LONGHORNS LAND #1 RECRUIT IN THE NATION FOR THE 2026 CLASS
Texas already has the #1 ranked recruiting class for 2026, but the Longhorn staff has not stopped there, continuing to recruit the elite prep prospects around the nation. After quietly decommitting a few weeks ago, the number one player in the nation Grady Emerson (Argyle, TX) began narrowing down his options from a long list of suitors. In the end, it came down to a Lone Star rivalry, with the Longhorns coming out on top of the Aggies.
Emerson has been one of the most scouted and highly touted baseball players regardless of class for the past couple of years. The long time commit to TCU plays shortstop primarily and from a tool perspective, checks all the boxes. Outstanding hands, clean transfers, moves well laterally, great arm strength, and has excellent instincts, he is the consummate prospect at shortstop.
At the plate, Grady bats from the left side and has an easy swing with elite bat speed and great ability to drive the ball to the pull side with power. While not known as a true power hitter, Emerson does hit for some power and with a 6’2” 175lb frame, there is plenty of strength projection down the road. As Dustin McComas wrote for Five Tool, Emerson has a knack for hitting the ball by moving his hands and making adjustments at the plate. Watching his videos, one of the first things that you notice about Grady when at the plate is his approach. He is calm and efficient, setup that allows him to adjust to what he is getting from the opposing pitcher.
Emerson also plays for Team USA and with his commitment, the Longhorns now have secured verbal commitments from the Team USA starting shortstop and second baseman. That is in addition to Gavin Fien, Xavier Mitchell, Brady Murrieta, and Cooper Rummel.
Before anyone asks – of course the MLB Draft will certainly be the biggest object to getting Grady on campus, but as anyone will tell you, this is a BIG deal in the recruiting world and continues to give credence to what the Texas staff is building. In addition, it represents another big win over arch rivals Texas A&M. Landing Emerson is just another example in a long string of recruiting wins this offseason that show why hiring Jim Schlossnagle and staff was the right move. Nolan Cain has continued to showcase his ability to recruit and build a talent pipeline that very few teams in the nation can compete with.
UPDATED with quotes from Grady:
1. When I reopened my commitment, I was looking for a team that wanted to win a national championship and could develop me. After seeing Texas and the way they ran things I knew that that was the best place for me to go to develop under coaches who were experienced and knew how to help players be the best version of themselves.
2. I would say my strengths as a player is I am a really good hitter who doesn’t strike out a lot. I’m also a very good leader on the field and help my teammates be the best versions of themselves each and every time they step on a baseball field.
3. Going into next season I would love to improve on my size and strength, hopefully being able to add on more muscle and a little more fat to turn those doubles in the gaps to home runs and hopefully I can get a little faster as well while doing that.
4. I am fortunate to have a good relationship with a lot of the recruits for the 2026 class looking at the roster and everybody who is committed. I think that we have a very high potential to win international championship with this team and I’m looking for forward to that very much
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