The competition for class of 2028 wide receiver Jaylen Addai is beginning to heat up. He already has offers from the Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas A&M Aggies, Alabama Crimson Tide, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and LSU Tigers.
All of the attention doesn't come as a surprise. At 6-foot-0 and 167 pounds, he is a four-star recruit, the No. 3 wide receiver, the No. 1 player in Texas and the No. 11 player in the nation, according to Rivals Industry Rankings. He's coming off a solid sophomore season with Shadow Creek High School, accumulating 37 receptions for 779 yards and 14 touchdowns.
As one of the top players in his recruiting class, a handful of college football's most prominent programs have begun reaching out.
Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
However, some are beginning to stand out more than others. When speaking to Rivals' recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman, Addai noted his early connection with the Longhorns and their coaching staff under Steve Sarkisian.
“Texas has a good culture and a lot of great athletes,” Addai said. “Coach [Chris] Jackson and Sark are great coaches. I’m building relationships with and talking a lot recently. Getting to possibly stay home is great.”
The Longhorns consistently make an effort to recruit the top in-state prospects. In their 2027 cycle, they've landed a total of 22 commitments and rank fifth in the nation. Among that group, 12 players are from Texas.
With Addai emerging as one of the top wide receivers in the 2028 recruiting class, Texas will continue to face plenty of competition from other powerhouse programs. However, Sarkisian and his staff aren’t expected to just back down.
The next step should be getting him on campus for an official visit. He has already visited Ohio State (Nov. 15) and Notre Dame (April 25). Getting him to Austin should be a top priority for the Longhorns to continue building their relationship.
