{"id":306367,"date":"2026-05-23T22:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T22:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/306367\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T22:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T22:22:11","slug":"how-each-texas-am-5-star-recruit-has-panned-out-since-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/306367\/","title":{"rendered":"How Each Texas A&#038;M 5-Star Recruit Has Panned Out Since 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"64\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/tamu\/football\/this-will-be-the-most-interesting-test-for-texas-am-all-season\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Texas A&amp;M Aggies<\/a> surged up recruiting rankings after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/tamu\/football\/texas-am-lands-massive-commitment-from-no-1-ot-recruit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">signing five-star tackle Mark Matthews<\/a>, bringing the total of five-star recruits to nearly half a dozen.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"67\">For a while, Texas A&amp;M struggled to turn its high-end recruits into NFL talent and multi-year starters. This season, the Aggies proved that things have changed after 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, tying a program record.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6a\">As for the cream of the crop, how have five-star commits performed at Texas A&amp;M? Let\u2019s evaluate how each recruiting class has done, only considering players who committed to the Aggies out of high school and not players who transferred into the program.<\/p>\n<p>How Have Texas A&amp;M\u2019s 5-Star Recruits Performed?2025: 2 Five-Stars, 0 Consensus<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksb13tt26n4cpgnjh1.jpg\" alt=\"A detailed view of Texas A&amp;M Aggies safety Bryce Anderson's helmet before the game against the Florida Gators.\" title=\"A detailed view of Texas A&amp;M Aggies safety Bryce Anderson's helmet before the game against the Florida Gators.\" width=\"360\" height=\"360\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"6q\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A detailed view of Texas A&amp;M Aggies safety Bryce Anderson&#8217;s helmet before the game against the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6u\">It is too early to fairly evaluate the Aggies\u2019 pair of five-star recruits from 2025. Wide receiver Jerome Myles and tackle Lamont Rogers were not contributors as true freshmen, but both played at positions of depth on Texas A&amp;M\u2019s roster. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6x\">Myles took a true redshirt season, playing zero snaps, while Rogers played 70 snaps on offense and six on special teams over four games. Rogers even played 50 offensive snaps against Samford.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"70\">Both will be redshirt freshmen in 2026, and neither projects cleanly as starters on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/tamu\/football\/projecting-post-spring-2026-texas-am-offensive-depth-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">early offensive depth chart<\/a>. However, there is plenty of time for either or both to become true difference-makers.<\/p>\n<p>2024: 1 Five-Star, 1 Consensus<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksb1mrxqrsx7cn7f6y.jpg\" alt=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies wide receiver Terry Bussey runs with the football against the Utah State Aggies.\" title=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies wide receiver Terry Bussey runs with the football against the Utah State Aggies.\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"7d\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Texas A&amp;M Aggies wide receiver Terry Bussey runs with the football during the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Kyle Field. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7h\">Coming out of Timpson High School, Terry Bussey was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.on3.com\/college\/texas-am-aggies\/football\/2024\/commits\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">consensus five-star wide receiver<\/a>. Heading into his junior season, the results are mixed.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7k\">Bussey immediately found a role on the field, playing 634 offensive snaps in his first two seasons. However, he produced fewer total yards in 2025 than he did in 2024, when he played nearly half as many snaps.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7n\">As a freshman, Bussey had 216 receiving yards along with 102 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground; he had 195 receiving yards in 2025 and carried the ball once. His yards per route run dropped from 1.64 to 0.91. He also struggled with drops as a sophomore, recording five on 29 targets.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7q\">His projection was never clean. He is a former two-way high school quarterback learning a new position, and his athletic traits are still apparent. There is plenty of time for Bussey to meet expectations, and he should have opportunities with KC Concepcion in the NFL.<\/p>\n<p>2023: 2 Five-Stars, 1 Consensus<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksb310a1s1d8w437h1.jpg\" alt=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II runs the ball as Miami Hurricanes linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. defends.\" title=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II runs the ball as Miami Hurricanes linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. defends.\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"83\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Texas A&amp;M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II runs the ball as Miami Hurricanes linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. defends during the second half at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"87\">The Aggies landed a pair of five-star recruits in the Class of 2023. Defensive lineman DJ Hicks was a consensus five-star recruit across all four major recruiting sites \u2014 247Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Running back Rueben Owens II was rated a five-star running back by 247Sports.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8a\">Owens has been an impactful addition to A&amp;M\u2019s offense since he stepped foot in Aggieland. He had 385 rushing yards as a freshman, landing on the SEC All-Freshman Team. However, he injured his foot during the fall of his sophomore season and appeared in just two games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-19\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8d\">As a junior, Owens ran for five touchdowns and a team-high 639 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Texas A&amp;M has used a committee approach in recent seasons, but Owens has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/tamu\/football\/are-the-texas-am-aggies-set-at-running-back-after-dd-murray-addition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">chance to be the No. 1 back<\/a> in 2026 and could push for an All-SEC season as a redshirt junior.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-20\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8g\">Hicks has had a role every season with the Aggies, making three total starts, but he has yet to be a key contributor. He has been credited with 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks and played over 700 defensive snaps.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-21\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8j\">Since high school, Hicks has added weight and kicked inside as a three-tech defensive tackle, and he could have an important role in his senior season.