what, you, you said it, man. It's also got a little bit of a breeze in there to aid some of that heat. But hey, Sark and this Texas staff man on fire through June. You know, in years past, it's kind of been maybe a little bit later in the summer, you know, late June and then a lot of July action. But hey, we've been, we saw fireworks a lot before the 4th of July and here to talk to you, Justin, and see if we'll continue to see fireworks post 4th of July with Texas in this 2027 class. Gonna start off with a big name again with my guy Randall. High school's finest, Landon Williams. Callous. Texas is, is right there in that recruitment, my man. How exactly is that playing out and what kind of timeline are we looking at here as far as the commitment goes for the young man?

[Justin Wells]

Yeah, so everyone's kind of on their toes right now with Landon Williams callous. Let's, let's back up, back up. Six months ago, Charlie Williams went and hung out with Landon at the state state championship. And Texas was probably the last team he wanted to talk about. And Coach Charlie called me and he said, man, I don't feel good about this, Justin. I said, charlie, I don't either. Jabar Jaluk decided he wanted to take over now. Chris Gilbert, Steve Circusian had taken the baton from, from Tashar Choice and Chad Scott to a, to a lesser extent because this recruitment just wasn't going the way it needed to. Jabar Jaluke comes in, he focuses on getting his first guy. That's Noah Roberts. He needs the boom. He needs this bigger back that can go between the tackles, maybe a high volume kind of guy. And he would be completely content with Noah Roberts being the only running back taking this class. The, the kid out of Chandler, Arizona. But there was one guy on the board that if they were gonna take two in this cycle, they were gonna get this guy. And it was Landon Williams. Callous. So Jabar Jaluke gets Roberts and then puts his recruitment of LWC into overdrive. Gets close with the family, gets close with the representation, gets close with the aunts and the uncles. You know, LWC's got connections back to East Texas. His uncle Rodney was a coach at Texas A M, Commerce back in the day. He knows some of those Gilmer guys and Mount Pleasant guys and Pittsburgh guys. You know that that's how we're all connected in this beast Texas circle. But I gotta tell you, man, Texas I, again, six months ago, I didn't think Texas had a chance in hell. It just wasn't lining up. A M in Oregon had already built this like, massive lead with him over the, the last year and a half and, and it kind of was. We were thinking it was going to trend one way or the other. Well, you know how spots get filled, places get, get, get filled. And so at the end of the day, Lana Williams callous comes to Texas for his June official visit. And buddy, I think that did it. Like, I think that's the thing that really clinched it. Is it done? No, it's not over yet. There still has to be an announcement, a decision and an announcement. We think that's going to be coming pretty soon. If you go to insidetexas.com right now you can, we're running a special $1 get you, get you plenty of info into, into fall camp. I gotta tell you, we have a decision preview. We have a recruiting notebook and we've got a recruiting humidor coming up with more information. Let's just say we, we think Landon Williams callous is coming very close to a decision. We think it's going to happen soon. We love where Texas sits inside. Texas team put in a couple, a few rpms maybe a week or two ago. This thing is trending horns. And I got to tell you, this is a different recruitment cord because most kids, they, they, they build out the relationship from their sophomore junior year and it's pretty smooth up until the senior season. And either they, they come in or they don't. With Lana Williams callous, this thing was hit and miss for over two years. There was inconsistencies with connections. It wasn't focused. And then boom, all of a sudden what happens? Jabar Loop took over. Give Jalute credit. I gave to Shard Choice a ton of credit as being an incredible recruiter while he was at Texas. Jalook is taking that baton. And so that's where we're at with LWC today. Be sure and check out the [e-mail] we got some more stuff coming up going up there. But man, I'm telling you, Cord, I can talk about this kid for 20 minutes. You know why? Because that's how long his huddle is. It's 20 minutes.

[Cord]

I love it. And you know, you talked about Sarka adding a boom player to this class and just getting, you know, a couple extra notes from Justin on Landon here. But you know, you look at the size and stature, 5, 8, 190, you know, that five' eight might be about £200 now.

[Justin Wells]

Talk to his coach on Monday. He's at 201 as of Monday. Monday's workout. A lot of times you see a

[Cord]

guy with that size and exactly that, they're dense, they're going to be a bowling ball. They're going to be able to carry piles, a couple of extra yards, which I think this Texas offense needs. But buddy, he's got more to offer than just that. He can do more than just move the piles. Talk a little bit about maybe a couple of the things that Landon Williams college does really, really well.

