Steve Sarkisian sets sights on landing next elite Texas safety after locking in official visit with Blaine Bradford
There’s a long lineage of elite Texas Longhorns safeties that goes back decades, so it’s never a surprise when top defensive back prospects wind up in Austin. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has maintained the program’s momentum with strong secondaries since taking over, and he’s looking to land a big fish in the 2026 class.
Top overall safety Blaine Bradford has narrowed his wishlist down to his top three, and has official visits with Texas, Ohio State, and LSU, per On3.
Texas should have Bradford on campus for the last weekend of June for an official visit. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is giving Texas the chance to follow Ohio State and LSU visits, which is a good opportunity to make a big splash before the 2025 season gets underway later in the summer.
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native won’t be an easy player to land. He’s drawn to staying local at LSU alongside his brother Jacob, who signed in the 2025 class. He’s been to the campus plenty of times and has the obvious connection for that to be a natural landing spot.
“My favorite things about LSU are the coaches, the proximity to home, my brother going there and I’m comfortable around everyone there,” Bradford said.
But ruling out Texas isn’t wise. The Longhorns’ unique culture and tremendous NIL offerings headline a pitch that can swing a race in a hurry.
