Recruiting Scoop: Texas' Next Move After Sales Commits to Indiana

Summary

Inside Texas Football – Recruiting Scoop: “Texas' Next Move After Sales Commits to Indiana”
Episode Date: July 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the Texas Longhorns’ recruiting landscape following the surprising commitment of highly-rated recruit Montchon Sales to Indiana. Host and recruiting analyst Justin Wells discusses the ripple effects of Sales’ decision, the ongoing pursuit of top wide receiver prospects, strategic responses in recruiting, and key updates on upcoming commitment decisions—particularly for running back Landon Williams Callis.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Monchon Sales’ Commitment to Indiana: What Now for Texas?

• Sales’ Commitment: Montchon Sales, one of the highest-rated recruits, surprisingly committed to Indiana over Texas and Alabama.
• Texas’ Response: Despite his commitment elsewhere, Texas is far from giving up the chase.
  • Justin notes a “gigantic bullseye and target on the Indiana Hoosiers now and on Kirk Signetti” (02:00), Indiana’s head coach.
  • Sales’ decision was heavily influenced by Indiana’s longstanding relationship—“Indiana started this. They were his second offer out of what, 50? And so their relationship was the longest lasting.” (03:12)
  • Proximity to family and the local feel played a significant role.
• Recruitment Not Over: Wells is adamant—"This recruitment is not over. Texas doesn’t even view this as a decision. They view it as another data point in the recruitment." (04:38)
• Possible Scenarios:
  • Visits could still happen: “Don’t be shocked if you see Mon Sales on campus this fall.” (04:56)
  • If Easton Royal (another top Texas WR commit) were to flip to LSU, Texas could amp up their NIL offer to Sales.

Easton Royal: Texas’ Commitment Status and What If He Flips?

• Royal’s Status: Remains committed to Texas but has been linked to LSU and other suitors.
• Communication Update: “Royal and Texas connected a couple days ago and Royal told them, look, those are all false rumors. Those are lies.” (05:54)
  • Wells points out that recruits often say what coaches want to hear, so skepticism is warranted.
• Texas’ Strategy: They want to keep Royal but also maintain contingencies for a scenario where he flips.
  • “Your job is to bring in the best players every year… you still have to recruit through the whistle.” (06:55)
• If Royal Flips: “If Royal flips to LSU, I think that connection is cut. I don’t think Texas and Royal will maintain that bond if he does flip.” (07:19)

Wide Receiver Recruiting: Plan B and “Splitting the Baby”

• Depth and Alternatives:
  • Texas is in on 4-stars Bryson Thrower and Kyron Brown (who recently made a big rankings jump from #796 to #205) (07:47).
  • If both Royal and Sales are lost, Texas has contingency plans, including rising 4-star Jahad Brown out of Louisville.
• Program Stability:
  • Despite fan angst, “Don’t sleep on that… Sark figures this stuff out. Don’t worry. If this was Sark’s first or second year, maybe I'd be a little more apprehensive. But not now.” (08:28, 08:49)
• Summary Quote: “They want three in this class… They think they have a chance to get either Royal or Monsion and that's ideal for them. If both are lost, they’ll pivot to other rising talents.” (08:15)

Landon Williams Callis: Upcoming Running Back Commitment

• Commitment Ceremony: August 1st at Richmond Randall.
• Recruitment Journey:
  • Rocky history—“For a long time, Landon Williams Callis and Texas were not seeing eye to eye… Three running back coaches have come through Austin in that window.” (11:13)
  • Running backs coach Jabar Jaluke was key—he said, “Why haven’t we gone crazy for this kid?… Jaluke put this thing in overdrive.” (12:06)
• Competitors: Texas’ main contenders are Texas A&M, Houston, SMU, and Missouri (the latter expected to make a late NIL push).
• Current Read: Wells is confident—“This kid’s going to stay in state, I feel like… If there’s one that I could say, man, Texas just came back and killed it, it’s this kid.” (13:38)
• Future Backfield Outlook: “Landon and Noah Roberts, that's a thunder and lightning, okay? That’s Sark getting back to his—‘I need a 1,000-yard rusher every year, guys. What are we doing here?’” (14:15)
• Noah Roberts’ Role: “Noah Roberts loves this kid. He's not threatened… That's how you grow a program, is when you get like-minded guys.” (14:52)

