Texas A&M’s 2027 recruiting class is shaping up to be a heavyweight, and head coach Mike Elko is right at the center of it. With the class still in strong position to finish No. 1 nationally, Elko continues to reinforce his growing reputation as one of the top recruiters in college football. His 2026 coaching staff is nearly finalized, featuring five internal promotions and a key addition in Stanford defensive backs coach Paul Williams, who’s expected to take over as the Aggies' nickel coach.
One of the early wins for the Aggies in the 2027 cycle came in the form of a commitment from four-star cornerback Raylaun Henry - a blue-chip talent who gives the staff an early cornerstone in the secondary. But landing a commitment is just the first battle.
Keeping it? That’s where the real work begins.
New cornerbacks coach Bryant Gross-Armiento will be tasked with making sure Henry stays locked in as other programs inevitably come calling.
Meanwhile, the Aggies are in the thick of it for the top defensive back in the class - and arguably the top overall prospect in the country - five-star cornerback John Meredith. His recruitment is turning into a high-stakes chess match between some of college football’s biggest brands.
Meredith was scheduled to visit College Station recently, but severe weather put those plans on hold. Still, Texas A&M remains a strong contender to land an official visit this spring or summer.
But nothing about this recruitment is going to be easy. Meredith just returned from a visit to Alabama, and by all accounts, the Crimson Tide made a serious impression. According to recruiting insiders, Alabama has picked up "traction and momentum" in the race - and that’s never something you want to hear if you’re a competing staff.
Ohio State is also firmly in the mix, and they bring a compelling pitch of their own: a proven track record of developing elite cornerbacks and sending them to the NFL. Penn State, Texas, Texas Tech, and SMU are also working to stay in the conversation, but as things stand, this is shaping up to be a two-team battle between Alabama and Texas A&M, with Ohio State looming as a potential spoiler.
Meredith’s fall visits included stops at Penn State, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Ohio State - a who’s who of national contenders. And while every program listed is technically still in play, the buzz around the industry points to the Aggies and Tide as the frontrunners heading into the critical stretch of his recruitment.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Meredith isn’t just the top corner in the class - he’s the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation and the top-ranked player in Texas. That kind of talent doesn’t come around often, and his recruitment is going to be one of the defining storylines of the 2027 cycle.
This one’s headed for a photo finish. With the Aggies battling to hold onto Henry and pushing hard for Meredith, Mike Elko and his staff are proving they’re not just trying to build a top class - they’re aiming to build a defensive backfield that can anchor their program for years to come.