Texas A&M Loses Out On Coveted Five-Star Recruit

Despite the Texas A&M Aggies having the No. 3-ranked recruiting class in the 2026 cycle, they lost out on one of the most highly sought-after recruits still available.

Anthony Jones, an Alabama native committed to the Oregon Ducks, choosing them over the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Aggies.

Jones has been viewed as one of the most dominant and physically capable ready edge defenders in the 2026 class, and now he will take his talents to Dan Lanning's team up North.

Still A Top Class

The Aggies are still in great shape for the 2026 cycle, though, sitting at third in the team rankings behind Georgia and USC, despite only having 27 commits to their 30-plus.

They have two edge commits i the cycle, both ranked in the top-30 in Jordan Carter and Samu Moala. Jones, though, has been viewed as a potential day one starter wherever he ends up, due to his six-foot-three, 245-pound frame.

The Aggies have become one of the best programs in the country at developing elite edge and defensive line talent, so despite losing out on Jones, the future of the room is still bright for Mike Elko's squad.

Choosing the Big Ten Over the SEC

The Alabama native chose the Pacific Northwest despite being squarely in SEC country, spurring both the Crimson Tide and the Aggies, even though he knew he would be quite a distance from home.

“It’s far away from home, so I feel like it’ll definitely be a great opportunity for me to grow and just be uncomfortable and just grow in situations. I feel like the scheme they got set up for me will be great for me also. Especially seeing like the EDGES they got eating. Coach (Dan) Lanning and coach Tosh Lupoi do a great job of just making everything simple and just letting the edges go eat for real. I feel like me going up would be a great fit for me also.”

Choosing comfort and a favorable scheme were prevalent for Jones, who had an offer from nearly every college in the country as the number 18-ranked player. He is the fourth five-star to commit to the Ducks in the cycle under Lanning, and would have been the fourth for the Aggies as well had he chosen College Station.

For Elko and Co. they will turn their focus on the recruiting trail over to Jayce Johnson, a four-star quarterback in the 2027 cycle.