BREAKING: #1 Overall Recruit Xavier “X” Bryant Decommits from Ohio State, Flips to Texas
In a move that confirms the Texas Longhorns’ return to the summit of college football’s elite, Xavier “X” Bryant, the undisputed top-ranked player in the nation for the class of 2025, has decommitted from the Ohio State Buckeyes and announced his commitment to the University of Texas. The earth-shattering announcement, made on ESPN on Saturday morning, delivers a transformative talent to Austin and marks a signature, program-affirming victory for head coach Steve Sarkisian as the Longhorns enter the Southeastern Conference.
Bryant, a 6’4″, 240-pound defensive end from Denton Ryan High School in Texas, had been a verbal pledge to Ohio State since his junior season. However, the magnetic pull of staying home, combined with Texas’s dominant run to the College Football Playoff and the NFL-caliber development under defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, proved overwhelming. A decisive official visit to the Forty Acres last weekend sealed the historic flip.
“My heart has always been in Texas, but my decision had to be about more than geography,” Bryant said during the broadcast. “Watching what Coach Sark and Coach PK have built—the way they develop players for the next level and compete for championships—it became clear. I want to be the cornerstone of this new era, to help lead Texas to an SEC title. This is home, and we have unfinished business.”
For Texas, this decision is monumental on multiple fronts. It is the program’s first commitment from a consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the modern recruiting era. Keeping the nation’s premier talent—a “horns down” menace from the Dallas Metroplex—at home represents the ultimate validation of Sarkisian’s “All Gas, No Brakes” culture and Texas’s renewed competitive stature. To beat Ohio State’s relentless national recruiting machine for a player of Bryant’s caliber signals that the Longhorns are not just entering the SEC; they intend to dominate it.
For Ohio State, the loss is profound. Bryant was the crown jewel of a historically great recruiting class, a defensive anchor projected to be a multi-year difference-maker. Losing him, especially after a lengthy commitment, is a significant setback and a rare defeat for Ryan Day on the trail.
On the field, Xavier Bryant is a generational defensive prospect. With a rare blend of explosive power, refined pass-rush technique, and the athleticism to drop into coverage, he is the prototype for the modern edge defender. He is projected as an immediate starter and a potential All-SEC candidate who can single-handedly disrupt an offensive game plan.
“This isn’t just a recruiting win; it’s a cultural statement,” said 247Sports National Analyst Mike Roach. “Steve Sarkisian just did what Mack Brown couldn’t at his peak: he kept the best player in America home. It proves the Texas program is back to its full, blue-blood potential. Xavier Bryant isn’t just a player; he’s the living, breathing symbol that Texas is ready for the SEC grind and has the talent to win it.”
Bryant’s flip immediately launches Texas’s 2025 recruiting class into the national top five and serves as the ultimate catalyst for the program’s inaugural SEC season. For Steve Sarkisian, securing a commitment from “X” Bryant is the definitive proof that the Texas Longhorns are not just back—they are built to rule college football’s toughest conference for the foreseeable future.
