Texas A&M is making serious waves on the recruiting trail, and the rest of college football is taking notice. The Aggies have locked down the No. 1 spot in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings for the 2027 cycle, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
The latest headline-grabbing addition? Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Mark Matthews from Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas. Matthews, ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect and the top tackle in the nation, announced his commitment to College Station on Friday. He chose the Aggies over powerhouse programs like Miami, LSU, and Georgia, marking arguably the biggest recruiting win of the Mike Elko era so far.
Matthews now headlines an elite class that already features 14 commits, including eight top-100 recruits. With Matthews on board, Texas A&M now boasts five five-star pledges. While there’s still plenty of rankings movement ahead before the December signing period, history shows that landing a quintet of five-stars is a strong indicator you’ll finish with the No. 1 class.
For context, the last team to sign at least five five-stars and not finish atop the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings was Ohio State in 2021. The Buckeyes inked seven five-stars that year but still finished at No. 2 behind Alabama, which signed five of its own. Texas A&M knows this territory well—they famously assembled a landmark No. 1 class in 2022 with nine five-star signees. Other recent programs to sign five or more five-stars in a cycle include Alabama (2023), Georgia (2024), and Texas (2025).
The Aggies’ recruiting momentum really took off during the 2025 season. November brought a pair of elite defensive back commitments. First, Hampton (Ga.) safety Kamarui Dorsey committed on Nov. 1. Two weeks later, Baltimore St. Frances Academy cornerback Raylaun Henry followed suit. Both were four-star prospects at the time but have since earned five-star status. Dorsey is now the No. 11 overall prospect and top-ranked safety in the nation, while Henry checks in as the No. 30 recruit and No. 5 cornerback. The day after Henry’s commitment, Waxahachie (Texas) four-star safety JayQuan Snell also joined the fold. Snell is on the verge of five-star status himself, currently ranked as the No. 40 recruit and No. 2 safety.
December brought even more good news. The Aggies have been recruiting California exceptionally well under Elko, and Los Angeles Inglewood four-star defensive standout added his name to the list. With each commitment, Texas A&M is building a class that could go down as one of the best in recent memory—and for fans of Aggie football, the excitement is just getting started.