Arrington, top athlete prospect in '26, picks A&M

Texas A&M beat Oregon to the commitment of five-star athlete Brandon Arrington on Thursday, securing the Aggies their highest-ranked pledge under second-year head coach Mike Elko.

Arrington, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound speedster from Spring Valley, California, is the No. 1 athlete prospect and 14th overall recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300. Projected to play cornerback at the next level, Arrington took official visits to Penn State, Washington, Texas A&M, Alabama and Oregon this spring before narrowing his finalists to the Aggies and Ducks and announcing his commitment in a ceremony at California's Mount Miguel High School Thursday afternoon.

Arrington told ESPN that his connections with Texas A&M assistants Jordan Peterson and Bryant Gross-Armiento and the development path the program presented him were central drivers in his decision to join the Aggies' 2026 class.

"The relationship goes back to day one, for real," he said. "They've been locked in with me, recruiting me hard from the very start. The environment feels like home. The people care about football there."

Arrington's pledge marks the latest and most significant piece of recruiting momentum for a Texas A&M class that began the week ranked No. 7 in ESPN's team rankings for the 2026 cycle.

The Aggies added along the offensive line Monday with four-star offensive tackle commit Samuel Roseborough (No. 123 overall), then edged Texas for four-star rusher K.J. Edwards (No. 106) on Tuesday in a major in-state recruiting win. In Arrington, Texas A&M has its fourth ESPN 300 pledge in the month of June and a prospect who would rank as the program's highest-rated signee since five-star defensive tackle David Hicks (No. 8 overall) in the 2023 cycle if Arrington ultimately signs later this year.

Upon Arrington's commitment, Texas A&M will next turn its attention to No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown and elite wide receiver prospect Ethan "Boobie" Feaster (No. 23 overall), both of whom are expected to announce their commitments early next month. Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley (No. 19) and top 50 offensive tackle John Turntine III represent another pair of priority targets as Elko and the Aggies seek to land a second top 10 class in as many cycles.

A nationally competitive sprinter who plays two-ways at Mount Miguel, Arrington now headlines an impressive Texas A&M defensive backs class in 2026. Illinois flip Victor Singleton (No. 55) previously stood as the program's top-ranked pledge in the cycle, and between Arrington's move and the early June commitment of four-star Camren Hamiel (No. 86), the Aggies now hold pledges from three of ESPN's top 15 cornerback prospects in the 2026 class.

Arrington, considered among the fastest prospects in the cycle, projects as a raw talent with a high-developmental ceiling at the next level.

He flirted with California high school track and field records earlier this spring when Arrington posted personal bests in the 100-meter (10.24 seconds) and 200-meter (20.37) events. Texas A&M coaches have compared Arrington's combination of height, length and speed to the build of former Aggies All-SEC selection Will Lee, and talent evaluators believe Arrington can develop into an elite Power 4 cornerback when he turns his sole attention to football in college.

"I tell everyone about him: If his ceiling is a 10, he's only at a three right now," said Mount Miguel head coach Verlaine Betofe. "Once he gets to the next level, he's going to explode. I think he has first-round talent."

With Arrington's pledge, the top end of the 2026 athlete class is expected to settle further in the coming days and weeks. Four-star recruit Joey O'Brien (No. 102 overall) is set to announce his commitment Friday with Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon and Penn State among his finalists. Texas and USC reach late June as the leading contenders for athlete Jalen Lott, No. 108 in the 2026 ESPN 300, ahead of his scheduled announcement on July 8.