Five-Star Plus+ athlete Terry Bussey sticks with Texas A&M

When Timpson (Texas) Five-Star Plus+ athlete Terry Bussey committed to Texas A&M in September, he committed to an entirely different coaching staff.

The Aggies underwent a change in leadership, and a new coaching staff was brought into College Station after the season. One of the priority goals for that staff was preserving its 2024 recruiting class — including keeping arguably the premier athlete in the class.

New Aggies head coach Mike Elko jumped at the chance to work on building a relationship with Bussey.

“The relationship I have over there with those coaches — even with the new coaches— is pretty much unmatched,” Bussey said near the end of December. “They’ve got great guys over there, great talent, great coaches. Just overall a great, great place and a great fit for me.”

Bussey said that he hears from Elko and his staff every day and that they have done a great job of making him feel like a priority.

In the end, Bussey stuck with the Aggies over LSU and Georgia. The Tigers made an especially strong push to try to flip him away from College Station.

Bussey is the nation’s No. 11 overall prospect and No. 1 athlete in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 3 recruit in Texas.

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $353K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Terry Bussey Scouting Summary

“Do-it-all athlete who is arguably the best high school football player in the state of Texas. Measured a shade over 5-foot-10 and around 180 pounds prior to his senior season. A top athlete, both in the combine setting and on the track. One of the fastest prospects in the 2024 cycle. Ran a personal best of 10.66 seconds in the 100 meters as a sophomore, finishing 3rd in the state meet. Posted strong marks in the long jump (23-4.75 feet and triple jump (45-11 feet) as a junior. Lines up at quarterback and defensive back for Timpson. Has eviscerated the level of competition dating back to his freshman season. Boasts a rare combination of top-tier explosiveness and fluidity. Gashes defenses with his legs. Shows range while working as a defensive back, both as a safety and corner. Does a nice job staying in phase in man coverage.

“Physical defender and is willing to stick his face into traffic. Shows the ability to track the ball as a receiver. A dominant player on Friday nights with elite production. Finished his junior season with 4,773 yards and 72 touchdowns from scrimmage en route to being named Mr. Texas Football. Also picked off five passes, returning four for touchdowns. A four-sport athlete with a sterling multi-sport profile. Averaged 19.6 points per game in basketball and has the ability to throw down dunks at 5-foot-10. Has genuine positional ambiguity at the next level, with his highest upside appearing to be as a defensive back given his natural athleticism and playmaking ability. Is not overly refined as a receiver and would need time to develop as a route-runner. May lack some size, but is an elite athlete with an undeniable body of work as a high school player.”