The Texas Longhorns continued to build one of the nation's top recruiting classes Saturday with the commitment of five-star running back Landen Williams-Callis of Richmond Randle High School.
Williams-Callis announced his decision after narrowing his finalists to Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri and SMU, giving Steve Sarkisian another major recruiting victory while keeping one of the state's premier prospects at home.
The dynamic running back is widely regarded as one of the best players in the 2027 recruiting cycle. According to 247Sports, Williams-Callis is ranked as the No. 37 overall prospect nationally, the No. 3 running back in the country and the No. 3 player in Texas. Other recruiting services also place him among the nation's elite backs.
At 5-foot-7.5 and 190 pounds, Williams-Callis has established himself as one of the most productive high school football players in Texas. During the 2025 season, he helped lead Randle to a 15-1 record while rushing for an incredible 3,502 yards and 59 touchdowns on 324 carries. He averaged nearly 219 rushing yards per game, making him one of the state's most dominant offensive weapons.
Now entering his senior season, Williams-Callis is approaching another significant milestone. He has already accumulated 7,554 career rushing yards and has a realistic opportunity to surpass 10,000 career yards before graduating. If he produces another historic season, he could also challenge the Texas high school career rushing record.
His commitment continues a recruiting trend that has become a trademark under Steve Sarkisian. Since arriving in Austin in 2021, Sarkisian and his staff have placed a strong emphasis on keeping the state's top talent within Texas, and that strategy continues to pay dividends.
Williams-Callis becomes one of the centerpiece commitments in the Longhorns' 2027 recruiting class, joining fellow five-star offensive tackle Ismael Camara from Gilmer and five-star wide receiver Easton Royal of Brother Martin High School in Louisiana.
The commitment also comes shortly after former five-star Texas pledge John Meredith III reclassified into the 2026 class, allowing him to enroll at Texas a year early following his eligibility situation.
Texas continues to assemble one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country, adding another explosive playmaker with home-run ability to its future backfield. For Sarkisian, landing Williams-Callis is another example of the program's continued success in convincing the state's top prospects to stay home and wear burnt orange.
