Recruiting Country: The latest recruiting news surrounding the Maroon & White

TexAgs' recruiting analyst Ryan Brauninger 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.

Key notes from Recruiting Country interview

• I can't remember the last time we were caught completely off guard by a commitment. We had nothing prepared. It doesn't happen often. It reminds you how important all the preparation work is. 
   
• I think Rashad Johnson‍ surprised a lot of people in the Bright Football Complex. He came into town for the Notre Dame game. Texas A&M quietly has done a much better job with him than most people around the country thought. The general consensus was that he would de-commit from Georgia and possibly go on a few trips. Him immediately flipping to Texas A&M caught a lot of people off guard.
   
• Texas A&M is getting a need player at a need position in this class. Safety is a position where you look at the depth chart and can tell you are going to need some guys. Rashad Johnson was not a name we were even talking about as a possibility. We had to do a deeper dive on him as soon as he committed. 
   
• When you look at his Hudl, it is clear why Georgia was keen on taking him. It is downhill and aggressive. He is physical and plays sideline to sideline. My favorite thing about him is his willingness to strike the ball carrier. That is what I saw when I would go watch Dalton Brooks. When he impacts the ball carrier, the play is dead right there. For Mike Elko and Ishmael Aristide, this was a player that was a necessity. They never wavered in their pursuit of him behind the scenes. A&M wasn't even mentioned as a possibility if he were to leave Georgia. He had a good offer list before committing to Georgia.
   
• Texas A&M is at 21 commitments right now. Inevitably, someone committed to the Aggies right now will not sign with A&M. It happens that way every recruiting cycle. The transfer portal can help mitigate losses in high school classes and help fill the gaps in your roster. There is so much that can happen between now and whenever we see the final roster for Texas A&M next year.
   
• Any new coaching staff gets a little bit of a leash. It stung to lose to Notre Dame, but because of the nature of recruiting, Texas A&M will get some leash.
   
• In the end, it comes down to the steak. You can still sell the sizzle right now. That is an analogy I used with Jimbo Fisher. Towards the end, the sizzle had worn off, and he had to sell the steak, which meant he had to start winning games. Weston Davis, Ty'Anthony Smith, Drelon Miller, Dominick McKinley and Gabriel Reliford all ended up elsewhere because they lost games. In the end, it comes down to winning and losing, but right now, coach Elko has a leash on that front.
   
• A lot of these kids are one-year rentals. A kid could have a great season, and he doesn't feel like he's playing enough, so he leaves. What does that do for other kids that are committed at that position? Everything is so fluid and independent of each other that it is hard to put recruiting into one basket.
   
• Everything is different with every kid. Some kids have made decisions based on NIL. There are also kids I know who signed with A&M for less money because they value other things. NIL is not the king all the time. Every family and every kid values different things. 
   
• How much I keep up with a recruit who doesn't choose Texas A&M depends on my relationship with the kid. I have known Drelon Miller forever so I still follow what he is doing.  Playing the what-if game is easy to do in hindsight.
   
• I saw two of the best performances in the state of Texas this week. Jermaine Bishop‍ from WIllis is our No. 1 player in the state for 2026. He is a legit two-way player. He can play nickel/corner or receiver. He has enough skill on both sides of the ball that he could be a Terry Bussey-type.
   
• Cardae Mack‍ is playing quarterback for Atascocita but is being recruited as a running back. He ran for 109 yards, threw for 254 and scored four touchdowns. Atascocita beat Katy by 17 points. I don't know the last time Katy got beat at home by more than a touchdown.