Former Texas A&M Star Ranks Among Best Recruits Ever

Plenty of five-star talent has come through College Station in recent years. Recruits such as Kyle Allen, Evan Stewart, Conner Weigman, Shemar Stewart, LT Overton, and Terry Bussey, just to name a few.

Some have lived up to the hype, others fell short. But one five-star prospect continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Recently, Rivals released its list of the top 32 five-star recruits of the past 25 years, and a former Aggie finds himself in the top 10.

Myles Garrett Ranked No. 9 On The List

Garrett, arguably the most talented player to ever wear a Texas A&M jersey, landed at No. 9 on Rivals’ list. The names ahead of him are just a few casual college football legends: Julio Jones (WR, 2008), Matthew Stafford (QB, 2006), Jadeveon Clowney (DE, 2011), Cam Newton (QB, 2007), Tim Tebow (QB, 2006), Adrian Peterson (RB, 2004), Vince Young (QB, 2002), and Reggie Bush (RB, 2003).

A product of Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, Garrett was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2014 class, a class that featured future stars like Leonard Fournette, Jabrill Peppers, Dalvin Cook, and Christian McCaffrey.

During his senior season, he racked up 20.5 sacks, 88 tackles, and 39 tackles for loss on his way to becoming the best high school player in the nation.

Just look at this statline from one of his senior season games: 13 tackles, 9 TFL, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and blocked a punt in a 47-3 win over Weatherford. 

And no, the 8.5 sacks is not a typo.

He continued terrorizing opposing offenses in Aggieland, breaking the SEC freshman sack record with 11.5 in his first year, a record that still stands today. Garrett followed that up with an even more dominant sophomore campaign, posting 12.5 sacks to lead the SEC and earn First-Team All-American honors.

Despite battling injuries in his junior year, Garrett repeated as a First-Team All-American and declared for the NFL Draft. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2017.

He quickly became the face of the Browns’ defense, notching 7 sacks and 31 tackles in his rookie season despite missing time.

Eight years later, Garrett has cemented his legacy. He’s now the Browns’ all-time sack leader, having surpassed 100 in his career. He also became the first player in NFL history to record 14 or more sacks in four consecutive seasons. That fourth campaign ended with Garrett earning the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, after finishing with 14 sacks and 42 tackles.

Now, in 2025, Garrett remains one of the league’s best defenders. He recently signed a four-year extension worth $40 million annually, with a staggering $123.5 million guaranteed, making him the second-highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

Let’s just hope the former Aggie star sends a little of that contract money toward the A&M NIL fund. And who knows, maybe someday, another Myles Garrett will walk through College Station.