Texas A&M’s 2027 recruiting class already has the look of a group that believes in what Mike Elko is building in College Station, and Kaden Henderson is making that point loud and clear.
Henderson, a 2027 five-star linebacker, said Tuesday that Notre Dame is still pushing for him, but he isn’t wavering from his pledge to the Aggies. He also made it plain that he won’t be taking a trip to South Bend during the 2026 season.
“(Notre Dame is) still recruiting me, to be honest. I’ll be real honest, but I’m 100% committed to A&M,” Henderson told Aggie Yell on Friday.
“I’m not scheduled to go to any Notre Dame games. I’m happy to be an Aggie.
That’s where I’m at right now.”
That kind of certainty matters for Texas A&M, which owns the No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class and has built it around six five-star commitments. The selling point hasn’t just been talent. It’s been fit - players who buy into the culture Elko and his staff are trying to establish in his third season leading the program.
Henderson’s recruitment has already been a big win for the Aggies. He picked Texas A&M over Notre Dame in a tight battle that centered on his connection with Elko, defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, and linebackers coach Travis Williams. In the modern recruiting world, though, nothing is locked until signatures arrive in early December.
So far, Henderson has backed up his recent comments with his actions. After telling GigEm247 that he planned to attend all seven Texas A&M home games, he has stayed true to that plan.
The Aggies have also had some of their best recruiting stages of the early season on the field. Texas A&M opened 2026 with wins over Missouri State and Arizona State by a combined 98-20, capped by last Saturday’s 48-20 rout of the Sun Devils. That game turned into a fourth-quarter avalanche, with the Aggies outscoring Arizona State 24-0 and getting two pick-six touchdowns from Edge Marco Jones and cornerback Julio Humphrey.
Those games doubled as major recruiting chances for Texas A&M across the 2027, 2028, and 2029 cycles. And for now, Henderson remains firmly in the Aggies’ corner.
In Other News...
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For Texas A&M, that familiarity cuts both ways. Batemans history in College Station gives Kentucky a read on some of the tendencies and structure behind the Aggies operation, while Texas A&M can expect to benefit from its own sense of what Bateman likes to do defensively. When two teams know each other this well, the edge often comes from who adjusts faster once the game starts, and this one figures to be shaped by that quiet chess match. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas A&Ms first availability report of the week brought a few notable questions into focus ahead of its SEC opener against Kentucky. Running back Jamarion Morrow, wide receivers Ashton Bethel-Roman and TK Norman, and defensive end Anto Saka were all listed as questionable, while no player showed up as doubtful or out.
That leaves the Aggies with some uncertainty at spots that matter on both sides of the ball, even if the status update still points to a decent chance those players could suit up. The good news for Texas A&M is that it does have depth options at the affected positions, but the final picture for Saturday will be worth watching as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Got A Concerning Injury Update On A Key Receiver
A busy injury week around the SEC has already started to reshape the conversation heading into this weekend, and Oklahomas receiver room took the hardest hit. Trell Harris is now ruled out indefinitely because of a severe internal abdominal injury, a development that leaves the Sooners without a key target as they continue sorting through the health of several other players across the conference.
For Texas A&M watchers, it is the kind of update that matters because availability has been such a moving target for everyone involved in the league slate. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is listed as doubtful with a sore throwing shoulder, while Floridas Eric Singleton and UCLAs Mikey Matthews are among the players dealing with injuries that could affect their roles, leaving more uncertainty attached to a week already full of it. [Read more 🡒]