The Longhorns suffered a setback in their 2024 recruiting class, as four-star defensive back Jaden Allen announced his decommitment from the program.

“I will be opening my recruitment back up and decommitting from the University of Texas,” Allen said in a statement to On3.com. 

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, given that Allen had been committed to Texas since December 2021 and was a staple of the Longhorn’s early 2024 class.

Allen, the younger brother of Texas sophomore defensive back B.J. Allen, is the 19th highest-ranked cornerback in the country and 44th ranked overall player in the state, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

A two-sport athlete, Allen excelled in both football and track in his high school career. He is among the fastest players in the state, clocking in at 10.96 seconds and finishing ninth in the UIL 5A Region-I 100M Prelims. On the football field, he amassed an impressive career record of 84 tackles, six interceptions, 20 passes defended, and two touchdowns, leading Aledo to a victory in the 5A Texas High School State Championship this season.

At 5-foot-11-inches and 160-pounds, Allen currently has 12 offers and has received significant interest from LSU, Alabama, USC and Tennessee, among others. “Expect Texas to keep pursuing Allen as the process plays out,” CJ Mumme of Longhorns Wire said, regarding Allen’s decommitment.

Allen follows the footsteps of four-star athlete Aeryn Hampton, who decommitted from Texas in November after committing in February 2022. Allen and Hampton’s departures leave the Longhorns with three-star quarterback Trey Owens and four-star athlete Hunter Moddon as the only withstanding commits. Following the decommitments of Allen and Hampton, Texas currently has the 34th ranked recruiting class in the country. 

As the Longhorns try to build their third-consecutive top-five recruiting class, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are attempting to turn this recruiting cycle around after a rocky start. They are hosting recruiting visits for four-star Jordon Johnson-Rubell on March 10, four-star Blake Frazier on March 25 and four-star Darien Mayo on April 3, among others.

Texas is also in good standing with multiple 2024 high-profile “blue-chip” prospects.

Four-star defensive lineman, Dominick McKinley, a top-100 prospect out of Louisiana has spoken publicly about his interest in Texas. “Texas is really good… [they have a] great coaching staff,” McKinley said to Gerry Hamilton of Inside Texas after an unofficial visit on Junior Day on Jan. 21. 

Five-star running back Jerrick Gibson, the No. 1 ranked running back and No. 19 overall player in the country, is also displaying interest in the Longhorns. In the last week, multiple recruiting analysts and reporters from all three of the major recruiting sites have forecasted Gibson’s commitment to Texas.

Despite the losses of Allen and Hampton, there is optimism that the Longhorns can continue their run of success in recruiting. With top prospects still showing interest in Texas, the Longhorns have an opportunity to rebuild their 2024 class and emerge with a strong recruiting haul.