Texas A&M took a hit on the recruiting trail over the weekend when four-star running back Landen Williams-Callis of Richmond, Texas, chose Texas instead of the Aggies.
That loss stings a little more because it went to the Longhorns, who have spent the offseason stacking up premium running back talent through both high school recruiting and the transfer portal. For Mike Elko and Texas A&M, the obvious next question is what comes next.
The Aggies already have a loaded backfield picture ahead, with Rueben Owens, Jamarion Morrow, KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker all in the mix. But if A&M wants to keep pushing for another high-end Texas running back, Baker is the name worth watching - even though he is currently committed elsewhere.
Baker, a junior from DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas, pledged to Joey McGuire and Texas Tech in April. Since then, he has visited Tech, Texas A&M and Texas over the summer, keeping his recruiting picture very much alive.
What Baker did in 2025 turned heads across the state. He ran for 3,206 yards and scored 45 total touchdowns, numbers that made him look like a Texas high school version of Derrick Henry during his time in Florida.
His freshman season in 2024 showed a different side of his game. Baker posted 526 rushing yards, 477 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns, giving scouts a look at his ability to impact the game as more than just a runner.
247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks has been consistently high on Baker’s game, describing him as a "high-volume, highly productive running back with classic lower center of gravity and run-finishing ability," while also noting that he was "not a burner, but knows how to effectively change speeds and squeezes as much out of his top gear as possible."
He may not be the kind of back who simply outruns everyone to the edge, but his ability to make people miss and keep churning forward fits the mold of backs like Bijan Robinson or Christian McCaffrey.
That kind of versatility is exactly what makes Baker such a logical target for Texas A&M as it looks to keep building its future at running back.
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For Texas A&M, the appeal goes beyond raw talent. Mike Elko and defensive line coaches Elijah Robinson and Tony Jerod-Eddie are expected to shape Forstall into a versatile piece who can move around the front and contribute in a rotational role by 2027, which is exactly the sort of fit that can make a defense more difficult to plan for. The question now is how much of that promise the Aggies can unlock once he gets into their system. [Read more 🡒]