April 28, 2026, 11:54 a.m. CT<\/p>\n
Last season, Texas A&M<\/a> head coach Bucky McMillan<\/a>‘s team had two critical flaws: a lack of size and athleticism. Adding Loyola Marymount transfer forward Jalen Shelley<\/a> addresses both areas in one swift motion.<\/p>\n A 4-star recruit and RSCI top-70 recruit in the class of 2024, Shelley began his collegiate career at USC, where he was teammates with future Aggie center Rashaun Agee<\/a>. After receiving little playing time on an underwhelming Trojan team, Shelley transferred down to LMU for his sophomore season.<\/p>\n Shelley had a breakout season for the Lions in 2025-26, averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals\/blocks and starting all 25 games at small forward before falling to a season-ending injury in February. He was widely considered a candidate to return to the high-major level, and indeed, he did this summer by transferring to Texas A&M.<\/p>\n When asked about the newest Aggie, one scout reported that Shelley’s “length and athleticism jump off the page,” which translates into an effective downhill scoring game. Against top-100 competition, Shelley converted a stunning 68.1% of his rim attempts, ranking among the best 180 forwards in the country, while taking just under half of his shots at the rim.<\/p>\n Still against top-100 competition, he generated over 30% of his points on rim attacks (89th percentile), finishing at a truly elite 68.1% FG% (96th percentile). With McMillan’s emphasis on spacing and shooting elsewhere on the court, Shelley should have ample opportunity to get downhill and attack the rim.<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n When he’s not getting downhill, Shelley has a versatile game. He is a strong rebounder for the SF position, with his 19.5% defensive rebounding rate ranking in the top-200 among forwards. While he was an offense-first player at LMU, Shelley finished with the 14th-best block percentage in the WCC and flashed defensive upside at USC with a 4-block game against Purdue. Perhaps Shelley can use his length and athleticism to be a threat on both ends of the floor in a smaller offensive role alongside PJ Haggerty<\/a> and Bryson Warren<\/a>.<\/p>\n Shelley projects to start at the small forward position, creating a presumed starting five of Warren, Haggerty, Shelley, Mackenzie Mgbako<\/a>, and Zach Clemence<\/a>. With Warren and Haggerty shouldering the offensive load and Clemence playing as a stretch five, Shelley and Mgbako will bring a strong interior presence and physicality to a Texas A&M squad that sorely lacked both last season.<\/p>\n Contact\/Follow us\u00a0@AggiesWire<\/a>\u00a0on X\u00a0(formerly Twitter) and like our page on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions.\u00a0Follow Sam on X:@Smallred25<\/a><\/p>\n