[Justin Wells]

Okay? So I love him on special teams and I love that that he takes that on. He, that that's an important thing for him. He's the punt, returner, kick returner. Here's what I really like. He follows blocks. He doesn't try to outrun you. He doesn't try to out athlete you. He runs the play. He follows the blocks. He's got a Jonathan Brooks vibe in that where he will literally just step, keep those feet chopping and keep those feet moving as those blockers start to, to build out the wall. And then when it's time to use that acceleration, he's like, he's like that. That he's like on gummy bear juice. He just shoots off. Reminds me of Trey Williams, the the Houston area running back about 10 or 15 minutes 15 years ago. He, he, I love that he's not a kid that just outruns you and that's another kid. You're not going to get him down with the first lick. He's stronger than he looks. One is hard enough to keep him in front of you. It's similar to when Marv Levy was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in the week of prepping for the Detroit Lions in 1991. 92. The end he brought out a rabbit. He put a rabbit on the ground and he said we have to learn how to stay in front of this rabbit because it's the same thing as Sanders. It's very similar with Landon Williams. You got to try to get in front of this guy of all places. His speed, his dynamic, his dynamic. He's got great hands. He is going to catch the ball out of the backfield. He is going to be a guy that can, can really threaten a defense, especially at the second level. He's going to make linebackers pay attention to him. There's just so many good things. But the beauty of Landon Williams callous turn on the tape if you have any doubts if you have any worries, turn on the tape. It's some of the funnest you're going to watch in Texas high school football in the last decade. And I love where Texas has. Has set themselves up in this recruitment.

[Cord]

Well, there you go, guys. Potentially soon to be announced commitment coming for Landon Williams Callis and you just heard all of where Texas stands, what Justin likes about the. About Landon and where, you know, what he likes about the. How Texas has handled that recruitment. So. And again, that's not really the only name. You know, again, there's not a lot of spots left in this class, coach, but some of the guys that Texas is really angling for here, man, there's still some really big fish. Let's talk about the next one. And that's going to be Montan Sales. Manchun is a guy again, you know, Indiana native. Indiana's in the race for Alabama a little bit with some hometown ties. But like you said, with, with Landon Williams callous and getting on his official visit in June, that really changed the trajectory of that recruitment. Is that kind of the same for Sales and where are we looking at in the future for him?

[Justin Wells]

You know, if I'm other college coaches, I hate Texas. The way they recruited Monsieur Sales, there was no relationship. There was no connection at all until around the spring they, they knocked on his door. They said, hey, we love your tape. We'd love for you to come and take a visit. They already had Easton Royal committed, the number one wide receiver in the class of 2027 from last November. So they weren't really focusing on like the other big two or three big wide receiver, five star names within three months. Texas is on the edge of this kid. Like it was that. And trust me, other schools are offering more money. It's not about the money. Texas sells differently. Yeah, they've got good nil, but they've also got incredible development. They put as many kids in the NFL as any other college program in the country in the last three seasons. And that's not going to change. They're going to put a dozen in the draft in 2027. I mean, it's going to be ridiculous. Mon Chancel saw all this. Yeah, he has prior relationships to guys in Alabama. That's where he's from. That's where he grew up. But man, Alabama is not the same Alabama. It's just not last I saw, I want to say they were in the 30s or 40s in the ranking in their college football recruiting rankings for 27, which I haven't seen that since Pre Saban, his family moves to Indiana. Wants better area, better opportunities. There was some tragedy in his family so they wanted some, a better place, a better support system. Indiana was perfect. He has a godmother that lived up there at Lawrence north and in Indianapolis and she had, she was, she was the savior. She's the one that took the family in and, and that's the, that's the one that they look up to her and she has done so much for him and he actually has a fantastic backstory like it. He's really a phenomenal kid with a, a really genuine heart and like you said, like lwc. He came in for the OV and man, that thing flipped. And what's crazy is we thought how you're bringing them in with Easton Royal, there's no way they want to play together. Well, sales doesn't mind if they play together. If they don't play together, it was two like minded elite wide receivers on campus at the same time. If anything they could size each other up. I, I love where Texas is at with sales. Each day I feel like they're getting a little bit closer and a little bit closer. Look, they have connections to this recruitment that a little behind the scenes, a little under the radar and that's what Texas is so good at. They're, they're globally connected when it comes to, to stuff like that. And so yeah, they decide in the spring, hey, let's get in the Monsion Sales recruitment. And now it's down to Indiana and Texas. Now I kind of lean Indiana as of today and, and that's only because they were early. They've built some of the best relationships and best connections. Plus Omar Cooper, another Lawrence north kid. So that's, they've got a great sales P there. And then, you know, from what we've been told by sources, you know, Indiana doesn't spend a lot on recruiting in high school. Now they'll go big in the portal, but they're pretty judicious with their funds when it comes to high school recruiting. Not with sales. They're, they're prepared to make him the highest paid recruit that school has ever seen. And so in, in the end and sir and Kirk Signetti are making this a battle, but man, you gotta love Rark and Chris Jackson again. Chris Jackson has been tremendous in this. You give him a receiver that he really likes and that he gets to know over the next two or three months and evaluates and at the end of the day, let me tell you something, Chris Jackson's in that recruitment he, he just, there's something about him that he's authentic. He's got the NFL chops. He's, he's a serious guy. And honestly, the first thing he looks at on your tape when he brings you into the office is your blocking. You gotta be able to block, strangely enough that you're blocking.