Other Recruiting Tidbits

• 2028 RB Michael Rhodes: Texas favored, former Oklahoma pledge; more details teased for Inside Texas subscribers. (15:33)
• Looking Ahead: The staff is always building relationships and contingency plans several cycles ahead.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Indiana’s Momentum:
  “They're cooking with grease right now and they're killing it. But this recruitment is not over, guys.” — Justin Wells (02:20)

• On Texas’ Recruiting Outlook:
  “They want to split the baby, essentially. And so that's kind of the plan right now.” — Justin Wells (04:14)

• On Royal’s Commitment:
  “Royal and Texas connected a couple days ago and Royal told them, look, those are all false rumors. Those are, those are lies.” — Justin Wells (05:54)

• On Steve Sarkisian’s Recruiting Reputation:
  “He figures this stuff out… You think Texas is going to screw up on a receiver recruitment? That’s why they play the long game.” — Justin Wells (08:28)

• On Callis and Roberts’ Potential:
  “Landon and Noah Roberts, that’s a thunder and lightning, okay? … This is Sark getting back to his—I need a thousand yard rusher every year, guys.” — Justin Wells (14:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sales’ Commitment and Texas’ Plan: 01:59–05:25
• Latest on Easton Royal: 05:25–07:24
• Contingency at Wide Receiver: 07:41–09:52
• Fan Angst and Texas’ Steady Approach: 08:28–09:52
• Landon Williams Callis Commitment Preview: 10:26–15:04
• 2028 RB Michael Rhodes Mention: 15:33

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Conclusion

The episode underscores the persistently high-stakes and fast-shifting nature of top-tier college football recruiting. Even with top targets lost—for now—Texas remains strategic and confident, leveraging established relationships and the growing appeal of Steve Sarkisian’s program. Whether working to flip Sales, retain Royal, or build depth in the backfield, the Longhorns’ staff is unwaveringly adaptable, prioritizing both contingency planning and relentless pursuit of on-field excellence.

For the latest, fans are encouraged to follow insider updates, especially as decision days for key prospects draw near.

Transcript

[Justin Wells]

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[Inside Texas Host]

All right, guys, welcome to recruiting Scoop here with Justin Wells. And thanks for watching Inside Texas. But before we get to it, make sure you're hopping on over to Inside Texas and taking advantage of that dollar dollar flash to sell. That's right. One dollar will get you onto the Inside Texas subscription list. Become a member of Rivals on three as well, and then after that week runs out. Jay, hey, 50 off. That's a pretty good deal for all the dang good news you're getting over there at Inside Texas. I'll just say that. But let's get to it, Justin. We had a big decision today in the recruiting world. Mansion cells. The decision was finally made. But not in Texas's favor, my friend. Indiana was the choice. But hey, we're still talking about it for a reason, aren't we? What is what happens now? Post Mon sales. Monston Shells committing to Indiana and the Hoosiers.

[Justin Wells]

I'll tell you what happens. There's a gigantic bullseye and target on the Indiana Hoosiers now and on Kirk Signetti. And if you ask coach Signetti, he probably likes it that way. I saw him on Pat McAfee this morning and he's just grinning ear to ear. They just signed the highest rated or got a commitment from the highest rated recruit in Indiana history. I mean, those guys are.

[Inside Texas Host]

They're.

[Justin Wells]

