Xavier Tiller

It's time to take a look around at the biggest pickups on the recruiting front as well as some of the top recruiting news and notes from around the SEC. Jason Howell details that and more in this week's Around the SEC.

Yesterday was a busy day with a couple of Texas A&M commits opting to re-open their recruitments. Both Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes TE Xavier Tiller and Forney (TX) North Forney CB Ryan Gilbert announced their decommitments. Both are prospects who have been looking closely at other options for a while, so the news does not come as a complete surprise. Since it was not a surprise, it also does not catch the Aggies flat footed. So, let's start with the initial what does it mean?It means the Aggies now have eight commitments in the 2026 class. That is still twice as many as they had this time last year, and it is still well ahead of schedule for a typical recruiting cycle.I don't get the feeling this is a sign of guys leaving the class. The feedback we are getting is the rest of the class is on pretty solid ground. Yes, many are hearing from other top programs but that is to be expected when you recruit high end prospects. It does mean the Aggies have a need at TE and CB. The Aggies were always planning to take a couple of TEs and they have also had their eye on multiple cornerbacks for this cycle.Mike Elko and staff do have a TE commitment from Lakewood (CA) TE Caleb Tafua. He chose the Aggies in December, and at 6-4, 215 pounds he is known for his length, athleticism, and his abilities as pass catcher. When it comes to another target, I look for the Aggies to take a look at some bigger body types.Littleton (CO) Heritage TE Camden Jensen named the Aggies to his top seven along with Florida, Nebraska, North Carolina, UCLA, Missouri, and Washington. He checks in at 6-7, 240. Waukee (IA) TE Evan Jacobson checks in at 6-6, 230 and he visited in June. Omaha (NE) Millard South 6-6, 220-pound Isaac Jensen visited for camp and was offered shortly after. Then there is the most recent TE offer. The Aggies offered 6-4, 240-pound Luke Sorensen of Anaheim (CA) Servite in January. In state Braden Bach is a guy to keep on your radars. He checks in at 6-5, 230 and he was invited to a Texas A&M junior day in January. He did not end up making it but he is on the Aggies' radar and the Aggies are on his.At cornerback the Aggies have been heavy players for some of the nation's best. Dorian Barney of Carrollton (GA) visited multiple times this fall and is planning to get back to A&M this spring. Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic CB Jordan Thomas attended Texas A&M's July pool party, was at the season opener against Notre Dame, and he was back in town in January for Junior Day. Spring Valley (CA) Mount Miguel standout ATH Brandon Arrington is another to watch. The Aggies have been in a strong position throughout his recruitment and continue to build momentum with Jordan Peterson helping to lead the charge. In state there are guys like ATH Jermaine Bishop who is a standout at both CB and WR and is being recruited by Jordan Peterson. Port Arthur Memorial's Brock King is another who could get more of a push. As always new names it is a good bet we will see some new names and targets emerge this spring. An in-state sleeper I'm currently pretty high on at CB and recently highlighted is Richardson Berkner's DaQuwan Dunn. He checks in at 6-1, 170, and he has been a playmaker at QB, WR, and CB for the Rams. He saw his offer list grow considerably in January as schools got a look at his CB film and sized him up in person.Anyway that's that.Now for some OV news. I'll start with KJ Edwards. The Carthage (TX) RB does have official visit plans to Texas A&M, but he is still working on solidifying his date. Regardless look for the Aggies to get a visit this summer.The Aggies have also ramped things up with Tupelo (MS) defensive end JaReylan McCoy. He first caught my attention when the Aggies were recruiting LB Tristan Jernigan and he ended up committing to LSU at the Under Armour game in January. The 6-6, 245-pound defender has since re-opened his recruitment and he has plans to visit College Station this spring and return for an official this summer. He is still working to solidify a date, but he says he has been in strong contact the whole defensive staff, and they are making him feel like he is a big target. He has also been in touch with Tristan who has stayed in touch and is sending him video from workouts.Staying in the trenches, Columbus (GA) Carver 2026 OL Parker Pritchett also has visit plans for Aggieland. The 6-5, 305-pound OL plans to take an unofficial this spring and he already has an official visit scheduled for June 5. He received his offer from Texas A&M this summer following a strong camp performance, and he helped pave the way for a 14-1 state championship season at Carver this fall. One more final note, I mentioned Helaman Casuga coming to Houston this weekend for a 7-on-7 event, but his team has had a change in plans. They were originally planning to compete at the Shock Doctor tournament this weekend in Houston, but they pulled out to play in a tournament in Atlanta. He was in action this past weekend at the Battle tournament in Las Vegas and took home a title.After 5 months of recovery …this one hits different 2025 Battle Vegas Champs 💍 Next 🛑…Houston 2•15•25 Shoc. Doc. @BlairAngulo @BrandonHuffman @TexAgsLive @tamurecruits @Stumpf_Brian @On3Recruits @Rivals @polynesiabowl @NilxGroup https://t.co/YrRZSRPcfd— Helaman Casuga (@HelamanCasuga) February 10, 2025

TexAgs' recruiting analyst Jason Howell joined TexAgs Live on Wednesday morning for another edition of Recruiting Country, highlighting the latest news and notes from the recruiting trail surrounding Texas A&M.