Texas A&M’s long-shot hope of flipping John Meredith is gone, but the twist in this story may end up helping the Aggies more than it hurts them.
Meredith, the No. 2 corner in the country and a DFW-area standout, had been viewed as a lean to Texas A&M for a long stretch before Texas surged late and landed him. The Longhorns’ push was strong enough to beat out the Aggies, even with Texas A&M already building out an elite class. There had still been a sliver of belief that Mike Elko and his staff might get another crack at him later, especially with Meredith’s apparent affection for the Aggies and the reasoning behind his Texas choice.
That possibility is now off the table in a way few saw coming. Meredith is reclassifying into the 2026 class and will be on campus at Texas this fall, making him eligible to play this season.
BREAKING: 5-star CB John Meredith III is reclassifying to the 2026 class and will enroll at Texas🤘 pic.twitter.com/rRKsNvJDwe
- 247Sports (@247Sports) July 23, 2026
At first glance, that looks like a clean win for Texas. But the more you dig into it, the more it starts to look like a move that could soften the blow for Texas A&M.
The reason is simple: Texas is committing major resources to a player who, by all indications, may not give them much right away. Meredith has already missed spring and summer ball, and after being ruled ineligible by the UIL, he is set to arrive in Austin for fall camp. That puts him behind Graceson Littleton and Kobe Black on the depth chart, and both of those players bring more experience to the table.
There is also the matter of time. By moving up a class, Meredith gives up a year of physical development he would have had if he stayed in 2027. That makes it harder to picture him making a major first-year impact.
Steve Sarkisian referred earlier today to Texas’ “cap space,” and this decision means a chunk of that investment is now tied to a player who could spend his first season on the bench. That point has even been used as a criticism of Texas A&M’s No. 1 class for 2027 by one Texas media member.
And if Meredith is not playing much early, the transfer question naturally comes into play. Even if he stays put, Texas would be getting only two significant seasons out of him instead of three, assuming he goes to the NFL as soon as possible.
So while Texas gets the headline and Texas A&M loses the chance at a flip, the broader picture is less painful for the Aggies than it first appears. The door on Meredith is closed, but the path ahead still leaves room for uncertainty.
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