Julius Holly

I know we're not really talking football recruiting right now, but I thought some of you guys may want a little distraction or even a quick change of subject. So here's a few notes I've recently gathered on some top targetsIn this week's longform I mentioned things could get interesting on the 2025 front and today showed you should not sleep on the 2026 class either.About Markel Ford, this one should not come as a complete surprise. The Aggies have had a lot of strong momentum throughout the spring and he has not been shy about his thoughts on coach Elko and coach Ish. He is a big get and he definitely has a chance to be an influential recruiter for the Aggies. Let's start with some 2025 talk. Today Linkon Cure announced his plans to make his college choice on July 1, at 3 pm MT. That is 4 pm CT. His finalists are Kansas, Kansas State, Oregon, and Texas A&M. Right now it is hard to pick against Kansas State, but I would not call the Aggies a longshot either. If someone can pull him out of Kansas, Collin Klein is the guy. Everyone is well aware of LB Noah Mikhail's upcoming decision on June 30. I don't really have anything new to add here but felt it should be mentioned considering we're talking about upcoming decisions. I like the Aggies' chances right now with Oregon and USC also in the mix. Sticking with LBs let's talk Riley Pettijohn. He does not have a set decision date, but early July is on his mind. He is down to four schools Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC and he does have them ranked in his mind right now. He has not revealed those cards yet, but in talking to some sources I have been hearing a lot of Ohio State and USC chatter. In-state I'm hearing the Aggies have pushed themselves up his list with Bateman and Elko continuing to make a strong impression. If he stays in-state, I like the Aggies' chances, but right now I get the feeling he's headed out of state to play his college ball. Who's next? Well, do not sleep on Alpharetta (GA) DE Julius Holly, he plans to announce June 29 with Ole Miss, Michigan, and Georgia joining the Aggies in his top four. He is coming off his Texas A&M OV weekend and it sounds like the trip went pretty well. I am currently getting some mixed reviews on just where the Aggies stand in this one, but it is worth watching for now. WR Kaliq Lockett also announced decision plans. He will announce on August 7 with Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M all making his list. Since he wrapped up his OVs I've done some checking and the Aggies are right there in the middle of a tight race with the odds being pretty even across the board. I'd probably give the Aggies a slight, slight edge, but there is still plenty of work to do. I am also hearing things are pretty tight at the top for Mesquite Horn OT Lamont Rogers. The schools I hear the most are Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M, and I do get the sense we could see something happen as early as early July. He is still the one OT out of him, Fasusi, and Haywood I feel most confident about, but Oklahoma seems to have closed the gap after his OV and Mizzou has been right there as well. I do think landing his 2026 teammate Markel Ford can help a little on this front. If you are looking for a guy to watch in 2026, keep an eye on North Forney CB Ryan Gilbert. The Aggies have been high on his list with coach Peterson leading the recruiting efforts and like with Rogers, I know Ford is already in his ear working on him. Oklahoma is also in hot pursuit there as well as Arkansas and Houston.