Texas Lands 5-Star RB Landen Williams-Callis Over Texas A&M in In-State Battle

Landen Williams-Callis, the No. 3-ranked running back in the 2027 recruiting class, committed to Texas on Saturday, choosing the Longhorns over Texas A&M, Missouri, SMU, and Houston. The Richmond Randle standout, who holds a five-star rating in the 247Sports composite and ranks No. 49 nationally according to Rivals/On3, was widely considered the top uncommitted prospect in the cycle heading into his announcement.

Williams-Callis arrives with one of the more decorated prep résumés in recent Texas high school history. The 5-foot-7, 190-pound back has accumulated 7,554 rushing yards and 125 touchdowns across three varsity seasons at Randle High in Richmond, Texas, adding 729 receiving yards and seven scores through the air. He is also among the fastest backs in his class, posting a reported 10.65 time in the 100-meter dash. The reigning Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year, he ran for 3,502 yards and 59 touchdowns in his junior season alone on 324 carries.

Just the relationship with the coaches at Texas. They develop their guys good. They have a lot of people get drafted into the NFL.

— Landen Williams-Callis, during his commitment ceremony

Historical Milestones Within Reach

Entering his senior season, Williams-Callis stands 3,828 yards from the Texas high school football career rushing record held by Kaegan Ash. He also needs 692 yards to surpass the Houston career rushing record set by his cousin, former Oregon State star Jacquizz Rodgers. A run of 2,446 yards in his final prep season would push him past 10,000 career yards. Texas recruiting analysts have projected him as a tandem back in Steve Sarkisian's offense alongside fellow 2027 commit Noah Roberts, with his receiving ability and open-field skill set making him better suited for work between the 20s than in short-yardage situations.

For Sarkisian, who has emphasized keeping elite in-state talent in Austin since taking over as head coach in January 2021, the commitment represents a significant recruiting victory. Williams-Callis drew interest from more than 70 programs, including national champion Indiana and Big Ten program Oregon. His pledge brings Texas to 14 commitments since June 1, including 10 from top-300 prospects. The Longhorns also landed five-star cornerback John Meredith earlier in the offseason.

Texas A&M made a sustained push for Williams-Callis through his announcement but came away empty-handed. The Aggies, who currently hold the No. 1-ranked 2027 class nationally, have yet to secure a running back commitment in the cycle. With most of the top available backs now committed elsewhere, the A&M staff is expected to explore flipping a committed prospect — including Texas Tech pledge SaRod Baker, the No. 5-ranked back in the class — or identifying remaining unsigned options before the signing period.