Recruiting Country: The latest recruiting news surrounding the Maroon & White

TexAgs' recruiting analyst Jason Howell joined TexAgs Live on Wednesday morning for another edition of Recruiting Country presented by American Momentum Bank, highlighting the latest news and notes from the recruiting trail surrounding Texas A&M.

Key notes from Recruiting Country

• Jermaine Bishop‍ is the No. 1 overall prospect. Jonathan Hatton Jr‍ is the No. 1 Aggie and No. 1 running back in Texas.
   
• Texas A&M has been a part of Bishop’s recruitment the whole time. It came down to Texas, Houston and Texas A&M, but this ranking has nothing to do with his college choice. We’ve been huge fans of his. He’s an all-around athlete and a lockdown cornerback. With the ball in his hand on offense, he’s explosive. Hatton is a big back who gets down the field in a hurry. He brings a complete game to the table.
   
• Hatton is highly respected, and I think that’s a guy that a lot of prospects look to. He’s one of the top committed prospects in the state right now. It's Bishop, Henderson and Hatton. He’s a bell cow kind of guy. He brings a lot to the offense.
   
• Legend Bey‍’s ranking is based on his being viewed solely as an athlete. We view him as a guy who can play multiple positions and can project to defense, as well. Kind of in that Terry Bussey mold. He has that quarterback in him. That is what he has played throughout high school. Duke and West Virginia are recruiting him as a quarterback. Early on, it was clear that quarterback was what he wanted to do. Over time, he’s gone to some of these camps and worked at different positions. He’s much more comfortable being viewed as an athlete.
   
• When it comes to a guy switching positions, you can’t just go, “He’s a better linebacker than running back,” when he has no desire to play that position. To me, that is a red flag. I will knock someone in the rankings because of that. Being open and excited as an athlete, and being recruited for multiple positions. A&M views him more as a Bussey.
   
• They are in the thick of it with Bey. Tennessee, West Virginia and Duke and pursuing him. I think Ohio State is in there, too. A&M gets their final visit in the summer, so they get a chance to end it with a big push, so I think we are in a strong position. Since being offered in March, he's been able to get over to A&M a couple of times.
   
• One that they recently offered was Chance Collins‍. I got to see him this fall. He's a guy who’s played multiple positions. I got to see him move as a receiver, so I thought we needed to get more information on this guy. I’ve been able to see him play both sides of the ball for the Timberview defense that’s known for its physicality. He was one of their leading receivers, as well. I think he earned Male Athlete of the Year in their program. This spring, he was part of three state-qualifying relay teams. I think he ran the 4x100m and 4x200m. He’s a guy to keep an eye on. He visited in the spring and fall. He'll be in town around June 20 as a safety prospect. He brings a lot to the table.
   
• Landon Barnes‍ is a defensive end, who’s a teammate of KJ Ford at Duncanville. He doesn’t have the skins on the wall, but he's a guy that brings a tremendous frame and upside as well. He’s coming from a strong program in Duncanville.
   
• Julian Hugo‍ is a defensive end who just committed to Arizona State. He’s been a multiple-year standout for the Knights, and he's a guy to keep on the watchlist over the next few months.
   
• Bishop and Keisean Henderson‍ are our five stars in the state. You don’t want to give a five-star too early and then take it away later, so it's something we are very careful with throughout the ranking process. Both guys have shown to be big playmakers. Henderson has been committed to Houston, and they were one of the first teams to recruit him as a quarterback. They have their hands full trying to hold onto him.
   
• Aaron Gregory‍ was phenomenal last fall, and Texas A&M was able to lock in on him early. Just getting his commitment locked up after that LSU game and seeing what he's done this spring on the camp and 7-on-7 circuit... I heard someone say he's a better safety than receiver, but he's phenomenal. There’s a video from a camp where he was just routing guys up, making catch after catch. He is a big, athletic prospect. We decided as a staff that he had earned it in our eyes, whether he committed to A&M or not.
   
• When I first saw Kaeden Scott‍ at the Navy All-American Bowl, the kid looked like a million bucks. He's lean, long and moves really well. He has a basketball background and tremendous upside. All these updates are based on what we’ve seen in spring ball, but it brings you back to the tape. He's a guy who’ll be one of the top prospects in the class, whether it's No. 1 or another ranking. I know Adam Cushing is a guy who has made him a priority.
   
• It's fun to see those young guys get offers. You've got Dez Bryant Jr‍ and JD Edwards‍. You’ve got James Foster‍, who is one of the top athletes at quarterback, safety, and defensive back. He’s doing some big things. Dillon Mitchell‍ ran a 10.07 100-meter this spring. He has a lot of ties to Texas A&M. They are hitting all areas of the state. Jaden Hurndon‍ is one of the only freshmen at Longview to play on varsity. His first offer came from Malcolm Kelly, a Longview legend. He’s being talked about as the next Jalen Hale. He is a big, upside receiver and has a lot of growth there. 
   
• Last week, I said I feel like my expectation is that A&M will end up with a top five to ten nationally ranked 2026 recruiting class in the top half of the SEC. I think they will be in the three to five range. I know we talked about in-state recruiting for the offensive line as a concern. I’d be surprised if that is still a concern in August. Those are the three things at the top of my list as you look at the landscape heading into June, July and August. I think you’ll see some momentum build over the next couple of months.
   
• Right now, it’s mainly just get in there and get the best guys you can, regardless of the House discussions. Recruit as many top recruits as possible, and fill out the roster. You can’t worry about the “what ifs” right now. You cross those problems when you get there. Right now, it is what it is. When those circumstances change, you make those adjustments. Right now, you have some ideas but not much certainty in that department, as you heard Mike Elko talk about. How do you deal with that? You work in the environment you're in until it’s not the environment you’re in, then you make those adjustments.
   
• Camp starts Sunday with the Big Aggie Elite Camp. It should be pretty action-packed with some familiar names. We’ll be putting together some lists in preparation for that. Then you’ve got June 3, 8, 10 and 12 with big high school camps and 7-on-7 camps that will have some top prospects.
   
• Starting on June 4, you’ll have a lot of major prospects making official visits. June 13 and 20 will also have top prospects in town. In July, you already have several top prospects planning on announcing their commitments. July 4 is setting up to be a busy day with Boobie Feaster‍ planning to make a decision. Brandon Arrington‍’s commitment is on July 5. Dorian Barney‍, as well. You have several coming down the line from the end of July into the beginning of August. It should be very fun.