They're cooking with Greece right now and they're killing it. But this recruitment is not over, guys. I, I, I promise you, six months ago I would have told you he's going to Indiana or Alabama. Now I, I still think he winds up at Texas. I know that sounds crazy. I know Easton Royal is still committed and we're going to talk about that. But the thing you understand about Monon is that the, that relationship that Texas got into kind of late, it was like basically in the spring, Mun had reached out and it was a, a mutual kind of connection. They got close and then he took that official visit and his family was blown away and just the opportunities that they could see, it's almost like a fresh start. They grew up in Alabama, moved to Indiana when Montchon was 7, 8, 9 years old. And, and so that they saw, they looked at it as a fresh start, fresh opportunity. But here's the, here's the key. Indiana started this. They were his second offer out of what, 50? And so their relationship was the longest lasting. They've got proximity and he's got close family that he stays with that's in that area that means a lot to him. And I think that was also a part of the decision. I say all that to say Texas isn't letting up at all. And I know Texas fans, hey, can they get Royal and, and sales? I've said this from the start. I don't think that's realistic. Yeah, they talked about it after their ov, but that's just what recruits talk about. It sounds cool, it sounds fun. But realistically, you know, those two guys being on the same nil Bill just probably wasn't judicious. And so it's not, that wasn't going to happen now would they, they want us, they want to, they want to keep one. They want to keep Eastern Royal or they want to flip sales? They want one of these guys, they want to split the baby, essentially. And so that's, that's kind of the plan right now. We know Royal could be getting closer to, you know, shutting down his recruitment. We know July 29th of this birthday and they're, you know, sources have told us that he could be making another decision or potentially shutting things down on that date. That's important to know because I, I think if Royal flips to lsu, that's going to allow Texas to bump their nil and their rev share offer to Monsign. And I think that would be significant. I really think that's going to matter to, to, to that, to that circle today. They're happy he's staying home, they're glad, you know, family and friends are, they're ecstatic that he's going to be, you know, the hometown kid. This recruitment is not over. Texas doesn't even view this as a decision. They view it as a, another data point in the recruitment. And so Texas fans also don't be shocked if you see Mon Sales on campus this fall. Don't be shocked if you see him coming in for, for a couple games. Especially after Cam Coleman puts on a show, he's going to start to see kind of everything that he had already envisioned at Texas. At Indiana he sees family, he sees team, he sees opportunity. At Texas, he sees a brand, he sees a 40 year decision and he sees an opportunity to get developed, get to the NFL and to make a little coin along the way, as really well said.

[Inside Texas Host]

And there you go guys. You have your update on Montreal Sales post commitment to Indiana. Does this change anything in how Texas engages in the Eastern Royal recruitment? Because I mean again, he is committed but obviously, you know, flirted with a few other schools and you know, particularly lsu. Has this changed anything with how they handle that recruitment? Jay?

[Justin Wells]

I don't think so on the surface. Like I said, they want to keep Royal. Who wouldn't? Easton Royal is the best wide receiver in the country, period. Okay, like who wouldn't want to keep that guy? So they're planning to keep him and, and, and you know we were actually reported this earlier at Inside Texas. Come check us out. We really. Let us earn your, Let us earn your dollar. I actually mentioned this. Royal and Texas connected a couple days ago and Royal told them, look, those are all false rumors. Those are, those are lies. Now we know how that goes. You know, sometimes kids want to tell coaches what they want to hear and sometimes they're being upfront and honest. It's it, you gotta, you gotta figure that out. But Texas wants to keep Royal. They, they don't want to lose this kid. They've put in so much time and effort with him since last summer and then his commitment in late November and they want Royal in this class, but they have to have plans, backup plans, contingencies. And when a kid like Mon Sales wants to visit Texas and wants to get closer to the program and wants to learn more about Steve Sarkeesian, Chris Jackson, archman, and Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, you don't ignore it. Your job is to bring in the best players every year. And despite, despite having a commitment from an out of state kid for the last seven or eight months, you still have to recruit through the whistle. I, I'll say this. Sales committing to Indiana does nothing to Texas. They're going to continue to recruit him like nothing is different. If Royal flips to lsu, I think that connection is cut. I don't think Texas and Royal will maintain that bond if he does flip. And so that, if that helps you out with an idea of how that wide receiver board is being viewed.

[Inside Texas Host]

Absolutely. Well said. Thanks for the update. But let's say hypothetically, you know, Indiana holds on to sales for at least a little while. Royal, you know, if it, rumors are true and he does make a decision on the 29th that also doesn't go in Texas's favor. What's, what's next at the wide receiver position?

[Justin Wells]

You're gonna have a void for, for a little bit there. You're gonna have Bryson, you're gonna have four star Bryson thrower, you're have four star Kyron Brown, who just made the biggest jump in the recruiting rankings last week. I think he was number 796 in the country. Now he's number 205. I mean that's, that, that, that's huge. There's going to be a void there and for, for fans that kind of get into recruiting maybe a little too much. There's going to be some angst there. There really is. It's going to be a little uneasy. But for people that have covered, people that have been with Sark, people that have watched Sark over the last six or seven years, like he'll figure it out. He figures this stuff out. Don't, don't, don't sleep on that. You think Texas is going to screw up on a receiver recruitment? That's why they, that's why they play the long game. That's why they love waiting until November, December to apply any sort of pressure whatsoever. And it allows them to do a full on extended evaluation as well. Sometimes six months doesn't tell you who they are. Sometimes it takes 12, sometimes it takes 18. And so that, that's the biggest thing. There's going to be some angst with fans but in the, in the recruiting room, I don't think they're going to be worried at all. They love Thrower, they love Brown and they love, they think they've got a shot to split the baby. They think they have a chance to get either Royal or Monsion and that's ideal for them. They want three in this class. If both of those, let's go hypothetical. If Royal flips and Sales winds up signing with Indiana, there's a real high rising four star out of Louisville named Jahad Brown. He's one that's popped up on the Texas radar. I think they're going to kind of build out that relationship as a contingency, as a backup plan with for what they're already kind of looking at. And so that's why I take, I don't worry at this point. If this was Sark's first or second year, maybe I'd be a little more apprehensive. But not now. Man. This guy's proven year after year that they can kill the portal, they can kill high school recruiting. They know what they're doing. Just be prepared for a little angst from the Texas fans at the wide receiver position. It'll be similar to linebacker recruiting. Don't bring it up. It'll be similar to the offensive guard portal recruiting. Just don't, just don't bring it up until we get something real.

