The Texas coaches were out on the road this week seeing some of their top targets from around the country. One of those stops was just a short trip up I-35 for Steve Sarkisian and Pete Kwiatkowski to see Temple defensive end Jamarion Carlton.
It’s been a busy start to the new year for the standout 2026 prospect. Carlton competed in the Navy All-American Bowl last weekend. This weekend he’s at Texas A&M. On January 25 he’ll be at Texas for a junior day and then he’ll finish things off with a trip to USC on February 1.
One of the top prospects in the state of Texas, the UT staff has been making Carlton a priority and he's excited to get back to the Forty Acres next weekend.
“Going down to Texas, I get to see coach (Pete Kwiatkowski) and coach (Steve Sarkisian) again, get to communicate with them," Carlton said. "It’s been a minute (since he's been to Austin) ... so I’ll get to go down there and see them.”
Carlton has been a regular visitor to the UT campus over the last year so the junior day visit next weekend will be as much about building relationships as it is seeing anything new. The message from the UT coaches is clear – stay close to home and maximize his talents against elite players every day in practice.
“They really want me to just stay close. They say they have the best environment,” Carlton said. “They say I can go out there and get a whole lot of experience against other good players that go there.”
While Texas does offer the benefit of being about a one-hour drive from his hometown, Carlton says he’s open to going to college anywhere in the country. He wants to study sports medicine so he said academics will be a factor, as will defensive scheme.
“Location really doesn’t matter. For me it’s more education-wise and then if what they run fits for me,” Carlton said.
At 6-5, 240 pounds, Carlton is ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com. He checks in at No. 142 nationally.
