Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Texas A&M scores massive win on recruiting trail over rivals
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko. Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Mike Elko, Texas A&M score massive win on recruiting trail over in-state rivals

Mike Elko is putting together one heck of a recruiting class heading into his second season at Texas A&M.

His class in 2025 ranked No. 10 in the nation. His 2026 class is trending to be even better, and it could potentially be considered elite. The Aggies just got better on the 2026 recruiting trail as well because they picked up an important in-state win.

Avery Morcho, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive tackle recruit from Missouri City, Texas, committed to the Aggies over SMU and TCU on Wednesday, among others.

“Coach Elko is making a change in College Station and I want to be a part of it,” Morcho told Steve Wiltfong of On3. “I feel like going to A&M it’s going to be the best chance of developing me as a man and a top-10 draft pick!”

From Ridge Point High School, Morcho has the size to be an elite offensive tackle at the college level, but the recruiting rankings aren't all that high on him yet. He's a three-star and ranked as the No. 40 offensive tackle in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. 

That size could really carry him, though, so much so that 247Sports scout Gabe Brooks thinks that Morcho has NFL potential.

"Projects to the P4 level as a possible high-major developmental tackle prospect who will need some seasoning, but could become a quality starter with a ceiling beyond college," Brooks wrote.

The potential is there. Now let's see if Elko and his staff can develop it.

Either way, Morcho is part of a Texas A&M class that's ranked third in the nation behind only USC and Notre Dame.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Ohio State Buckeyes Fans Will Love Team's Spot in Preseason Coaches Poll
College Football

Ohio State Buckeyes Fans Will Love Team's Spot in Preseason Coaches Poll

The 2025 college football season begins in less than a month, which means the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day are slowly finding out where the program ranks amongst the rest of peers. With the release of USA Today's 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll on Monday, Day and the Buckeyes landed at the No. 2 spot behind the Texas Longhorns prior to week one. After an incredible 2024-25 season that ended with the program defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the National Championship, the Buckeyes must find a way this season to replace the production of the 14 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. This includes the quarterback position, along with the running back room and defensive line as the areas that were most affected by turnover. Quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are in the midst of a battle for the starting job, while the transfer portal additions of running back CJ Donaldson and defensive end Beau Atkinson will play significant roles in 2025. And despite Ohio State beating head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns in the College Football Playoffs last year, Texas is widely-considered the best team in the nation heading into the season. Led by former five-star quarterback Arch Manning, the Southeastern Conference powerhouse will come to Columbus in week one to defend the No. 1 spot.

Cowboys' problem with Micah Parsons may hand Steelers a franchise QB
NFL

Cowboys' problem with Micah Parsons may hand Steelers a franchise QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most-talked-about NFL organizations throughout the course of the 2025 offseason. One of the biggest headlines that was attached to the franchise involved a rare May trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Many expected the wide receiver to be dealt before or during the NFL Draft, but after a move didn't occur, it was believed that he would play out the final year of his rookie contract in the Steel City. Now, he is teaming up with CeeDee Lamb in the NFC, and a duo has been formed that could be very dangerous. Unfortunately for fans of the Cowboys, the two wide receivers have not been the talk of Dallas' training camp. Team owner Jerry Jones is playing hardball with edge-rusher Micah Parsons, and the talented defender recently requested a trade. The decision not to pay Parsons yet has left Jones under intense scrutiny, given the fact that the pass-rusher is one of the league's best. Jones' recent comments also show how dysfunctional the situation has become. In a recent appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," respected analyst Dan Orlovsky found a way to relate Parsons' situation to quarterback Dak Prescott, insinuating that if Jones does indeed trade Parsons, Prescott's Super Bowl window in Dallas would close. "If they trade [Parsons], and I don't think they do, if they trade him, it declares the Dak Prescott era over," Orlovsky said. "This team has no shot of winning a Super Bowl without Micah Parsons. No shot, and if you're doing it, it's to acquire a ton of first-round picks, so you have the ammunition to go get an Arch Manning of the future." The Steelers are set to have 12 draft picks in 2026, which gives the front office plenty of options when it comes to bringing in the next franchise quarterback. Instead of drafting one, however, could an available Prescott be a target for general manager Omar Khan? Orlovsky believes trading Parsons away would upset the Cowboys' best players. "There's no way that you can go to your locker room with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, some of the first-round picks you have on your offensive line, Trevon Diggs, and go, 'Hey, go beat Philadelphia when you don't have Micah Parsons. Go beat the Rams when you don't have Micah Parsons.' Your locker room will sit there and go like, 'Oh, well you've obviously moved on, so we're going to start our process of moving on as well.'" Any team interested in acquiring Prescott would have to take a long look at his contract. Some of the cap hits are astronomical in the coming years, but Khan is known to be a guru when it comes to the finances in deals. There's no reason to believe that he couldn't make something work for Prescott if a trade were to happen during the 2026 offseason. Fans in Dallas shouldn't be panicking just yet, but there were already some rumors about Prescott's long-term position with the Cowboys during the 2025 offseason. Certain reports were eventually debunked because it was quite literally impossible for Jones to entertain the idea of dealing Prescott after the franchise altered the quarterback's contract. Prescott has a no-trade clause, but that can always be waived, especially if he is upset about how Jones moves forward. If the Cowboys trade Parsons and pick up a plethora of draft capital, and then go on to invest in a first-round signal-caller, Prescott may be requesting to be traded as well. That's a long way away from happening, but the Steelers immediately come to mind as a team that would likely be interested. The Steelers' best-case scenario would be the emergence of Will Howard It's not easy to make a name for oneself in the NFL, and it's even tougher for players like Will Howard who were drafted in the sixth round. Pittsburgh will be in the quarterback market once again in 2026 if Aaron Rodgers is serious about retirement, so it would be a fantastic development if Howard solidifies himself as the next starter in the Steel City.

