Temple defensive end Jamarion Carlton is one of the state of Texas’ top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class, and he’s a top target for the Texas Longhorns ever since picking up a UT offer during a June 1 visit for an elite camp.
On Thursday, Carlton was back in Austin for another visit, this time getting a chance to watch the Longhorns go through a player-led practice. That experience made a strong impression on the Rivals250 member.
“It was cool. The pool party was fun. Some of the highlights were the self-led player practice that they did. Being able to watch them showed how much it really means to them," Carlton said. "The determination they have for the game, watching that was really amazing."
During the practice, Carlton focused on his position, including freshman Colin Simmons, and said he was impressed.
“I was mainly watching the edges, watching Colin Simmons a little bit. I was watching the pass rush moves, the defensive line,” Carlton said. “I think he’s a good person, really athletic. I’ve been watching him for a while now. He’s a very good player.”
The 6-5, 230-pound Carlton spent some time on the visit talking to the Texas coaches, including defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and head coach Steve Sarkisian.
“I talked to coach PK a lot. I interacted with him a lot that day. Coach Sark, I talked to him a lot too,” Carlton said. “They were saying how much they appreciated me coming down there with them being the first choice for me to go to. With me choosing them first, it was a big deal and meant a lot to them.”
Carlton followed his Texas visit with a trip to Texas A&M on Friday. He’ll be at Baylor on Tuesday.
Though Carlton doesn’t have a formal list of favorites at this early stage of his recruitment, the Longhorns figure to be a program that weighs heavily into his eventual decision.
“Texas most likely would be pretty high up there. I really don’t know where I’m going to go since I haven’t visited a lot of places yet. But based off the places I’ve been, they’d be up there based on their overall environment and their culture,” Carlton said.
Carlton is ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and checks in at No. 182 on the Rivals250.
