[BREAKING: Corey Wells COMMITS to the Longhorns! | NCAA | NIL
The Texas Longhorns have once again made headlines on the recruiting front with a major addition to their 2026 class: four-star defensive lineman Corey Wells. The commitment, coming straight off the heels of a standout official visit to Austin last weekend, is being hailed as a pivotal win for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff ([on3.com][1]).
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## Who is Corey Wells?
* **Name**: Corey Wells
* **Position**: Defensive Line
* **Height/Weight**: 6‑5, 300 lbs
* **High School**: Petal High School, Mississippi
Wells isn’t just a physically imposing presence—he’s also highly sought after. According to 247Sports, he ranks No. 170 nationally, No. 26 among defensive linemen, and No. 7 overall in Mississippi. He reportedly turned down offers from a host of top-tier programs, including Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, Tennessee, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A\&M, Arkansas, LSU, Florida State, and Oregon State ([on3.com][1], [dallasnews.com][2], [si.com][3]).
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## The Official Visit & What Swayed Him
Texas rolled out the red carpet during Wells’s weekend visit to Austin. Speaking after the trip, Wells shared, “Texas—I love it here….I love the players. I love the coaches… I’ll get developed here… I’ll have a chance to make it to that next level—the NFL.” ([on3.com][1]).
Development was clearly the clincher. The Longhorns’ reputation for cultivating professional-caliber talent clearly resonated with the Mississippi standout, who views Texas as a launching pad to the NFL. His commitment punctuates a whirlwind official visit weekend that produced three additional pledges: DL Dylan Berymon, WR Kohen Brown, and K Jake Collett ([on3.com][1]).
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## Filling the Trench, Building the Class
Wells’s pledge is a high-impact piece of a well-rounded Texas class. He joins:
* **Dia Bell**, five-star quarterback
* **Jermaine Bishop Jr.**, five-star athlete
* **Trott O’Neal**, five-star long snapper
* Three-star investments like **Max Wright**, **Chris Stewart**, **Hayward Howard Jr.**, **Nicolas Robertson**, and **Yaheim Riley**
* Plus recent additions **Dylan Berymon** (DT), **Kohen Brown** (WR), and **Jake Collett** (K) ([si.com][3]).
247Sports recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna says Wells “projects as a high-level starter in college,” though he notes that Wells will benefit from Texas’s strength and technique development ([si.com][3]).
According to The Dallas Morning News, Wells is the **12th commitment** in the class, and with Texas currently ranked No. 16 nationally, the staff remains confident about climbing further up the recruiting rankings ([dallasnews.com][2]).
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## Strategic Gains & Program Momentum
What sets this win apart is the timing and the stakes. With Wells choosing Texas over SEC powerhouses and other major programs, it underscores the program’s growing credibility in both the trenches and overall recruiting sphere. Landing a bluechip prospect from Mississippi—a region typically dominated by SEC schools—signals Texas’s expanding recruiting footprint.
It also sends a strong message to future prospects: Texas is not just a contender in the Big 12; it’s becoming a national player capable of drawing talent from beyond its traditional recruiting bases.
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## What’s Next?
Texas now shifts focus to other key pending recruits. One name to watch is **five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo** from Texas, who recently canceled a planned visit to rival Oklahoma ahead of a scheduled official to Austin ([si.com][4]). That suggests momentum is already swinging in Austin’s favor as the class continues to flesh out.
### Final Word
Corey Wells’s commitment is more than a boost of beef to the Longhorns’ defensive front—it’s a statement of intent. With elite development on offer, a growing class, and early success in drawing from SEC talent pools, Steve Sarkisian’s Texas squad is staging a powerful run in the recruiting race as the class of 2026 shapes up.