[Cord]

And then that's the thing. And it's something that this staff definitely covets at that water secret position. It sounds like Texas and Indiana locked in a battle. Make sure you're paying attention. InsideTexas.com for the latest on munching sales and that big time recruitment where it's going. Real quick, we're going to hear a word from today's sponsor and we'll be right back.

[Zen AI Advertiser]

You know vibe coding? Well, Zen AI is doing that for podcasting. Zen AI helps anyone turn a conversation into something worth sharing. A podcast, a reel, a tick tock, all with no production skills required. They call it vibecasting. Hit record on your phone, have a real conversation, and Zen AI's AI producer handles the rest. Cleanup, clips, all of it. That simple. Right now, Zen AI is paying new vibecasters to make their first sportscast about their favorite team. Go live during the game or just record your takes after. Bring your own co host or find one in Zenai's network. It's invite only beta, so head to Zen AI to join the waitlist or check out our show notes for the link.

[Cord]

All right, carrying on here, guys. We've talked a little land of Williams callous. We've talked a little mansion sales. Texas has got.

[Justin Wells]

Can we talk about linebackers? That's what the fans want to know about. Cord.

[Cord]

I mean, we don't have one in the class. We talked a lot about linebackers on sign Texas. Will we get one? Let's start with a guy committed to another program. That's going to be Josiah Poirier, USC commit out of the very, very popular St. John.

[Justin Wells]

Don Bosco.

[Cord]

Yeah, I just absolutely lost it off top of my head there. Let's talk a little bit about Josiah and where Texas stands with the ufc. Commit, Justin.

[Justin Wells]

Yeah, so you know you can't have a recruiting update without Landon Williams callous and monchant sales. It just doesn't work. We had this discussion with our wonderful and fantastically talented producer this morning. You get, you got to talk about those two until we can't talk about them anymore. But you know what, hearing some new linebacker names is actually something that we were, we picked up. Adam Gorney does a great job with on three unrivals. He had talked to Poirier yesterday or a couple days ago. This kid is solid to usc. He wanted to make that perfectly clear. But Johnny Nansen has put this recruitment into a little bit of overdrive. And whenever you're missing line, when linebacker is the only position you have not filled in a top five, potentially top three level recruiting class, yeah, you're going to turn up the heat on some guys. Poyer may be a three star, but this is a kid that I believe that tracks and smacks. I, I don't know if he, if he's exactly going to be an inside guy or an outside guy just yet. I think he's got inside instincts. We just got to make sure the body and the in the mind. I'll kind of go with that. But Texas is going to try to get this guy on campus. They're going to try to get him in for a game this fall. And I got to tell you that they've got one of the best games in September. The recruiting list, I remember back in, I believe it's 2022 when Texas brought in every five star and four star they could imagine for the Texas Alabama game in Austin. And I anticipate that sort of recruiting visitor list for Ohio State and Week 2 in Austin. And Poyer would be a perfect kid to come in and bring in and just kind of. And this is how Texas, this is what Texas is good at. They don't push, they're, they're just keeping, they're just keeping themselves around the rim because they want to let him know. Look, if you're interested in, in potentially going to another spot linebacker over here in Austin, there's some availabilities and so we're going to see more of these names too. So just be prepared for that. Fans, come to inside texas.com if you can refresh about every 15 seconds, that would be great because we're trying to come up with more and more of these linebacker targets. We think it's the number is going to be two, probably not more than three. They definitely need to get at least two. The last cycle they killed it with Tyler Atkinson, Rocky Cummings, a couple others. This cycle it's Johnny Nansen's on his toes. And I, and I like Poyer. I like what he brings. He's at a powerhouse school out in California. There's like six schools in California that if that prospect goes there, he's going against some good competition in practice on a daily basis. And so he's just a name to know there's going to be more names that pop up. Stay tuned to Inside Texas.com and the Inside Texas Football YouTube channel. We'll keep you updated as much as possible. And so. But yeah, linebacker recruiting carries on. Poyer's the next name. Who's gonna be the next one?

[Cord]

Who will it be? Guys, make sure you're hopping over to insidetexas.com as Justin said, and checking out hey every every few minutes, man, because it's that time of the season where new news is popping up all of the time. Guys, that's going to wrap it up for the recruiting scoop. We had updates on Landon Williams, Collis Manchin Sells and Josiah Poyer. Make sure you go back and check all that out. Justin, thanks for doing this today and all of you guys go have a blessed weekend. Thanks for watching Inside Texas.

[Kalshi Advertiser]

The World cup champion will be crowned this week and you can trade the tourney through the finals on Kalshee, America's number one prediction market platform. Right now, Spain is trading at 58% to beat Argentina, meaning 100 trade pays out $166 if they win. On Cauchi. You're trading against other people in a live market. No house, no odds makers. For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code hoops to get $10 when you trade $10k a l s h I kalshi trade the beautiful game 18 only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. Prices, values and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see kalshi.com regulatory.