On Early Signing Day last December, the Texas Longhorns made a key addition to the 2026 recruiting class by landing a pledge from priority target Michael Terry, the nation’s No. 1 athlete, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
In an announcement at Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Terry choose the Longhorns over the Huskers, helping propel the Texas class to the No. 1 ranking.
On Sunday at the THSCA in Terry’s home town, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian provided an update on Terry, who enrolled
early and went through spring practice on the Forty Acres.
“Michael Terry is a ridiculous athlete, a guy who did everything in high school from Wildcat quarterback to running back to receiver to even times looking like a tight end,” Sarkisian said.
In fact, Terry also played some defense as a junior, recording 15 tackles and an interception in addition to totaling over 1,500 yards and 30 touchdowns on offense.
Since arriving at Texas, the coaching staff has focused on refining the 6’3, 216-pounder’s receiving skills, which aren’t as sharp as those of his incoming classmates who didn’t have the same multi-positional responsibilities in high school.
“What we’ve tried to do with Michael here through spring and through summer is let him hone in on one thing. We’ve really got him honed in at receiver right now and you see real flashes of the physical ability that he has,” Sarkisian said.
“But it’s like anything when you’re when you’re a jack of all trades, which he was in high school — we’re trying to get him to be a master of one first, and then once he can master that, or come close, then we can start to let him to spread his wings, to do more things for us.”
With two proven returning contributors in junior DeAndre Moore and sophomore Ryan Wingo and the addition of Emmett Mosley from Stanford, breaking into the wide receiver rotation as a freshman won’t be easy for Terry.
But enrolling early has paid dividends for the consensus four-star prospect.
“Time will tell the impact that will have for us this fall, but from where he was day one of spring ball to where he is at this middle of July, this summer, the amount of improvement he’s made, last Thursday was probably one of his best days that I’ve seen him just feeling comfortable playing the position and it be looking natural to him. He’s going to catch on quickly, because he’s such a gifted athlete. But I think time will tell of the impact it’ll have for us this fall.
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- Steve Sarkisian on in-state recruiting: ‘How do we corral the state better than we have?’
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