Texas' No. 1 recruiting class already making impact during Peach Bowl prep

As soon as they finished their final exams and played out their senior seasons, there were a handful members of Texas’ No. 1-ranked recruiting class for 2025 that decided to get a head start in Austin.

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Lance Jackson, Michael Terry III, and Justus Terry have all joined the team for practice during bowl prep for the Longhorns upcoming College Football Playoff quarterfinal and Peach Bowl battle with Arizona State on January 1st, New Year’s Day in Atlanta.

“What a unique experience for them to join us now and to have even a couple of transfers now with us in Cole (Brevard) and Brad (Spence),” Steve Sarkisian said. “We need it. We’re still trying to practice, and we got hit pretty good from a portal perspective on that front seven. We tried to backfill it with some of these faces now, but it’s good to see those guys. Very early stages.”

To enroll early in college is one thing. But to arrive mere weeks after high school graduation is a different animal. But that’s why Sarkisian and his staff emphasize the mental aspect during their recruiting evaluations.

“They have to complete graduation to be eligible to do it,” Sarkisian said. “Then they have to get cleared through us from an academic standpoint, from a medical standpoint. Then they start their climatization like you have to do in training camp. They’ve got to wear helmets for two days, then half pads, so on and so forth. It’s a bit of a process, but as long as we get to practice, they get to practice.”

For Jackson, it’s something he watched his older brother, Landon Jackson, do at LSU and Arkansas. And after being in Texarkana up to last week, life is moving pretty fast for the On3 five-star defender and East Texas product.

“It’s crazy,” Jackson told Inside Texas. “I was in high school two weeks ago and now I’m here. It’s a crazy experience. I’m grateful they let me have it.”

What are Jackson and the two Terrys biggest roles early in this stage?

“Right now, I’m mainly just on scout team,” Jackson said. “I’m going full-speed on scout team. I’m going against the ones and twos. Happy I get to get that experience and it’s getting me ready for next year.”

And what about his early battles with unanimous All American left tackle Kelvin Banks?

“It’s really cool,” Jackson replied. “I didn’t think it would happen. It’s cool. I’m very grateful to be able to get this experience because if I came later, I wouldn’t have been able to. It’s going to be really cool. I had to pick between Under Armour and this. I picked this.”

Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski is obviously excited to bring in a few of his elite signees at this stage, where experience can be invaluable.

“For them, it’s really cool because they can get indoctrinated or understand how things work,” said Kwiatkowski. “They can be around the older guys that can help them. They see how we practice and the standard we hold them to as far as effort and being on time. All the stuff that goes into being part of the team, they’re learning that right now versus old school when they’d come in right before camp and then into camp. Very stressful for them trying to figure out all the nuances of how the team operates, then trying to learn the playbook, trying to learn terminology, how to practice, all that stuff.”

What’s PK’s early evaluation on Jackson’s acclimation to the program?

“He’s athletic, he’s really athletic,” Kwiatkowski said on Jackson. “His ability to change direction, bend, all that stuff. We’ve watched him play tight end, the way he runs with the football, all that stuff. He’s tough. He’s a hardworking dude. Besides his measurables, he’s wired to get after it.”

What number does Jackson want for his first season on the Forty Acres? No. 15, worn by defensive lineman Bill Norton. And he’ll probably get it because the early bird gets the worm.