The Player: Kobe Black
Kobe Black, out of Connally High School in Waco, Texas, has long been a priority for the Aggie staff. The number 20 player overall in the composite, Black is a shutdown corner at 6’0″ and 190 lbs. As with any corner—especially those not at the highest level of high school football—tackling skills can be a question mark when your athleticism is sufficient to prevent the offense from ever throwing your way. Black certainly has athleticism of that caliber, splitting time between corner and receiver and earning high praise at both positions.
Had a great time at A&M! Can’t wait to get back! #Aggie fans go show love! @TJRushing20 @AggieFootball https://t.co/TdrCkyWUkg
— Kobe Black (@lilkb2xx) April 10, 2023
Black earned all-district first-team honors at both corner and receiver this past year at the 4A-Division II level. He intercepted two passes, and both were returned for touchdowns (speaking to how seldom he was targeted by opposing offenses). He also racked up 5 receiving touchdowns and a number of carries as well.
What are Texas A&M Football’s chances with Kobe Black?
Black has already visited the Aggies twice this year. He is another recruit who tends to be a bit quieter when it comes to who is leading, but I have always felt the Aggies are in a good spot. CBs coach TJ Rushing has shown his prowess on the recruiting trail, and early returns on new secondary coach Bryant Gross-Armiento are similarly promising in that arena.
However, it seems in recent weeks that Black has been intrigued by the rival Texas Longhorns. Sarkisian and company are riding the high of an Alamo Bowl loss and almost beating Alabama that one time, so by their recent standards the Longhorns are positively overflowing with success.
— Kobe Black (@lilkb2xx) May 5, 2023
In all seriousness, however, the school in Austin has shown a commitment to getting top recruits however possible in the face of an impending SEC move—a savvy strategy, given that highly-rated classes have yet to fail the Longhorns except for most of the time. Black is a high priority for their staff as well, so this is shaping up to be a dogfight.
If I were to predict, I am leaning ever-so-slightly towards the Longhorns right now, simply for the fact that Black has an OV scheduled to Austin and not yet one to College Station. If the Aggies are able to get him back on campus, however, I think they have the horses to win this race. With the twists and turns of recruiting being so unpredictable, a lot rides on the upcoming season for each program when it comes to who will land Black.
Stay tuned for part two of this series, where we will examine the Aggies’ chances with three more five-star players.