Five-star Texas lineman Ismael Camara has Oregon leading, but a fourth trip to Austin has Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns back in the fight.
Ismael Camara may still have Oregon sitting in the driver’s seat, but Texas isn’t acting like this recruitment is over.
The five-star interior offensive lineman from Texas took another unofficial visit to Austin recently, marking his fourth trip to the 40 Acres.
For Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, that’s the kind of late-stage movement that can turn a recruiting race from predictable to dangerous fast.
Camara is one of the biggest trench prizes in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
He’s ranked as the No. 28 overall prospect in the country, the No. 4 player in Texas and the No. 4 interior offensive lineman in the class.
That’s the kind of bodyguard every elite quarterback room wants parked in front of it for the next three or four years.
Right now, Oregon remains the projected favorite.
Recruiting projections from Rivals and On3 have the Ducks with a heavy edge, while LSU and Texas remain in the chase.
But recruiting math doesn’t always survive a late visit, especially when the player keeps showing up in Austin.
Camara’s recent social media activity only poured gasoline on the speculation.
In one post, he showed off gear connected to multiple contenders: a green-and-yellow glove that screamed Oregon, an SMU jacket, and a Longhorns headband.
His caption - “You can’t outwork me” - didn’t exactly quiet anything down. Before that, he teased that he was “almost there,” adding a message that sounded a whole lot like a decision could be coming soon.
That’s the game now. Recruits don’t just announce momentum. They hint, tease and let fan bases do the detective work.
Texas fans will understandably focus on the Longhorns headband and the timing of the visit. Camara had already taken official visits to Oregon and LSU, while also making repeated trips to in-state options Texas and SMU.
He even canceled several summer official visits, choosing instead to lock in on football and production rather than stretch out the recruiting circus.
That makes his fourth Austin visit feel more meaningful.
It’s one thing for an in-state prospect to casually stop by. It’s another for a five-star lineman, supposedly leaning elsewhere, to keep circling back to Texas right before things appear to be heating up.
The Longhorns have already built real momentum in the 2027 class, and adding Camara would be a monster statement.
Sarkisian has made offensive line recruiting a major priority, and landing an elite in-state blocker would keep Texas from watching another national power raid its backyard.
Oregon may still be the favorite. LSU may still be dangerous. SMU may still be hanging around.
But Texas has one thing that matters: the last big impression.
And in a recruitment that suddenly feels like it’s nearing the finish line, that might be enough to make things very uncomfortable for everyone else.
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