[Inside Texas Host]

Yeah, and you said it will, man, you're gonna have a week to two week freak out. You know, if both decisions went against Texas, if Royal chose LSU or another party there. But again, come on over to inside Texas because like you said, let us earn your dollar. But Starks earned your trust at wide receiver. He's going to put dogs in there they can fill and do what he needs to get done in that offense. So again, stay tuned [e-mail] But Justin, really good updates there on the water. Super position for Texas Again had to address the Mansion sales commitment, but let's transition into another position group for Texas that has another big commitment day coming up. Let's talk a little bit of Landon Williams callous on how we stand right there.

[Justin Wells]

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[Inside Texas Host]

Yep.

[Justin Wells]

But this kid's going to stay in state. This kid's going to stay in state, I feel like. And that's. You get a sense of that a lot of times when you start to learn out this recruitment. If there's one that I could say, man, Texas just came back and killed it, it's this kid. And so I love where Texas sits. We've got our RPMs for Texas right now. We feel good about that just as good as we did three weeks ago when we kind of started talking about this upcoming decision right after his official visit. Let me tell you, man, Landon, Landon and Noah Roberts, that, that's a thunder and lightning, okay? That's Sark looking at, going back and looking like a USC offense in the mid 2000s and getting his Reggie Bush and getting his Lindell wife. This is Sark getting back to his. I need a thousand yard rusher every year, guys. What are we doing here? And so I love that Landon's got a date. So now we can talk about it. We, we posted a decision preview two weeks ago. Now we get to post another one. So that's more content. So I'm fired up for that. But you know what's the best part? Noah Roberts loves this kid. He's not threatened. Noah's like, I bring this skill set. Landon can bring this skill set. That's how you grow a program, is when you get like minded, guys. And so landon's going on August 1st. We love where Texas stands. Keep your head on a swivel. It is recruitment. You never know. A M could offer him mineral rights at this point. You just, you don't know how this thing could go. But we really like where Texas stands today.

[Inside Texas Host]

There you go, guys. August 1st for Landon Williams College. Make sure you're coming over to Inside Texas and staying updated on where Texas sits over the next couple of weeks as we get ready for that decision. You said it really well, man. Noah Roberts, Landon Jabarjalu. Hey, that's a home run. That's more than a home run, buddy. That's, that's. That. That's like borderline hitting for the cycle in your first class as a Texas coach there at the running back position. But Justin, any, any other tidbits, anything for us regarding recruiting? Hey, man, folks at Inside Texas need to know.

[Justin Wells]

Yeah, just real quick. 20:28 Running back Michael Rhodes. We got an update [e-mail] I'm not going to give you any more info. I've already given away enough free stuff today. Come over there and see that. I think Texas is the leader there. He was committed to Oklahoma early. He never, I don't think he ever envisioned himself being a sooner decommitted in the spring we caught up with him. He's in a great spot. Jalook is continuing this 27 trend into the 28 class, which I think might be a 1 running back class now that if Callis does join Texas in the 2027 cycle and so come to insidetexas.com it really is the best opportunity and the best chance to sign up. Right now recruiting is as hot as it's ever been. Spring camp, I mean fall camp is right around the corner and that's when we really start cooking with team intel. And guys. I'm so excited for the 2026 season. So come see [e-mail] let us earn your dollar. Give us a chance.

[Inside Texas Host]

Literally let us earn $1 and get your business. Come send it sometime at Inside Texas. You've watched your recruiting scoop. Fantastic as always from Justin Wells. Thanks for watching guys. Throw a like on the video and have a great weekend.