Texas A&M’s 2026 recruiting class rises in the rankings after recent commitments

Texas A&M’s 2026 recruiting class is gaining momentum

Next summer, the 2026 recruiting cycle will begin to take shape, but things are already in motion for Texas A&M under head coach Mike Elko and his coaching staff after landing two premier 2026 prospects over the last two days.

On Thursday, one of the top signal callers in the 2026 class, 4-star quarterback Helaman Casuga out of Draper, Utah, chose the Aggies over his hometown Utah Utes and USC after developing a close relationship with first-year offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who has quickly become a respected play caller amid his first season with the program.

On Friday, 2026 4-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin announced his commitment to Texas A&M over LSU, Ohio State, and many other blue-blood programs, as the future nose tackle has a path to the NFL if he continues to develop at the next level. Credit goes to Texas A&M DL coaches Sean Spencer and Tony Jerod-Eddie, who have continued to help the program land future playmakers in the defensive trenches

After both commitments, Texas A&M’s 2026 recruiting class is now ranked 9th in the 247Sports team rankings:

  1. Oregon Ducks: 7 commits
  2. Florida State: 6 commits
  3. USC: 6 commits
  4. Penn State: 6 commits
  5. Auburn: 5 commits
  6. South Carolina: 5 commits
  7. LSU: 4 commits
  8. Texas: 3 commits
  9. Texas A&M: 4 commits
  10. Arkansas: 6 commits

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Texas A&M’s DL coaches have been elite recruiters in the trenches

Texas A&M’s defensive line is in good hands under DL coaches Sean Spencer and Tony Jerod-Eddie

Texas A&M’s defensive line is coming into its own this season, as junior defensive end Nic Scourton is looking like the All-American-level player that led the Big Ten in sacks in 2023 during his final season at Purdue, while junior DL Albert Regis has become one of the better run stoppers in the SEC.

On Friday, 2026 4-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin announced his commitment to Texas A&M, as first-year Aggies defensive line coaches Sean Spencer and Tony Jerod-Eddie once again landed a top-tier DL with an NFL future in less than a year of employment with the University.

Since both coaches arrived in Aggieland, Nic Scourton, along with current defensive linemen Cashius Howell, Rodas Johnson, and Josh Celiscar, make up the 2024 contributors from the transfer portal this offseason, while the recruiting performance has been equally impressive in the 2024, and 2025, and now 2026 recruiting classes. Here are the defensive linemen the Aggies have landed:

2024 recruiting class:

  • 4-star DL Solomon Williams
  • 4-star DL Kendall Jackson

2025 recruiting class:

  • 4-star DL DJ Sanders
  • 4-star DL Landon Rink
  • 4-star DL Chace Sims
  • 4-star EDGE Marco Jones

2026 recruiting class:

  • 4-star DL Trashawn Ruffin.

Knowing both coaches’ playing backgrounds, including Tony Jerod-Eddie’s impressive career at Texas A&M, young defensive line prospects are trusting the process that head coach Mike Elko continues to preach, which is also relayed by his coaching staff.

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2026 4-star DL out of Mount Olive (NC) has committed to Texas A&M

Texas A&M gains a huge (literally) commitment from 2026 4-star DL Trashawn Ruffin

Boom! Texas A&M has landed a big-time commitment from 2026 4-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin out of Mount Olive, North Carolina, as the junior defender chose the Aggies over LSU and Ohio State after receiving his official offer from the program back in August.

Ruffin joins 4-star quarterback Helaman Casuga as the most recent 2026 prospect to commit to the Aggies in the last two days, as head coach Mike Elko and his staff have continued to heat up on the recruiting trail, as this is just the beginning amid A&M’s 2024 season.

Ruffin’s talent in the trenches is undeniable. His 6-3 300-plus pound frame, impressive lower body strength, and keen understanding of leverage make him one of the best run-stoppers in the country.

Since Elko arrived at Texas A&M, the Aggies’ success in landing top defensive line prospects has continued mainly due to the recent play on the field from current D-line starters, including Nic Scourton, Shemar Turner, Shemar Stewart, and Albert Regis. Prospects can see themselves performing at a similar level under Elko’s guidance.

Due to his size and strength, I expect Ruffin to play at nose tackle once he makes his way to College Station.

According to 247Sports, Ruffin is currently positioned as the 245th-ranked prospect, the 30th-ranked defensive lineman, and the 16th-ranked prospect in North Carolina.

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Ohio State football offers four-star recruit

Ohio State football offers four-star recruit #GoBucks

Ohio State football is continuing to make waves in recruiting this week despite the recent loss to the Oregon Ducks. The Buckeyes have recently extended an offer to Trashawn Ruffin, a four-star defensive lineman from the state of North Carolina.

Ruffin is widely regarded as a top 50 defensive lineman in the class of 2026 and has made a name for himself on both sides of the football at North Duplin High School, which is located in Mount Olive, North Carolina. It will be interesting to continue to monitor his rise up the recruiting rankings as he is extremely raw, but has displayed elite potential and size at 6-foot, 3-inches and 307 pounds.

The North Carolina product has an extensive list of offers that include, the home state, North Carolina State Wolfpack as well as the Georgia Bulldogs. He took a visit to North Carolina State last weekend and witnessed the Wolfpack lose to the Syracuse Orange.

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Wisconsin football extends offer to top class of 2026 defensive lineman

Wisconsin football extends offer to top class of 2026 defensive lineman

The Wisconsin Badgers extended an offer to top class of 2026 defensive end Trashawn Ruffin on Monday.

Ruffin becomes the third defensive line weapon from the class of 2026 to earn an offer from UW, joining three-star prospects Tyson Bacon and Damari Simeon.

Like his contemporaries, Ruffin already holds a laundry list of collegiate offers as a junior in high school. Those include NC State, Charlotte, South Carolina, Florida State, Georgia, USC, Florida, Virginia Tech, Liberty, West Virginia, Old Dominion, Texas A&M, Texas and Wisconsin, per On3.

On3, 247Sports and Rivals currently consider the 6’3,” 307-pound lineman as a three-star recruit at this stage of the recruiting process. On3 ranks him as the No. 272 overall recruit, No. 22 defensive lineman and No. 17 recruit from North Carolina for the class of 2026.

https://twitter.com/TrashawnRuffin/status/1830805113243365702

247Sports has yet to release a crystal ball prediction for where Ruffin will land. On3’s recruiting prediction machine, however, awards the NC State Wolfpack the highest probability to secure a commitment from the North Carolina native at 10.5%.

While three-star quarterback Jarrin Mock is the only player from the class of 2026 to commit to UW thus far, Fickell and company appear to be gradually shifting their focus to the upcoming cycle.