<\/p>\n<p>2022: 10 Five-Stars, 4 Consensus<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksb43jb5w9j2t06e11.jpg\" alt=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies wide receiver Evan Stewart runs after a catch against the Florida Gators.\" title=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies wide receiver Evan Stewart runs after a catch against the Florida Gators.\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"8w\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Texas A&amp;M Aggies wide receiver Evan Stewart runs after a catch in the second half against the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"90\">As Texas A&amp;M stacks up top recruits in the Class of 2027, memories of the 2022 recruiting class come to mind. While the results were mixed, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/tamu\/football\/why-texas-am-2027-recruiting-class-is-different-from-2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the Aggies have learned their lessons<\/a>, the class was far from disappointing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"93\">The legacy of the class is that it was 247Sports\u2019 highest-rated recruiting class. The recruiting website listed the Aggies with eight top-25 recruits:<\/p>\n<p>Player (247Sports Ranking)<\/p>\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<p>Walter Nolen III, DL (No. 2)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 14 starts in two seasons at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 Transferred to Ole Miss in 2024<br \/>\u2022 2025 draft pick (No. 16)<\/p>\n<p>Shemar Stewart, DL (No. 9)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 19 starts in three seasons at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 2025 draft pick (No. 17)<\/p>\n<p>Evan Stewart, WR (No. 11)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 15 starts in two seasons at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 1,000+ yards at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 With Oregon since 2024<\/p>\n<p>LT Overton, DL (No. 14)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 4 starts in two seasons at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 Transferred to Alabama in 2024<br \/>\u2022 2026 draft pick (No. 137)<\/p>\n<p>Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, DL (No. 17)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Zero starts in three seasons at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 With South Carolina since 2025<\/p>\n<p>Conner Weigman, QB (No. 22)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 13 starts in three seasons at Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 With Houston since 2025<\/p>\n<p>Denver Harris, CB (No. 23)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 One season with Texas A&amp;M, LSU and UTSA<br \/>\u2022 With UNLV since 2025<\/p>\n<p>Chris Marshall, WR (No. 25)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 One season with Texas A&amp;M<br \/>\u2022 Played for Kilgore College and Boise State<br \/>\u2022 Transferred to Arkansas in 2026<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-27\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"98\">Nolen, Shemar Stewart, Overton and Evan Stewart were all listed as consensus five-star recruits. Three of them have already been drafted, while the latter has been on NFL radars, though injuries have held him back.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-28\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9b\">Two other players were listed as five-star recruits by one or more websites. Defensive lineman Anthony Lucas was ranked 32nd by 247Sports, and safety Jacoby Mathews was ranked 19th by On3 and 27th by Rivals.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-29\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9e\">In the end, the 10 players who were credited as a five-star recruit by at least one website resulted in:<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-30\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9h\">\u2022 3 NFL Draft picks<br \/>\u2022 1 undrafted free agent<br \/>\u2022 6 remain in college<br \/>\u2022 0 play for Texas A&amp;M in 2026<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-31\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9k\">While other non-five-star recruits have made an impact for the Aggies, including starting center Mark Nabou Jr., who returns for his senior season, the top of the class paid few dividends for Texas A&amp;M.<\/p>\n<p>2021: 3 Five-Stars, 0 Consensus<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksb5pzyteme6te8841.jpg\" alt=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner rushes South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler.\" title=\"Texas A&amp;M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner rushes South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler.\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"9x\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Texas A&amp;M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner rushes South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler during the second half at Kyle Field. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-34\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a1\">Three Texas A&amp;M recruits from the Class of 2021 were rated as five-star prospects by at least one website: defensive linemen Shemar Turner (On3, ESPN) and Tunmise Adeleye (Rivals) and offensive lineman Bryce Foster (Rivals).<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-35\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a4\">Turner and Foster made significant impacts at Texas A&amp;M. Turner was a second-round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2025 NFL draft, and he recorded 10 sacks and 22.5 tackles for a loss in four seasons with the Aggies.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-36\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a7\">Foster, meanwhile, was a Freshman All-American in 2021 and was a starter all three seasons with the Aggies. He transferred to Kansas in 2024 and earned all-conference honors in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-37\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"aa\">As for Adeleye, he played for four teams in four seasons. After limited action as a redshirt freshman in 2022, he transferred to Michigan State and then Texas State. His best season came as a senior with UNLV, recording 7.5 sacks in 2025.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-38\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ad\">Sign up to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/tamu\/newsletter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">our free newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AggiesOnSI\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TAMUAggiesOnSI\" rel=\"nofollow\">X<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tamuaggiesonsi\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for the latest news.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\" class=\"shrink-0\"\/>Add us as a preferred source on Google<a aria-label=\"Follow si.com on Google News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=si.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"flex h-[30px] w-[30px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary font-group-large text-sm font-medium text-white transition-colors hover:bg-secondary focus:bg-secondary md:w-auto md:gap-2.5 md:px-4 md:py-[5px]\">Follow<\/a><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Texas A&amp;M Aggies surged up recruiting rankings after signing five-star tackle Mark Matthews, bringing the total of&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":306368,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-306367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}