Top 15 2026 basketball recruit lists Longhorns in his Top 6

Yahoo

23-07-2025

As Longhorns basketball looks to add to its 2026 class, it had a reason to celebrate on Monday. One of the top recruits still on the board, Qayden Samuels, narrowed his list down to six programs, and the Longhorns made the cut. Their next goal will be to get Samuels to campus for a visit, showing him what a future at Texas could look like.
While the Longhorns would love to secure a commitment from the talented small forward, they will face competition. The other programs still in the running are Kentucky, UConn, North Carolina, NC State, and Georgetown. All of those programs have had success over the last few years, including UConn, who has rewritten the record books.
Currently, the Bishop McNamara High School product is ranked as the fifth-best small forward in his class by 247Sports. They also rank him as the best player from the state of Maryland. Over the last few months, Samuels has seen his stock rise as he has been a force with the ball in his hands.
Since becoming the Longhorns' head coach, Sean Miller has focused on reshaping his roster. That has included building relationships with players in the 2026 class and beyond. If Miller can land Samuels, the Longhorns would be adding a talented scorer to the mix.
Although the Longhorns are still searching for their first commitment in the 2026 class, they have been connected to some of the top players available. They have made offers to Dylan Mingo, Taylen Kinney, Deron Rippey Jr., Bo Ogden, and Junior County. Any of those players would represent a significant offensive upgrade for a team that struggled to score last year.
With the recruiting season far from over, the Longhorns will be a program to watch. Texas has numerous offers pending and hopes to add Samuels' commitment to the list.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Top 15 2026 Hoops recruit Qayden Samuels has Longhorns in his Top Six