Brewers righty deserves consideration as dark-horse Cy Young candidate
MLB

Brewers righty deserves consideration as dark-horse Cy Young candidate

The Milwaukee Brewers' trade with the Boston Red Sox early in the season flew under the radar. The Brewers acquired former top prospect Quinn Priester from the Red Sox, sending outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez to Boston on April 7. Pitching prospect John Holobetz was sent to the Red Sox on May 5 to complete the trade. Priester had been expected to be a top-of-the-rotation arm, lauded for his athleticism and plus fastball and curve. However, he struggled during his time in the majors in 2023 and 2024, posting a combined 6.23 ERA and a 1.555 WHiP over 99.2 innings, striking out 69 batters with 41 walks while serving up 19 home runs. Despite a solid outing in his only appearance for the Red Sox, Priester remained in Triple-A as nothing more than pitching depth. That changed with his arrival in Milwaukee. He has exceeded expectations, either as a traditional starter or following an opener. Priester has posted a 3.15 ERA and a 1.190 WHiP over his 114.1 innings for the Brewers, striking out 93 batters with 38 walks. Opponents have mustered a meager .228/.294/.382 batting line in 471 plate appearances with just 13 homers. The Brewers' 64-48 record entering Tuesday is the best in the majors despite a nondescript rotation. While Freddy Peralta is a top-of-the-rotation arm in his own right, staff ace Brandon Woodruff missed all of 2024 and most of the first half of 2025. Pitchers such as Chad Patrick, Tobias Myers and Jose Quintana are back-of-the-rotation arms at this point. The Brewers needed someone to step up with Priester being the unlikely hero. Pitchers Paul Skenes and Zack Wheeler are the prohibitive favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award. BetMGM does not have Priester listed as one of the 10 most likely candidates to take home the hardware. However, Priester's performance, coupled with the Brewers' success this season, is worthy of attention. If he can continue to perform at this level, Priester deserves at least some consideration on the ballot.

Green Bay Packers: Strong Reactions Erupt After Unofficial Depth Chart Release
NFL

Green Bay Packers: Strong Reactions Erupt After Unofficial Depth Chart Release

The Green Bay Packers have finally updated their 2025 depth chart, and there’s a lot to unpack about it. There are unsurprising details like Jordan Love being the No. 1 quarterback and Josh Jacobs being named as the top option in the running back room. Those are simply giveaways. At the same time, there is also compelling information from the depth chart that may or may not leave fans surprised. For one, the wide receiver pecking order has exciting rookie Matthew Golden behind Jayden Reed, who is listed as a starter alongside Dontayvion Wicks. Meanwhile, the left tackle depth chart has Rasheed Walker in front of Jordan Morgan. Of course, it is worth reiterating that this is an unofficial depth chart and that there are still big possibilities of changes on it, as the 2025 NFL season nears. Fans react to Green Bay Packers’ first unofficial 2025 depth chart Rob Demovsky of ESPN also shared the depth chart, and it’s garnered quite a reaction from fans online. “Golden should be starting, wicks and Doubs are average at best,” said a fan on X. Another one said: “Forgot we signed Hardman. Have heard absolutely nothing on him this camp” From a commenter: “Bob I just woke up from a 2 month coma why is Bo Melton under the CBs” “Why tf is Golden a backup slot wr…,” a triggered social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “Jordan Morgan still can’t crack the starting lineup. Awesome waste of a first round pick ” Said another: “Why do the packers always try so hard to phase their rookies in instead of just playing them. They did the same with cooper was last year when all the fans were begging to play him. Golden better be a starter week 1”

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!