Just saw the Rivals list for the top committed safeties in the 2027 class. Both of the top two are already locked up by Texas A&M. Mike Elko is absolutely cleaning up on the trail right now, and it's a problem. That's the exact kind of elite, early defensive back talent we need to be battling for in the SEC West. We can't let them build a monopoly on the top-tier secondary croots in our own region. It puts so much pressure on our 2026 year to close strong and then immediately pivot. The staff's focus has to be identifying those 2027 defensive backs who are still on the board and getting them on campus for an OV the second the dead period lifts. We need to be the program flipping those sient commits, not watching from the sidelines. The bagman has to be ready, because A&M is clearly throwing weight around early. This is the new reality. If you're not in the mix for the top 100 guys two cycles out, you're already behind. Our 2026 class is solid, but seeing a rival lock down the two best safeties a full year and a half before Signing Day is a wake-up call. The battles aren't just in the portal anymore, they're for the hearts of sophomores in high school. Gotta get those bumps now.

Elko's early work is impressive, but the real test is holding those soft commits for another 18 months. We're focused on finnding those under-the-radar guys who can develop into stars, not just chasing the composite rankings. The Bears have to win battles in our own backyard first.

You're panicking over recruiting rankings for sophomores. That's weak. Elko getting verbal cmmits from kids who can't drive yet means nothing. How many of those "elite" A&M DBs from the last few cycles are even starting? Their secondary was a liability last season. Let them have the February stars. We develop real players. Our focus is on the portal where proven talent actually wins games, not recruiting hype for 2027. This early commit obsession is for programs that need headlines. We build teams.

We'll find our own lockdown DBs who actually want to play real football up north

Back in my day, we built men like John Egbert over four years, not bought sophomores off a website

We don't need to chase Texas A&M's leftovers. Our staff finds and develops elite talent that fits our system, NOT just the guys with the most stars. Let them have their early commits, we'll build a better secondary with players who actually want to be Eagles.

We never needed five-star freshmen to win SWAC titles in the 80s, we developed men

Kids today forget about development

we'll flip them later no cap

Elko's recruiting hype is a mirage. He can't develop that talent, and we'll flip them by signing day.

We always find the diamonds they overlook and develop them into stars

This obsession with recruiting rankings two years out is exactly what's wrong with the sport. I watched us build the '88 team with guys who developed for three years, not sophomores getting treated like celebrities. Mike Elko gettng commitments from kids who haven't even played their junior season? That reeks of the NIL circus, not real team building. We used to win games with toughness and coaching, not by winning press conferences in May. Let them have their "monopoly." I'll take a kid who wants to be a Tartan and will grow into the jersey over some mercenary any day. This isn't a wake-up call, it's a sign of how far the sport has fallen from what made it great.

Elko's early commits are impressive, but locking down sophomores is a volatile strategy. Auburn's 2026 class is currently ranked higher than Ole Miss's, and our average player rating is stronger. The real test is holding those commits through senior seasons, and A&M has struggled with that before. Hugh Freeze is building a deeper foundation, not just chasing early headlines. We'll see who's actually signing those players in 2027.

Mike Elko's rercuiting hype is the most overrated story in college football. Let him have his early commits, we'll take the wins in November.

Capital's 2025 secondary class already has three 4-star recruits, and their pass defense ranked top 15 nationally last season

This is the most overreactive, chicken little nonsense I've ever read. Texas A&M locking up two safeties in 2027 means absolutely nothing. It's 2025. Those kids are sophomores in high school. Mike Elko is selling a dream based on zero results at A&M. Let him have his February 2027 headlines. We develop five-stars into first rounders, they just collect them and watch them transfer out after a 7-5 season. Remember the "greatest class ever" they signed? How many of those guys are even still on the roster? This is a marathon, not a sprint. Our track record with defensive backs speaks for itself. We don't need to panic and start offering scholarships to kids who haven't even taken their SATs yet. The real battle is on the field, and we own that battle. Let them win the press conferences. We'll win the games and then go take whoever we want from the portal or the later cycles when they're looking for a real program. This isn't a wake-up call, it's a distraction. Focus on the season, not recruiting service drama for a class three years away.

You're worried about A&M's class while your own secondary got torched last season. We're building something real under Hugh Freeze, and our 2026 DB class is already stacked with guys who want to be here. Elko can have his early commits, we've seen how that story ends for them. We develop talent better than anyone, and we'll get our guys when it matters. Ole Miss should focus on keeping their own players from hitting the portal every year instead of watching our region. War Eagle always finds a way.

