4-star safety Chance Collins commits to Texas A&M

Mansfield (Texas) Timberview four-star safety Chance Collins has committed to Texas A&M, he announced on Wednesday afternoon.

He chose the Aggies over West Virginia, Utah and Texas Tech.

Collins is the No. 323 overall prospect and No. 31 safety in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 40 player in Texas.

Aggies defensive backs coach Ishmael Aristide led the charge for Collins. A&M didn’t offer until the end of April, two weeks after he logged a spring visit. He’s not set to take his official visit to College Station until next weekend, but he’ll now make that trip as a member of the 2026 class under head coach Mike Elko and Co.

As a junior for Timberview, Collins was a ballhawk in the secondary, racking up six interceptions and eight pass breakups. He tallied 20 tackles and also excelled as a receiver, catching 16 passes for 310 yards and a pair of TDs.

Aggies have an elite DB trio in the 2026 class

Collins is the first listed safety in Texas A&M’s 2026 class, but he does join a pair of blue-chip cornerbacks.

Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic four-star cornerback Victor Singleton originally committed to Illinois in February, but he flipped to the Aggies on April 19. Singleton is the No. 59 recruit and No. 6 corner in the On300.

“I’m excited about the SEC and the competition every week,” Singleton told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. “The environment and playing in front of the crowd. I believe I can excel in the defensive system.”

Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge four-star CB Camren Hamiel also joined the class this month on June 4. A top-25 corner and the No. 1 player in Arizona this cycle, Hamiel chose A&M over Penn State, Nebraska, Indiana and Oregon.

“A&M, the relationship everyone has with each other, that’s probably the only place I’ve been where everyone seems super close,” Hamiel told Wiltfong. “When I went there I felt at home.”

Elko and Co. pushing for top-five class this cycle

Following the addition of Collins, A&M now has 14 commits in its 2026 class that ranks No. 6 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. All but one pledge checks in as a four-star recruit.

Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory is the highest-ranked commit in the class, and the No. 9 wideout in the cycle announced over the weekend that he’s officially shut his recruitment down. Multiple other Aggie pledges have since followed suit.

Gregory is one of three receivers in the class, alongside Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star Madden Williams and Houston Legacy SSS four-star Mike Brown.

Brown is one of just two in-state commits in the mix thus far. San Antonio Steele four-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. is a one-time Oklahoma pledge. He committed to A&M in late March and is now the No. 6 RB in the nation.

Provo (Utah) Corner Canyon four-star quarterback Helaman Casuga committed back in October and is the No. 15 signal-caller in the cycle. Other top-300 overall prospects in the class include Douglas County (Ga.) four-star EDGE Jordan Carter, Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic four-star defensive lineman Jermaine Kinsler, Carson (Calif.) Leuzinger four-star EDGE Samu Moala and Torrance (Calif.) Bishop Montgomery four-star tight end Caleb Tafua.