A&M has former rival coach seething as Ags add second highly-rated commit of day

Texas A&M football adds second commit of day by flipping high-level prospect away from former rival coach

Texas A&M fans were surprised and excited at the news earlier today that the Aggies had added their first commitment of the 2027 cycle. George Lamons, a receiver out of Georgia, gave a verbal pledge to Mike Elko and the Aggies before the spring game got started today.

Lamons looks to be one of the top prospects in that 2027 cycle, and if that class were graduating today, he'd be ranked as a five-star talent. That means, of course, that while it's a huge addition to the Aggies' class, it will also be a battle to hold onto him, especially as an out-of-state prospect.

The Aggies just demonstrated that principle in reverse, at the expense of a former rival coach. Victor Singleton, who had been committed to Illinois and former Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema, just flipped to Mike Elko and Texas A&M football.

Singleton is a top-60 prospect per 247Sports, and the 5th-ranked cornerback. He is the top player overall in the state of Ohio, as well.

This is a massive get for the Aggies. Singleton is immediately one of the best prospects that the Aggies have committed, and he is the first cornerback commit in the class (as Ryan Gilbert decommitted some time ago).

This has to have Illinois coach Bret Bielema fuming, as Singleton is about as good of a prospect as the Illini can hope to pull. A&M just snatched what could have been the crown jewel of Bielema's class away right out from under his nose.

Aggie fans were no fans of Bielema when he was at Arkansas; despite A&M's undefeated record against the Hogs when he was coach, his bravado rubbed many people the wrong way. Those kinds of hijinks have continued in Illinois, as we all saw in the bowl game against South Carolina at the end of last season.

That in mind, pulling Singleton away from Bielema and the Illini just feels that much better.

This also showcases just how strongly the out-of-state recruiting is going for the Aggies right now. They have commits from the states of Georgia, Texas, Ohio, New Jersey, Utah, and California— and that's with a class consisting of only eleven members right now.

Singleton's defection from Illinois and commitment to A&M was a hard-fought victory, and one that will pay off big time for the Aggies. He's an elite prospect sought after by many of the top programs in the nation, so Mike Elko and company winning out is a huge deal.