2025 Texas Longhorns commit Kaliq Lockett talks about choosing UT

AUSTIN, Texas - Kaliq Lockett, a 5-star wide receiver, has chosen the University of Texas at Austin to be the next stage in his football career.

Lockett, who plays for the Sachse Mustangs in North Texas, recently spoke with FOX 7 Austin's Julian Martinez about why he committed to UT over competing schools like Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M.

He also spoke about his favorite wide receivers, his goals for his senior season and how he thinks the Texas Longhorns will do this year.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Kaliq, you made your decision just a couple of weeks ago to be a Longhorn. How do you feel about it, man?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Honestly, I couldn't feel better. Woke up. Feels great to be a Longhorn.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Walk me through that day where you made your decision. Was it like, something you just woke up, you knew, All right, this feels right. I think I'm gonna make that move. Or took you all the way until you got to the table to, like, truly make that call?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Man. It took me a couple weeks to figure out what the school was, but I just woke up one day now and I had a dream of me kicking a touchdown pass at Texas.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Now, when you had that dream, was it of a certain quarterback wearing a number 16 in Arch?

KALIQ LOCKETT: You know what? Yeah, I don't know who was throwing the football, but I knew I was getting the touchdown.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Well, whoever is throwing the ball, I mean, you have a lot of great options joining the Longhorns. Trey Owens a great quarterback in his own right. Dia Bell joining here in 2026. So that's someone I look forward to as well. Other high-end recruits. Sark is always, you know, going out there and getting the best talent. So I'm sure that had to appeal to you.

KALIQ LOCKETT: Oh, yes sir. Always going to have a quarterback. That's what's up.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: So yeah, I think that's like the number one thing for a wide receiver. Right. "Who's throwing me the ball," right?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Got to be a quarterback's best friend.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Let me ask about that day when you made the commitment as well. So you called wide receiver coach Chris Jackson, right? To officially announce where you were going. What would have happened if he didn't pick up the phone?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Man, that would, you know, would have been a disaster. I would have had to pick up the hat.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Yeah, you'd have to go to the next one on the Rolodex, right? Who was the second team?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Really? Really Alabama. It was really Alabama. LSU.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: And from my understanding, I've heard that you grew up being a Longhorns fan. Can you tell me about that?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Man. Well, being from Texas. Yeah. And, you know I had love from the Longhorns, and I was a USC fan growing up, you know, because all my family's from California.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Does a lot of your family talk about the Vince Young-Reggie Bush Rose Bowl game from all those years ago.

KALIQ LOCKETT: We still talk about it today, but still talk about it.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Who are some of, like, your favorite athletes growing up? I mean, you talked about USC. A ton of great wide receivers have come through that way.

KALIQ LOCKETT: Oh that's easy. Davante Adams, CeeDee Lamb and Odell Beckham Junior.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Davante, I mean obviously he's known as a great route runner. And from my understanding that's like something that you really pride yourself in. What do you think is the best attribute a receiver can have?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Catching the football. You got to be able to catch the ball or the quarterback, not going to trust you and you're not to be in the game. The second is mentality, because you got to have that dog mentality. You know you can't be scared, you know. So those two are definitely the big teams to be a receiver. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Certainly. catching the ball is a big one for most fans right? Did you watch the Netflix documentary Receiver?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Oh yeah, I sure did.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: What do you feel like you really learned from that one?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Davante Adams with the season not going how he wanted it to go, you know, how he kept his head up. You know that. You know, I had a little bit of a flashback to my sophomore year when the season wasn't really going my way. And I thought about that while I was watching the show, and then it brought me to a reality check. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: What do you do as an athlete in times of adversity that helps you overcome?

KALIQ LOCKETT: For one. Turn off my social media. I turn off my phone and I have a full bar in my room at the bottom of. Every time and when I'm in the game. That's something I need to work on. And game is me keeping my head on, right. and me not getting mad whenever something doesn't go my way in the game, that's something that I know I need to work on.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Talking about social media. How has social media been the last couple weeks? How have you been received by Longhorns fans? 

KALIQ LOCKETT: Ah man. I feel like I'm already getting accepted to the, you know, to the Longhorn family, you know, and I'm blessed and know that, you know, because, all I need is Texas, you know what I'm saying? I want to have my state behind me, and I know everything's going to be okay.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Obviously, recruiting very important here at the University of Texas. Now that you're part of the team, have you reached out to some other highly coveted weapons to bring them to the 40?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Oh, yeah. I always keep in contact with Jamie (Ffrench). Me and him talk on an every other week basis, you know, to see how we doing? I'm trying to recruit him over here. You know, center recruit Michael Fasusi here. Jonah Williams. Michael Terry. Coming for those three.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: What else attracted you to the University of Texas? The campus, the lifestyle. What do you plan on doing besides playing?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Man, I plan on studying in sports agency. Once I'm done with football, I want to start my own split agency business. And. I feel like Texas can help me start that up and help me get to a plan to where I can make that happen. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: What attracts you to that?

KALIQ LOCKETT: You know, to being a businessman in the football industry. You know what I'm saying? And because I watch a lot of those. You know, a lot of those business shows, too, you know. You know, anything is fun, you know, to run your own business, you know, run your own company, especially if it gets, you know, real big, you know, in the over the NFL start using the agencies and that's the goal.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Obviously you're walking into a loaded wide receiving room. What does it speak to you, the competitor inside of you to go against these guys on a day-to-day basis?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Oh, because, I don't know if I'm practicing with the best, that I'm going to be the best. Guys, like, you know, Johntay (Cook), you know, when I'm a freshman, I'm going to have Johntay (Cook), DeAndre (Moore Jr.), Ryan Wingo, Aaron Butler, Parker Livingstone. Hopefully Jamie Ffrench. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Hopefully felt very targeted right there talking to you directly Jaime (Ffrench), right?

KALIQ LOCKETT: You know, talking to you Jaime (Ffrench). I mean, I hope you're listening. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Staring into the camera, I appreciate that. You have one more season of high school to go. What do you want to do with it?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Man, I'm. I'm looking to break records. I'm trying to have the receiving record for the most yard all time at Sachse. I'm. I'm trying to go. You know, last year I went for 1300. This year I'm going for 1500. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Must be interesting when you are pinned as a five star. How do you keep up? I guess your competitive drive… all that when everyone's telling you, you're the best. You're the best. Like, how do you, like, say? "You know what, I'm going to keep working on it, I'm going to keep getting better. " 

KALIQ LOCKETT: Because I remember when I did have all this. I remember when it was just me and the football. Didn't have anybody else, you know? No people saying I'm the best. You know, people were doubting me a lot. And I got down on myself. But I always have the football and always have that dog mentality. You know what I'm saying because, you know, on the field, I'm a dog and I always have the competitive spirit. And, you know, I used to talk crap on peewee guy, middle school games, you know. So now in high school, I don't even talk no more, I just go out and play.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Got any predictions for this year's Longhorns team? How do you think they do?

KALIQ LOCKETT: Oh, man, if I'm not biased, I feel like we're going, about 16-0. We winning the national championship. 

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Can you give me a giant hook 'em to end it? 

KALIQ LOCKETT: Hook 'Em y'all. Let's do it.

JULIAN MARTINEZ: Love it. Kaliq Lockett. He'll be on the 40 next year, fans. So get excited. We're happy to have you, man. And thank you for dropping by. I appreciate your time.

KALIQ LOCKETT: You already know, Hook 'em.