Texas A&M just picked up a commitment from longtime target Tamarion Watkins of Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Aggies were able to outlast the in-state Gamecocks for Watkins' commitment, despite Carolina pulling out all the stops in order to land a player that they considered the highest of priorities in this cycle.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 Safety Tamarion Watkins has Committed to Texas A&M, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 14, 2025
The 6’4 205 S from Rock Hill, SC chose the Aggies over Miami, South Carolina, & Georgia
“From the 803 to the 979, see you soon Aggieland #GigEm”https://t.co/qAmXt2IHdf pic.twitter.com/HgrxtBVI5p
This is a much-needed win for Texas A&M on the recruiting trail, as the Aggies ended up on the wrong side of the Lamar Brown recruitment after years of dedicating resources to landing the Baton Rouge native. They'll keep pushing to land the five-star prospect, of course, but it was still a blow to lose him.
Even though Watkins isn't rated as highly as Brown, he's a significant piece for Mike Elko's defense going forward. This is a guy that the Aggies have had as a high priority for quite some time, so outlasting South Carolina and Shane Beamer here was a big time win for the Aggie staff.
Texas A&M lands commitment from linebacker-safety hybrid Tamarion Watkins over South Carolina, Miami, and others
Watkins is listed as a safety by most recruiting services, but his 6'4" and 200 LB frame offer a heck of a lot of versatility for the Aggies to play with. The Ags reportedly view him as more of a linebacker than they do a defensive back, but with the coverage ability and movement that he brings with his safety experience, this is a really exciting piece for the A&M defense.
This should round out the Aggies' linebacker class pretty solidly, as Watkins joins Storm Miller, DaQuives Beck, and Tank King as pledges at the position. Each of these four offers something different, showing just how well-rounded this class is even at this one position.
This is a big win for Mike Elko and staff and another example of their ability to pull a big time player out of a given state over the in-state school. They've done it in California, New Jersey, Washington, Georgia (several times over), and now South Carolina. All eyes now turn to the Tylan Wilson announcement later this week.