Recruiting Country: The latest recruiting news surrounding the Maroon & White

Key notes from Recruiting Country

• There has never been an opportunity for Texas A&M like there is now. Not only are you playing good football, but you have three home games in a row. That hasn’t happened to you in the SEC. You had to hit home runs in this stretch. There is a reason why we keep bringing it up. This is the most important recruiting stretch of the season, no question. Because of the way the schedule breaks, you get two home games back-to-back. You have Samford, not a great recruiting opportunity. Then you have South Carolina to wrap up the slate, and you will likely have more kids available to come because their seasons will be over. But still, you have one shot there at the end of the year.
   
• This was your window. Get as many 2026 commits in town. You’ve done that. Not only have you done that, you have seen more them them shut down their recruitment like KJ Edwards‍. I know he was getting pushes from LSU and Texas. You are going to have to weather some visits. Kaeden Johnson‍ has a visit with Auburn. You have done so good there. Winning the game at home with him in the building and then the nature of Auburn’s season so far. Their lackluster nature of offense. You are in a great spot. You have only improved your spot with Johnson.
   
• So get these kids, one of the best classes in the country, and keep them. There have not been a ton of flips happening because a lot of these NIL deals have been agreed to ahead of time. With the fluidity of the numbers now, “I want to lock something in. I want this kind of package.” I don’t anticipate much movement in recruiting down the stretch, but that is a guess based on what we have seen so far.
   
• Getting these kids in and getting them to shut down their recruitment was the big thing. Now, getting a head start on the 2027 class. Leaving indelible impressions on them, their families, their coaches and trainers. We’ve had one with Hakim Frampton‍, a commitment there. There will be plenty of others that you have laid the groundwork for in these games. Those were the two main things for me and us as a recruiting team.
   
• I am worried about Florida coming in here, but Kyle Field is going to be bonkers on Saturday. This was what we talked about in the offseason, no matter how you felt about other schools recruiting your commit class in 2026. Getting the head start on 2027, in the summer, you can’t fire the Kyle Field bullet, and they have hit the mark. It has been everything they could have imagined in terms of them delivering and saying, “You've got to come see this place.” Against Auburn, it was hot, but it didn’t matter. The atmosphere was incredible. The “Black Out” game was a big one for recruiting endeavors. This weekend too. You have to give them an 8/10, and this Saturday could make it a 10/10. You win, provide another great atmosphere and fully capitalize on the window you had. I don’t think in a nine-game schedule, you will see a three-game home schedule like this one, so this is the only time A&M will have this opportunity.
   
• In the 2026 class, they have done a great job of maintaining. Where do you get into how effective Kyle Field was, really, if you don’t add to your 2026 class? Well, we have 27 kids committed already. There is very little out there still to be had. So what you are trying to do is flip former top targets. The names are still the names that you are trying to press on.
   
• I talked about this Edge player they brought in out of St. Thomas in Obinna Umeh‍. He’s committed to Duke. A&M didn’t offer him, but they are keeping a pin in on him, though. They brought in a kid who is committed to the Air Force in the same position. Just to keep it warm. But the main targets are still the main targets. With Auburn having a bad year, do any of those guys start calling you more? Boobie Feaster‍ and Jaimeon Winfield‍, who are committed to USC. They seem solid in their commitments, but you have to think Feaster is looking at what A&M is doing in College Station. “Man, they are throwing the ball, and they are effective with their receivers, and they are making dynamic plays offensively. Do I have to travel across the country to get that?” It can be a strong pull.
   
• There is still some flirtation with Legend Bey‍, a Tennessee commit. A&M pulled out of this thing about a week and a half before he committed. What does that look like now? He hasn’t come to campus. Ford is another one from Duncanville. It is being reported that he is coming in this weekend. If A&M wants to put the pedal down there... He is committed to Florida. He was here for the Auburn game. This week, he is allegedly coming back for the game this weekend. If A&M wants to put the pedal down, they could get him. They didn’t in the summer when he committed to Florida. If they want to, they will get it. Up to this point, they haven’t thought.
   
• Brandon Arrington‍ is committed. You hadn’t gotten him to campus in a while. He is a five-star out of San Diego. He has given zero indication that he is even remotely looking around. He has been one of the more outspoken guys in the class on Twitter. He has talked about this trip for a while. He is projected as a corner, but he is like a Travis Hunter-type. He could play both ways. When you have a five-star, it is important you get him in front of the 12th Man.
   
• I spoke with Evan Jacobson‍. I asked him what stood out to him about this past weekend. The first game against UTSA was with my family, and it was fun. This time it was with two of my boys from Iowa. As soon as we walked into Kyle Field, his friends were like, “I get it. We understand why you chose A&M. This is where you should come play football.” Any 18-year-old, when they are leaving home, it must be pretty comforting when their friends say they should play football here.
   
• Landen Williams-Callis‍ is our No. 2 player in the state of Texas, coming from Richmond Randle. He is the closest thing to De’Von Achane. He is probably a little shorter than Achane. This is as close as we’ve seen. The track times and the 200 are close. Achane’s are a bit better. This kid is going to run for 8,000 yards at the pace he is on. He had 2000 yards as a freshman and sophomore in each year. Former teammate of A&M’s Chace Sims. That recruitment is very quiet. They kind of keep things close to their chest.
   
• All I can say is this: since he came last weekend, the Aggies have improved their stock. This feels like A&M, Texas or Oregon, but it is so hard to get a read on it. The Aggies made a move, though. There have been predictions for him to commit to A&M. I am not there yet, because of how close they hold their cards to their chest, but this guy is a stud. Contact balance, raw speed, change of direction and vision. He makes the silliest cuts in traffic that you’ve ever seen. He is small, but that has never stopped him. If you look at the future of the A&M running back room, they don’t have what Williams-Callis has. Only Jamarion Morrow is close to what he brings. I think A&M is running the football the way they have the past couple of weeks. Plus, the number of players running the football has really helped the message hit home with him.
   
• Kennedy Brown‍ is our No. 1 player in the state of Texas in the class of 2027. A&M feels like the only school in the state that has thrust itself towards the front of the line. Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ohio State and A&M... Mostly out-of-state schools. I like that for the Aggies' chances. He does good interviews, and he is outspoken. Right now, A&M and Tennessee are out front there. What A&M is going to lose on the offensive line, Brown can see that there aren't a lot of set starters there after this year. His power output on tape is insane. He is barrel-chested, his feet move like he’s 100 pounds lighter. He is a really good-looking player.
   
• Ismael Camara‍ moved to East Texas from France. He is 6-foot-6, 300 pounds and can do the splits. He is a unicorn in this class. As he plays varsity football more, it's almost like Kiotti Armstrong. You just don't see that build. I feel more bullish about A&M’s chances with Camara than they are about Brown.
   
• Cooper Witten‍ is also in our top-five players in the class of 2027. I am nowhere near saying I predict A&M will go 5-for-5 with our top-five. I don’t think that’s going to happen. That is not how recruiting works. But if I go one by one, I can make a good case for A&M for each of them. I do think there are way more players for Witten than some of the other guys. Witten’s field is a little bit larger. Tennessee, Clemson and Notre Dame are in there. This kid’s production is up there with anyone. He was a safety last year, then he became a linebacker. If you ask Witten, the Aggie staff has made it very known they are recruiting him as their No. 1 linebacker in the country in that class. A&M, the way they play and their visit experiences, A&M has positioned them right at the top. I would not lean A&M now, but if you told me he was committing to A&M in two weeks, I would say, “I get it.” They are right in the midst of that one, too.