Texas A&M football has been building an extremely impressive 2026 class for this entire cycle, and the Aggies are all but assured to land a top-5 spot. That may seem a little disappointing given that they were in contention for the top overall class only a few weeks ago, but even the fact that it seems disappointing should speak to how strong their recruiting has been this cycle.
Though they've been pretty stout in-state, too, most of their big wins have come from out-of-state prospects. They've gone coast-to-coast in this cycle, reaching all the way from Washington State to South Carolina to pick up valued commits throughout the year.
That's impressive, but the most striking thing about this out-of-state dominance is that it has come at the direct cost of a national power and veritable recruiting (and on-the-field) dynasty in the Georgia Bulldogs. In the 2026 cycle, the Aggies have strolled right into the Peach State and plucked the players they've coveted right out from under the nose of Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.
Texas A&M football cleaning up in Georgia at Bulldogs' cost
Just look at the below list of recruits from the state of Georgia:
Top Georgia football recruits in the 2026 class🍑
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 7, 2025
Read: https://t.co/pBwiQfpTqN pic.twitter.com/LBmhevLNgR
Texas went all-in in several ways to land Atkinson after getting their clock cleaned on the trail by Mike Elko and company, and you expect Alabama to get in and snag a few players as well. But the Aggies are the squad with the most commits on this list with Bryce Perry-Wright, Tristian Givens, and Aaron Gregory.
It's notable that Aaron Gregory started the cycle as one of the top-ranked players in the state and has a chance to regain five-star status this fall as well. In addition, both Perry-Wright and Givens have a five-star designation by at least one recruiting service.
I'm not saying this demonstrates some massive shift in the balance of power or anything, but it's definitely really notable. It shows just how strongly Elko and this staff have been recruiting in this cycle— and that looks to continue into the 2027 cycle as well.