Longhorns land No. 3 RB prospect Williams-Callis

Texas landed the nation's No. 3 running back Saturday with a commitment from four-star rusher Landen Williams-Callis, ESPN's No. 46 overall recruit in the 2027 class. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound recruit from Richmond, Texas, arrives as the second-ranked pledge among 22 prospects who have committed to Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian's latest recruiting class. Five-star receiver Easton Royal, the No. 8 overall recruit, committed in November. Williams-Callis picked Texas amid significant late interest from Missouri and Texas A&M, with in-state programs Houston and SMU also among the finalists in his process this summer. The reigning Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year, Williams-Callis is the latest branch in an accomplished football family. He is a cousin of former Oregon State playmakers Jacquizz and James Rodgers, each of whom earned All-America honors with the Beavers in 2009. His uncle, former Colorado All-American Michael Lewis, spent nine years in the NFL and earned a first-team All-Pro selection in 2004. Williams-Callis has distinguished himself with eye-popping numbers across three varsity seasons at Thomas E. Randle High School in Texas. He rushed for 3,502 yards and 59 touchdowns as a junior last fall while powering his program to a state runner-up finish. A speedy, high-volume rusher, Williams-Callis enters his senior campaign later this year with career totals of 7,551 yards and 125 touchdowns, only 3,828 yards shy of the Texas high school career rushing record. Texas has 14 pledges since June 1, including 10 from the SC Next 300. In the late stages of a hot summer on the recruiting trail the Longhorns' incoming class entered the weekend at No. 3 class in ESPN's latest class rankings for the cycle. Williams-Callis' commitment comes amid an overhaul of Texas' running back room after the program lost four of its top five rushers from a year ago. The Longhorns accounted for those departures by adding transfers Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers -- two of the highest-rated portal running backs this offseason -- alongside five-star freshman Derrek Cooper, ESPN's No. 1 running back in the 2026 class. With pledges from Williams-Callis and No. 4 running back Noah Roberts (No. 51 overall), the Longhorns are poised to sign two of ESPN's top five rushers for the first time in program history later this year. Williams-Callis was the top uncommitted prospect in the 2027 SC Next before his decision. Four-star linebackers Brayton Feister (No. 190 overall) and Trace Washington (No. 191) now stand as the highest-ranked of four uncommitted blue-chip prospects in the 2027 cycle.