David Amador

TexAgs' recruiting analyst Ryan Brauninger joined TexAgs Radio this morning for another edition of Recruiting Country, highlighting the latest news and notes from the recruiting trail with Early Signing Day just a week away.

I'll fire off what I've been able to gather throughout the weekend and into this morning...- It sounds like A&M is still in a good spot with David Hicks after his Oregon visit. I was told he'd been in communication with the Aggie staff yesterday and is looking forward to his official visit this coming weekend in College Station. Eugene is a long way away, and with his dad now being formally named the head coach at Katy Paetow, it would make traveling to see DJ play a pretty tough endeavor. - Speaking of official visits, keep an eye on that list that we'll release later this week. It's going to be loaded - both in terms of talent and volume. Huge weekend upcoming. - Hearing great things on A&M's chances with recent DE/OLB offfer Rylan Kennedy out of Mansfield Lake Ridge. Jason can come by here shortly and provide some more details. - Obviously, the main prize at linebacker is still Anthony Hill. While it remains to be seen what his plans will be for this coming weekend (the A&M commits I've talked to said they're trying to get him to College Station), the Aggies are still in the race for both Hayden Moore and Tausili Akana. Moore will be on the official visitor list this weekend while Akana is headed out to Hawaii to sit down with his family and come to a final decision. Of the two, I think the Ags are in a better spot with Moore. - Trying to gather more intel but what I've been able to gather in regards to the visit of long time OL commit Chase Bisontis has been positive. Remember, he doesn't do much media at all so we'll do our best to continue to run stuff down on him. I thought it was vitally important that the staff was able to get him back to campus. - Two new receiver names have popped up on the A&M radar via the transfer portal, and it wouldn't surprise me to see either of them show up on campus this week/weekend. The first is Ketron Jackson out of Arkansas who is a kid who the Aggies showed a good bit of interest in coming out of Royse City in 2021. He caught a touchdown against A&M in the first half of the game this season. The other is Cleveland Harris out of Louisiana Tech who reported an offer from the Aggies just yesterday. He had a fantastic career in Ruston and has been getting the hard sell by a number of programs, including A&M and Oklahoma. - Staying in the transfer market, I feel pretty confident we'll see Mason Cobb on campus later this week. I'm being told he may arrive as early as Thursday and be in town for a few days. - With Austin Westlake falling out of the playoffs on Saturday, I've been told TJ Shanahan will now be in town to help A&M on the final recruiting weekend before early signing day. Had the Chaps won, he would have traveled with the team to Arlington despite being injured. He was not at the semifinal game due to a death in the family. - In case you missed it, Rueben Owens will enroll early and has plans to live with Bryce Anderson and Conner Weigman next semester. - I don't know if it will happen, but I'd love to see A&M offer North Shore standout David Amador. I'm standing on the table for this kid. I've watched him play an awful lot over the past two seasons, and I firmly believe he can help win you games at the highest level of college football. I'll check in down there later this week to see if the Aggies have reached out, but there's something to be said for a kid that continuously makes the biggest plays in the biggest moments in the biggest games against the best competition. He was sensational again against Austin Westlake on Saturday.He also runs in the 10.6-10.7 range in the 100 meters, anchors the NS 4x100 meter relay team, and has long jumped 21-8.5. - Much like Anthony Hill, we haven't received word on what Peyton Bowen will do this weekend, but I've been told the staff and commits are doing all they can to get him to College Station.

The Aggies are gearing up for a big weekend, and I know you guys will be excited to hear 5-star LB and Texas A&M commit Anthony Hill will be back in College Station this weekend. It will be his first trip back to College Station since his official visit in September when the Aggies hosted Miami. The Aggies are also set to host key offensive line target and New Orleans standout Caden Jones. Both confirmed their plans to me this week. The Aggies will also host LB Tausili Akana and DL Johnny Bowens on OVs this weekend In the 2024 class standout Lake Cormorant (MS) DL Kamarion Franklin plans to be in College Station this weekend. It will be a return visit for the nationally recruited defender and the Aggies continue to make themselves a strong contender in his recruitment. Tyler High RB/ATH Derrick McFall also announced his plans to visit College Station this weekend. We are currently working on the visitor list and will have it out later today as usual. It sounds like it is shaping up to be another quality visit weekend in Aggieland. In other news, TCU has been working hard to get Texas A&M CB commit Jayvon Thomas' attention, and there have been talks of a potential visit, possibly even this weekend. This is something to monitor, but those same sources do indicate the Aggies are in a strong position and would likely remain that way even if he does visit TCU for many reasons including being able to stay in Texas and play in the SEC, the Aggie Network, and A&M's smaller town location. Thomas also really enjoyed himself last weekend while in College Station, and he is already in the process of scheduling his Texas A&M OV. He plans to graduate in December. Ryan and I also updated the 2023 and 2024 rankings and added a few names to the 2025 watch list (I know there are numbers but they are listed in alphabetical order. Sorry for any confusion). The Top 5 saw some shake up with Denton Guyer standout Peyton Bowen and Jackson Arnold earning five-star status. Texas A&M commit David Hicks holds onto the top spot with Texas A&M LB commit Anthony Hill at No. 2. Bowen arrives at No. 3, followed by El Campo RB Rueben Owens at No. 4, and Arnold at No. 5. Arlington Martin DB Javien Toviano rounds out the five-star prospects at No. 6. Texas A&M commit and Westlake standout OL TJ Shanahan made his top 10 debut this cycle and is the No. 1 OL in Texas at No. 8, while Westlake DE Colton Vasek also makes his top 10 debut at No. 10. Wide receivers Johntay Cook (No. 7) and Jalen Hale (No. 9) also maintained their top 10 status. Other big movers include WR Jaden Greathouse, CB Micah Bell, LB Braylan Shelby, RB Kedrick Reescano, and WR Kyle Parker. There were also a few new arrivals in the rankings with Red Oak S Warren Roberson, Galena Park North Shore WR David Amador, and Waco Connally ATH Jelani McDonald among those making their arrivals in the rankings. In 2024 we have yet to award any five-stars, but wide receiver Micah Hudson has earned the top spot and is quickly making a case for five-star status. He is a polished route runner and a gamebreaking threat any time he touches the ball. Duncanville LB Colin Simmons arrives at No. 2 and he is right there on Hudson's heels for five-star status. OL Ashton Funk arrives at No. 3, and Silsbee ATH Drelon Miller makes his top 5 debut at No. 4 and Willis QB Derek (DJ) Lagway makes his top 5 debut at No. 5. The Top 10 also saw some new additions. Longview RB Taylor Tatum arrives at No. 9 and is the No. 1 running back in the state, while Timpson do-it-all standout Terry Bussey leaps into the top 10 at No. 10. Allen DE Zina Umeozulu, Lewisville S Jaydan Hardy. and Melissa DE Nigel Smith II form the rest of the top 10 at No.s 6, 7, and 8. Denton Guyer CB Eli Bowen and Duncanville RB Caden Durham earned their fourth stars, and Waco Connally RB Kiefer Sibley, Denton Guyer WR Josiah Martin, Brownsboro WR Gekyle Baker, and Katy Peatow DE Loghan Thomas are among the prospects making their top 100 debut. The 2025 watch list saw has been expanded from 50 to 75 and saw new additions such as Texas A&M offer and Lucas Lovejoy WR Daylan McCutcheon, Port Arthur defenders Michael Riles and Kentrell Roberts, Crosby LB Copelin Windfont, and San Antonio QB Ty Hawkins.