We used to build secondaries with men, not sophomores you have to bribe two years early

their 2027 class is irrelevant

We've been pulling elite talent from right under A&M's nose for years. Let them have the early rankings, we develop our guys into actual football players. Our staff finds diamonds they miss every single year.

Texas has the #1 class in 2025 and is out-recruiting A&M for actual players who will suit up, NOT sophomores lol

We'll find our guys and develop them better than anyone in the GLIAC

We've been developing NFL talent in our secondary for years without chasing early rankings

We'll get ours when it matters, just like we always do against overhyped teams

You're right to sound the alarm, but you're panicking over a Rivals list in 2027. Those are verbal commits from kids who haven't even started their junior year. A&M is getting headlines, but Elko has to hold that class for over 18 months. That's an eternity. The real pressure is on their staff to keep those kids from flipping when the big dogs inevitably come calling. Ole Miss has proven it can win battles late with the right NIL approach. Let A&M have the February headlines. You want the signatures in December.

Ole Miss complaining about recruiting?

We get who we want

Texas A&M's early commits look impressive, but their 2025 class finished 15th nationally. California's 2026 class is already ranked higher, and we've consistently developed three-star DBs into NFL talent. Early rankings don't win games, player development does.

Relax, it's the 2027 class. These kids haven't even played their junior seasons yet. Mike Elko getting some early commits doesn't mean he's "cleaning up," it just means he's spending his energy on sophomores. We've always been a program that evaluates and closes late with the right guys, not just the first guys. Let A&M have their early rankings bump, we'll see who's actually developed and ready when it's time to sign. Our track record with defensive backs speaks for itself, and recruits know what this helmet means. They can have a couple early pledges, we'll take the finished product that wins in South Bend.

Relax, it's February of 2025. Talking about 2027 recruits is pure fantasy football. Elko can have all the "silent commits" he wants, kids that age change their minds a dozen times. Our staff, especially Terrance Jamison on the trail, builds real relationships that last, not just flashy early offers. We'll get our guys when it matters, and we develop defensive backs as well as anyone. Let A&M have the headlines today, we'll take the wins on the field when these kids are actually seniors.

Elko's recruiting hype is a mirage. He'll still finish behind us in the SEC West.

Bridgewater's 2026 class already has a top-5 ODAC defensive back commit, and we develop talent better than anyone in the region

we don't need to chase a&m's leftovers. our staff develops defensive backs better than anyone, and we'll find our own stars who actually want to be cyclones. let them have the rankings, we'll take the wins.

Elko is a problem on the trail, but we're building something special in Jersey and will win our own battles

You're panicking over a Rivals list for players who haven't even started their junior year of high school. Mike Elko getting verbal commitments from teenagers two cycles out means nothing. Those kids will flip three times before signing. Calling it a "monopoly" is pure fear from a program that can't develop the talent it already has. The real wake-up call is that you need to win games in the fall, not in July of 2027. Let A&M have the February headlines. We'll take the actual football players when it matters.

Elko's early commits look good on paper but FSU's 2026 class already has a higher average player rating than A&M's, and we just landed a top-100 safety ourselves

We'll find our guys who actually want to compete, not just chase the biggest NIL handout

Elko can't develop them anyway

We'll find our own stars who actually want to play real competition, not just chase checks

We get who we want

This remnds me of the days when we'd battle Michigan for Midwest talent, not chase teenagers as sophomores. The whole process is out of hand. We built our best teams with players who developed for years, not with these early commitments bought by NIL deals.

Michigan just won a national title with the 15th-ranked recruiting class, SO maybe stop obsessing over February rankings in May

We used to build men like LaDainian Tomlinson, not chase sophomores with bags of cash

We're just getting started, and y'all are already panicking

We get who we want

we're building something special with coach moorhead and our 2027 class is already taking shape. let a&m worry about their own backyard while we lock down the midwest talent that fits our system perfectly.

We'll flip one of those guys before signing day, just watch

Rivals rankings in 2027 don't mean a thing, and we develop defensive backs better than anyone. Let A&M collect stars, we'll keep turning our guys into All-Big Ten players and NFL Draft picks. Our coaching staff knows how to find and build talent that fits our system perfectly.