Under new head coach Mike Elko, the Texas A&M Aggies have the No. 19 Class of 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. It includes one five-star in cornerback Terry Bussey and 15 four-stars, but it’s a slight drop-off from the No. 15 class that Jimbo Fisher landed in his final season in 2023. Elko brought in an entirely new coaching staff and is tasked with forming relationships with top prospects with hopes of swaying them to come to College Station, Texas. Elko and staff are already working hard on their Class of 2025 Texas A&M football recruiting, which currently has four commits, including three four-stars.
Elko was a defensive back at Penn, so it comes as no surprise that some of the top Class of 2025 Texas A&M football targets play in the secondary. Cornerback Dorian Brew and safety Jonah Williams are both top-five ranked prospects in Texas and have zeroed in on Texas A&M as their top target. However, as you’d expect with players of this stature, they have interest from all of the other major programs across the nation. If you want to see the latest Texas A&M recruiting news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at GigEm247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Texas A&M.
GigEm247’s team of Texas A&M insiders are providing frequent updates on every recruiting development, including insights from Jeff Tarpley, who has covered the team for more than 25 years and has deep-rooted ties inside and around the A&M community. Tarpley helped GigEm247 report an unfiltered view of the behind-the-scenes talks that ultimately led to Texas A&M parting ways with former head coach Jimbo Fisher.
The team at GigEm has a complete recap of National Signing Day and some early updates on important 2025 recruits. Head to GigEm247 now to see them all.
Mike Elko Texas A&M recruiting updates
Texas A&M wrapped up a successful 2024 recruiting class by signing Bussey, Robert Bourdon and Ashton Bethel-Roman. Bussey is a two-way star who played cornerback and wide receiver in high school, and Texas A&M is expected to use him in several different ways. There was serious buzz regarding a potential flip to LSU on National Signing Day, but Bussey wound up signing with his in-state school. Bourdon was the first to sign on Wednesday, as the one-time Duke commitment flipped to Texas A&M following the coaching change.
The Aggies moved quickly in January, getting Bourdon to campus for a visit to make him feel comfortable with the flip. Bethel-Roman was the other key signing for Texas A&M after getting out of his letter of intent to sign with Arkansas. The wide receiver is a dynamic playmaker with elite speed, and he is expected to be a factor in the offense from the jump. See a full post-Signing Day recap here.
One player from the 2025 class who has already committed to Texas A&M is four-star linebacker Kelvion Riggins. The Forney, Texas, linebacker committed to Texas A&M at the end of January, giving the Aggies an explosive defensive playmaker in their 2025 class. Riggins spent the first two seasons of his high school career at South Oak Cliff High School, winning the state title and all-district honors as a sophomore. He played defensive end during that state title run before moving to linebacker at Forney. GigEm247 has a full breakdown of what he brings to the table.
Another player that Elko’s staff is interested in for 2025 is Top247 four-star cornerback Kade Phillips. Playing for Hightower (TX), just outside of Houston, Phillips is the No. 33 cornerback prospect in the nation. At 6-feet tall, he’s the kind of long, lanky corner that Elko likes as A&M recently added 6-foot-1 CB Dezz Ricks from Alabama and 6-foot-3 CB Will Lee III from Kansas State, both via the transfer portal. However, Texas A&M did lose cornerbacks Deuce Harmon and Josh DeBerry — who tied for the team lead in pass deflections in 2023 — so there is a need for someone like Phillips both immediately and in the long-term.
The Aggies have plenty of competition for Phillips, and an in-state rival recently joined the list of pursuers. The Texas Longhorns extended an offer to Phillips on Feb. 18, so he’s now up to 20 offers from around the country. Elko was a former defensive back, himself, while playing at Penn, and he also coached the position, which could only aid in landing Phillips. He made his first visit to A&M’s campus since Elko became head coach earlier this month, which followed several visits to College Station when Fisher was in charge.
Another player that Elko’s staff is interested in for 2025 is four-star defensive lineman Kevin Oatis out of Hattiesburg, Miss. At 6-foot-2, 285 pounds, Oatis is the No. 5 prospect in Mississippi, per 247Sports, and he’s the 22nd-ranked defensive lineman in the nation. He was being heavily recruited by Elijah Robinson — who helped A&M land No. 2 overall prospect Walter Nolen in 2022 — but Robinson departed College Station for the defensive coordinator job at Syracuse in December. The task to land Oatis will now seemingly fall on the shoulders of DL coach Sean Spencer and DC Jay Bateman, who are both in their first years with the program.
Oatis received an offer from Texas A&M in Jan. 2023, which was among dozens of offers he received. He then attended a Texas A&M Aggies camp in June 2023, and recent NFL success by A&M defensive line alums definitely has to improve the Aggies’ chances of landing Oatis. Former Aggie DL Justin Madubuike just made the Pro Bowl, as did Myles Garrett, who also claimed the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Oatis also has in-state offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State, as well as powerhouse programs like LSU and Michigan, but he’d be a huge land for new A&M coach Elko, himself a former DC for the Aggies (2018-21). See if he’ll land at A&M now.
Recently, GigEm247 broke down how Elko prefers to defend RPO, perhaps portending which recruits he’ll target. “Elko isn’t alone at this but he’ll rep his potential read defenders (also known as conflict or apex players) to be disciplined and remain in place, particularly at end and backer,” the site said. Read more here.
How to get insider Texas A&M recruiting updates
The Aggies are also targeting a 2025 four-star wide receiver who is expected to return to campus this spring following a junior-day trip. See who it is at GigEm247.
Who are the top 2025 recruits that Texas A&M is going after, and which four-star wide receiver is set to return to campus this spring? Go to GigEm247 to see the latest updates, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Aggies, and find out.
