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

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.

Key notes from Recruiting Country 

• Oh my goodness, the weekend couldn't have been any better. We talked about Missouri and what they did on offense, and we had a packed house. This was just a whole different level. A night game, a blackout and special jerseys. All of the cool, fun things that go into it. All the drama... There was just so much there. The environment was off the charts. I don't think the reviews could have been any better. It was phenomenal. They got a taste of some of that steak. You're right there. You're in title contention. You're cashing checks. It is resonating.
   
• I think for a lot of those guys, that is when they make that commitment. They just know that this is their home. Even players that are going to be graduating. You hear commits from 2025 and 2026 talking about teammates. Guys on the team that probably aren't going to be there when they get there. I think it speaks to the culture that Mike Elko is bringing in. 
   
• Nelson McGuire‍ committed in early October, saying, "I'm done. This is where I'm going to school, and this is what I'm doing." Helaman Casuga‍?‍ Same thing. Aaron Gregory‍ ‍could have picked any other school, but he and the other kids picked A&M because they knew it was the place for them. They see it. They feel it, and they've done their homework. When they make that commitment and announce it to the world, I think they're saying, "I'm not just a commitment. I'm not just saying some words. I'm a part of this team now."
   
• Going into the weekend, we didn't anticipate any commitments. We had a lot of underclassmen from the 2026 class in town. There's a long way to go with some of those commitments. There's such a long time for them to play out, so it could take a little bit before they are ready. Not because they aren't sure about A&M but because they want to check out other options. It wasn't a surprise to see Aaron Gregory and the other guys make that decision. I don't know if everyone has seen the video from Aaron Greogory's visit, but it shows where he and Jordan Carter‍ are going, "We're gonna commit! We're gonna commit!"
  
  
   
• You've got some big-time players that are doing some big-time things and are ready to head to Aggieland. Big wins on the national front for that 2026 class. That's now five 2026 commits in the month of October. 
   
• Aaron Gregory is a high-level player that everyone in the country wants. He can contribute right away. He's played varsity since his freshman year, and he's been highly productive. He's getting some things done on the defensive side of the ball.
   
• Jordan Carter is more of an edge guy. He brings a little bit more size. But that twitch is there. He's always in the backfield and incredibly disruptive. He brings that violence, that twitch. He can get out there in the flats. He does it all and brings an edge off the edge if you will.
   
• Samu Moala‍ brings similar things to the table. He can be an edge guy as well. He also shows a lot as an interior off-the-ball linebacker. You see him moving around, making plays in space, dropping into coverage and coming in on a rush. He kind of reminds me of Noah Mikhail‍.
   
• Lamar Brown‍ is an OL/DL from Baton Rouge. He's been to A&M multiple times and is considering returning in November. Keep an eye out for that because he said the Aggies are No. 1 on his list.
   
• Brandon Arrington‍ is another one on that list. He can play receiver or DB. He loves both. He can knock your head off or scorch you for a touchdown. He runs a 10.2 in the 100-meter and is one of the fastest guys in the country. He's taken multiple trips to A&M this season as well.
   
• You have the in-state guys that we haven't talked that much about: Jermaine Bishop‍, John Turntine‍, Kaydon Finley‍ and KJ Ford‍. There are so many guys in that 2026 class that A&M is doing a great job of laying that foundation. It's an exciting time to be paying attention to A&M recruiting right now.
   
• Right now, you have a really strong high school recruiting class and a narrowed field of prospects that you're really looking at. All of them are highly sought after. It's going to take someone really special because you have the transfer portal as well. You have the opportunity to be selective. From what we have seen, they stay prepared to strike while the iron is hot. 
   
• Texas A&M did a great job with CJ Wiley‍. He was on A&M's radar early on throughout the spring, and he took an official visit before committing to Florida State. Texas A&M was more on the periphery of his recruitment. 
   
• His dad, Chuck Wiley, was an All-SEC defender at LSU. That may have made the decision to visit last weekend a little easier. Texas A&M became a true player and potential favorite for his recruitment. He decommitted from Florida State after the weekend. LSU, Auburn, Georgia, and Colorado are in the mix. Texas A&M and Georgia are the two schools I have my eye on the most. He brings a lot to the table as one of the top receivers in the country.
   
• There were several Louisiana kids on campus over the weekend. Elijah Haven‍, another Baton Rouge area prospect, is one of the top quarterbacks in 2027. He is a big, dual-threat guy with a big arm. He really enjoyed himself while he was here. 
   
• Ahmad Hudson‍ is a huge tight end. He has turned heads as a basketball prospect and a huge receiving target. He was in town.
   
• Emmanuel Moses‍ is the latest from the Moses family out of Baton Rouge. He was on campus and already holds an offer. He seemed to enjoy himself, and A&M has done a great job getting out in front of his recruitment. A&M was one of his early offers, and he has returned a couple of times since receiving it.
   
• Braylon Calais‍ out of Secilia is another 2027 that was a big visitor this last weekend. 
   
• How close the 2025 class is to being finished depends on how the dominoes fall. You have some options. At defensive end, you have Javion Hilson‍ and Tobi Haastrup‍ as targets. At wide receiver, you have guys like CJ Wiley and Jerome Myles‍. You have some targets on the offensive line, like Lamont Rogers‍. Who knows what could happen over the next few weeks as signing day gets closer? 
   
• This staff can be selective. I don't anticipate many additions. You could see as many as five or six or as few as three. I would not read either one as a bad sign. If they take a guy, that means he is really good, and they won a big recruiting battle. 
   
• I think the staff will be able to improve on both sides of the ball. That is saying a lot because we are talking about a team that has developed over the course of the year and is one of the top teams in college football. If you had said that after the Notre Dame game, people would have said there is a lot of work to be done. 
   
• That work has come together in a tangible way. That has the attention of players across the country out of the transfer portal and guys coming from high school and JUCO. Texas A&M is going to be an attractive option for a lot of players. We said this before Mike Elko's staff arrived: Texas A&M has all the assets and resources needed to be a top-level program. 
   
• It is just a matter of having it click on the field. When it comes together like you are seeing right now, the possibilities are limitless. You can do some special things closing this class and in the portal moving forward.