The Texas Longhorns received a recruiting boost Wednesday when Rivals analysts shifted their projections for five-star cornerback John Meredith III toward Austin. The move represents a significant change in the 2027 recruiting cycle, as Meredith was previously expected to sign with Texas A&M.
Steve Sarkisian’s staff now leads for the nation’s top-ranked cornerback as the program prepares for the 2026 season with Arch Manning leading the offense.
Longhorns now lead for nation’s top-ranked cornerback John Meredith
Meredith ranks as the No. 1 cornerback and No. 2 overall prospect in the 2027 class according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound defensive back from North Crowley High School in Fort Worth earned Five-Star Plus+ designation from Rivals. That’s their highest tier reserved for elite talents ranked as five-stars across all major services.
On3’s scouting staff compares him to NFL star Sauce Gardner due to his rare combination of 33-inch arms and verified track speed.
As recently as last summer, Meredith told Rivals’ Chad Simmons that A&M was “sitting at the top of my list,” adding, “Every time I go there, it feels like home. Coach JP and coach Mason make it feel like I already go there.”
The Rivals Prediction Machine previously had A&M at 97.1% probability to land him.
That changed Wednesday when Rivals analysts Sam Spiegelman and Steve Wiltfong both issued new predictions for Meredith to the Longhorns. All current indicators point to the elite defensive back heading to Austin.
NEW: Rivals’ @samspiegs and @SWiltfong_ have logged expert predictions for Texas to land Five-Star Plus+ CB John Meredith
Details: https://t.co/diOcd721Tv pic.twitter.com/nLhsGAKvYu
— Rivals (@Rivals) April 29, 2026
This shift opens the door for Texas A&M to redirect focus to five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson. According to Cameron Ohnysty of Aggies Wire, Wiltfong noted he’s close to shifting his prediction for Dobson from LSU to the Aggies.
Wiltfong stated that A&M currently looks to be in the strongest shape for the North Carolina standout.
The Longhorns rank 12th nationally in the 2027 class with nine commitments. While a third of those players are blue-chip recruits, none currently match the elite status of Meredith.
Landing him would move Texas up the rankings and maintain Sarkisian’s momentum with top in-state players.
