New offers this week

Pittsburgh Seaton La Salle Catholic 2028 4-star DB Kia Jones Jr.

Hudl Highlights

Offers: Alabama, Oregon, Nebraska, Penn State and Miami, among others; more than 30 total

Comments: Impressive straight line speed, good size (6-foot-2, 185 pounds). Need to see more to determine whether he would be a corner or a safety at the next level — specifically, his ability to turn and run with receivers. He can certainly come downhill and hit.

Miami Carol City 2029 3-star DE/TE Ben “BJ” McDonald

Hudl Highlights

Offers: Miami, Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss among others; 15 offers total

Comments: Huge for a sophomore at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds. Freakish athleticism, as seen from picking off passes at the line of scrimmage. Strong enough to bull his way through offensive linemen. Very raw in terms of technique.

Allen 2029 3-star LB Raiden Johnson

Hudl highlights

Offers: Texas, Oregon, OU, Alabama among others

Comment: Impressive size for a sophomore at 6-foot-2 and outstanding football IQ. Hits like a truck. Someone will have to explain why he’s a 3-star with 247 and nothing anywhere else.

The Woodlands College Park 2028 4-star DT RJ Wyms

Hudl highlights

Offers: More than 30, including from LSU, Notre Dame, Miami and Michigan

Comment: He’s the first 2028 prospect I’ve put the film on and said, “What the f**k?” because they jumped off the screen. Wyms is a little short at 6-foot-1, but he plays like he’s shot out of a cannon and his lower body strength makes him a very tough linemen for high schoolers to deal with. He’s also got an NFL pedigree, as his dad played for eight years in the league.

Tulsa Broken Arrow 2029 OL Devin Smith

Hudl Highlights

Offers: OU, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri and LSU among others

Comment: If he stays healthy and learns some technique, he’s going to play in the NFL. He’s listed as an interior lineman by On3, which I think is stupid. He can play tackle. He’s got the quickness and lateral movement. Right now, he’s just playing with sheer brute force, which is crazy when you think he’s 6-foot-4, 300 pounds and maybe 16. I expect his recruitment will blow up. He should become better technically over the next two seasons, but in terms of sheer build and natural strength, he’s been blessed.

Gardena (Calif.) Junipro Serra High School 2028 CB Dion Edwards

Hudl Highlights

Offers: Oregon, UCLA, USC and Miami among others

Comment: Good size. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds, but he looks bigger than 160. Really good anticipation and football IQ; jumps routes and lays off receivers when he realizes the ball isn’t coming their way to make a play elsewhere. Not sure if he’s a corner or safety at the next level, because I don’t know if he’s got the wiggle to turn and run with SEC wideouts.

2027 class status update

Secure:

5-star DE Zyron Forstall

5-star S Kamarui Dorsey

4-star S JayQuan Snell

4-star CB Rylaun Henry

4-star WR Eric McFarland

4-star DE Kaden McCarty

4-star QB Jace Johnson

4-star OL Kaeden Scott

5-star OL Kennedy Brown

4-star LB Mikahi Allen

4-star WR Jaden Upshaw

3-star WR Trey Haddad

3-star TE Holden Niemi

4-star DT Myels Smith

4-star DT Elijah Patmon

3-star CB Hakim Frampton

4-star DB Errol Kerns III

3-star PK Andres von der Meden

3-star P Jamie Sidebottom

Merits some concern

4-star OL DeMarrion Johnson

3-star WR Damani Warren

Johnson has visited SMU and may visit Texas. Texas really wants him.

Warren is visiting Oregon State this weekend. Their offense certainly has drawn attention, but the only real advantage he’d get there is proximity to home (exactly 400 miles closer).

Not sure, but not comfortable either

5-star OL Mark Matthews

Appears to remain solid with A&M, but Miami is pulling out all the stops to flip him and become the top class for 2027. The next four weeks are going to be a fight between the Aggies and Hurricanes

Ok, this is concerning

5-star LB Kaden Henderson

Is visiting Notre Dame this weekend as they play Miami. The Domers are doing everything they can to flip him, and this doesn’t bode well.

4-star DE Frederick Ards III

Will visit South Carolina this weekend for the game. This is his second visit in as many months and they’re really working on him. If you had to pick one player to be really worried about right now, he’d be it (in my opinion).

Team bits

The Aggies have watched plenty of film of LaNorris Sellers this week, primarily in the running game. Sellers abused the Aggies on the ground two years ago and the coaching staff hasn’t forgotten. Part of the “working on themselves” during the bye week had to do with tackling. They’ve been better with it this year, but this isn’t the game where you can afford to start missing tackles. A&M will certainly spy him tomorrow, with all three linebackers and safety Tawfiq Byard likely getting their turns at it.

As it becomes increasingly likely that Marcel Reed will play somewhere else in 2027, there’s another player to watch: Ashton Bethel-Roman. Bethel-Roman is back on the injury report and is listed as questionable for tomorrow after being hurt earlier and being away from the team for “personal reasons”. He hasn’t played much since the first half of the Arizona State game when he didn’t block effectively on quick screens. Since then, he played 114 snaps total against LSU, Arkansas and Missouri, catching five passes for 43 yards. He was not on the injury list against Alabama, but was supposedly with the team. A player who averaged 21 yards a catch last year has a long of 13 this season and isn’t being targeted much. TK Norman, on the other hand, played 188 snaps between Mizzou, Arkansas and the Citadel and caught 11 passes for 118 yards. I wouldn’t be surprised if Norman starts in ABR’s spot tomorrow.

Running back KJ Edwards is listed as questionable for tomorrow, but I expect he will play. He certainly expected to earlier in the week, and I have not heard any news that anything has changed.

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