Texas A&M Aggies football coach Mike Elko sent a clear message this week: College Station remains one of the premier destinations in college athletics, and the program's foundation will always be built through high school recruiting.

Speaking at the Dallas A&M Club on Wednesday night, Elko doubled down on the Aggies' commitment to developing talent from the ground up. While some programs—like Big 12 rival Texas Tech—have leaned heavily into the transfer portal, Texas A&M is sticking with what works best for the 12th Man.

"High school recruiting, to me, is still a priority. I think it's critical to your foundation," Elko said. "We have signed a 23-25-man class each year. This one appears to be going pretty well in this '27 cycle."

And "pretty well" might be an understatement. The Aggies' 2027 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, featuring 13 commits—including four five-star prospects, the most of any program in the country.

Elko's emphasis on high school recruiting marks a strategic shift from the previous era. Under Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies famously landed the historic 2022 class that even drew frustration from Nick Saban, but Fisher was notably reluctant to use the transfer portal—bringing in just 12 non-JUCO transfers during his six seasons.

Now, with deep-pocketed NIL support, a talent-rich home state, and Elko's proven ability to land elite transfers like Alabama's Isaiah Horto, Texas A&M is building a hybrid model that keeps high school recruiting at its core while selectively adding portal pieces.

Elko also took a moment to celebrate the broader success of Aggie Athletics this spring, from baseball fighting for a top-eight seed to women's golf advancing and women's tennis playing for an Elite Eight berth.

"It's a really, really exciting time to be a part of Aggie Athletics," Elko said.

For fans and recruits alike, the message is clear: Texas A&M is building for the long haul, one high school standout at a time.