Texas A&M in great position to push for top-ranked 2027 recruiting class

The December signing period has come and gone for the 2026 cycle. While All-American games are still to come, as is the February signing period, many will soon begin to turn their attention to recruiting in the 2027 cycle.

Texas A&M is way ahead of schedule. On Monday, it landed a commitment from Houston Cy Falls four-star EDGE Kaden McCarty.

The 6-foot-2 pass-rusher is the No. 114 overall prospect and No. 17 EDGE in 2027, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. It’s another impressive early win on the in-state trail for Mike Elko and the Aggies.

“They really checked most of the boxes,” McCarty said of A&M when speaking with Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman about his decision. “The fact that they were able to not only show me what they can bring to the table, but the proof is also in the pudding with the guys they’ve had in previous years and currently.”

With McCarty in the class, A&M now has eight commits in its 2027 class already. What’s even more impressive is all eight of those commits are blue-chip prospects. This pledge list is already shaping up to be an impressive one in College Station.

The secondary haul is already elite

Elite is a word that often gets thrown around too much in the recruiting world, but it’s appropriate when describing the top of A&M’s class, as of Dec. 8.

Last month brought a trio of commitments from top-50 juniors: Hampton (Ga.) four-star safety Kamarui Dorsey, Waxahachie (Texas) four-star safety JayQuan Snell and Baltimore St. Frances Academy four-star cornerback Raylaun Henry.

Dorsey first locked in with the Aggies on Nov. 1. He headlines the class early on, and per the Rivals300, is the No. 12 overall prospect and top-ranked safety. Henry then committed two weeks later and is now the No. 49 recruit and No. 8 corner in the cycle, per the industry rankings. Snell joined the fold one day after Henry and is also an outlier in the Rivals300, sitting at No. 29 nationally and No. 3 at the safety position.

Not to be forgotten, Little Rock (Ark.) Robinson four-star athlete Hakim Frampton is also in the mix and has been committed since Sept. 27. He also profiles as a defensive back and is top-400 prospect nationally.

A&M landed its QB early

Texas A&M began to emerge early for Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes four-star quarterback Jayce Johnson. On Aug. 3, he committed to Elko and Co.

“It just felt right. The love they showed — not just to me, but to my mom, dad, and little sister — it meant a lot,” Johnson told Rivals’ Chad Simmons about his early decision. “I’m big on love and loyalty, and being around the people and the town in the summer really sealed it.”

Johnson is now the No. 61 overall prospect and No. 5 QB in the cycle. He helped lead Lowndes to a 10-2 season this fall, throwing for over 1,100 yards and rushing for over 650 yards, per MaxPreps. The dual-threat star rushed for 14 touchdowns and threw for 11 more.

Others already in the boat for the Aggies

Jayce Johnson was the first to commit to A&M in early August. Nine days later, he was flanked by Tyler (Texas) Legacy four-star offensive tackle DeMarrion Johnson. Checking in at 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, the tackle is currently the No. 23 prospect at his position.

In October, Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside four-star defensive lineman Elijah Patmon committed. He’s another early outlier in the Rivals300 and ranks as the No. 9 DL in the cycle.

McCarty is now the latest addition, giving the Aggies another big-time piece to the puzzle. The class currently ranks No. 4 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, but their class score will only continue to rise as other schools add more commitments, bumping up the average number of commits used in the rankings.