Texas A&M’s season has been rough, but Mike Elko’s staff has at least managed to keep the Aggies’ recruiting class intact for now. Even at 3-3, A&M still hasn’t lost a commit from the nation’s No. 1-ranked class, which is no small thing this deep into the cycle.
That stability, though, is going to be tested. Signing day is still a couple of months away, and several programs that lost out on these players the first time around are expected to come back hard. For A&M, the next stretch could turn into a real battle to keep the class together.
Georgia is one of the biggest threats, and Kamarui Dorsey and Jaden Upshaw are the names to watch there. The Bulldogs got pushed aside by A&M for both in-state targets earlier in the cycle, and Dorsey has been committed to the Aggies for almost a year. With Georgia sitting atop the SEC, there’s plenty of reason to expect a renewed push.
Dorsey is currently the No. 13 player in the nation according to 247Sports, and he is one of three five-star defensive back commitments in A&M’s class. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he looks the part of someone who can walk into the SEC and compete right away.
Given how A&M’s safeties have performed, the path to early playing time is there. Upshaw brings a different kind of value as a do-it-all receiver, and he, too, could help quickly if he stays in the class.
Georgia would love to flip both Peach State natives back to red and black.
Miami is another program worth watching closely, especially with Mark Matthews and Aston Whiteside. Getting Matthews, the nation’s top offensive tackle, was a major win for A&M, even more so because he lives just 30 minutes from Miami’s campus. He looks like a day-one starter on the offensive line, and the Aggies cannot afford to let him get away.
Whiteside has not gotten as much attention, but Miami still has a lane there. The Burleson, Texas, linebacker is the lowest-rated of A&M’s three linebacker pledges by the recruiting sites, though the Aggies believe he can still become an important contributor.
With A&M facing The Citadel this weekend and Miami taking on Florida State, the visitor list in Coral Gables will be worth tracking. Mario Cristobal is going to push.
Notre Dame is also still in the mix for Kaden Henderson. A&M pulled off a late surge to beat out the Fighting Irish for what the Aggies believe is the best linebacker prospect in the nation, even though Marcus Freeman had the momentum for much of the cycle. Notre Dame has not walked away, and another run at Henderson feels inevitable.
Henderson is from Tampa, so neither school has a geographic edge. For A&M, the concern is bigger than that.
The Aggies need a linebacker who can eventually anchor the middle of the defense and hand things off to Noah Mikhail and Daymion Sanford. Henderson fits that profile, which is exactly why losing him would sting.
In Other News...
Texas A&Ms Turnaround May Depend On 3 Players Fixing Major Problems
Texas A&Ms push to steady its season has started to look less like a broad team fix and more like a handful of individual ones. Isaiah Horton arrived with expectations but has not matched them, Daymion Sanford is still trying to grow his footprint on defense, and Trovon Baugh has become part of the conversation because the offense needs cleaner protection from his side.
Those three situations matter because the Aggies do not have much room for error in the weeks ahead. Hortons production, Sanfords development and Baughs pass blocking all feed into whether the unit around them can function at a higher level, and Texas A&Ms chances in upcoming games may hinge on whether those issues start to turn in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Still Has One Offensive Line Problem It Cant Hide
Texas A&Ms midseason offensive makeover has brought some stability at the edges of the line, even as the record sits at 3-3 and the offense continues to settle in. Left tackle Tyree Adams, center Mark Nabou Jr. and right tackle Wilkin Formby have provided the most reliable snaps up front, with Formby standing out as the highest graded tackle in the country in pass blocking.
The problem the Aggies still cannot quite paper over is inside. The guard spots remain the softest part of the front, and Trovon Baugh has given up the most sacks on the team. Recent shuffling there has not changed the protection picture, which leaves Texas A&M with a line that can hold up on the edges but still has too many questions in the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Davis-Swain Gives Texas A&M A New Defensive Reason For Hope
Brandon Davis-Swains first start for Texas A&M arrived with a little bit of everything, and it gave the Aggies another look at what their front can become. The junior transfer from Colorado showed up in the recent game against Missouri with three tackles, a tackle for loss and a blocked field goal, a useful reminder that the Aggies can still find production from newcomers as the season moves along. His path to College Station has already included two seasons under Deion Sanders, and he has said the Texas A&M coaching staff has helped sharpen his technique.
For a defense trying to build more consistency, Davis-Swains early impact matters because it suggests there may be more to come as he settles into a larger role. Texas A&M now turns its attention to The Citadel Bulldogs, and the Aggies will be looking for the same kind of disruptive energy up front. Whether Davis-Swain can keep stacking those moments is one of the more interesting subplots as the schedule moves forward. [Read more 🡒]