Texas A&M will be the center of the recruiting world this weekend

Calendars in College Station were circled for the weekend of Sept. 17 a while ago. Texas A&M’s showdown with Miami was an important one, not only for the progress of Jimbo Fisher‘s program but also because it was a marquee night game that would draw a plethora of recruits.

But after the Aggies’ shocking loss to Appalachian State last weekend, this will be a critical one as Fisher and Co. look to close strong in the 2023 cycle. And there will be no shortage of elite-level talent in town. The receiver group alone will feature three players ranked in the top 10 at the position in the On3 Consensus: Longview (Texas) four-star Jalen Hale, Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep four-star Jalen Brown and Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan five-star Hykeem Williams.

With Hale, it looks to be down to a two-team race between Alabama and Texas, but the Aggies are hoping to make a huge move with him. Brown is an LSU commit who will be on an official visit to Kyle Field — never a bad sign. Of the group though, Williams is the highest priority and the one A&M stands in the best position with. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) favors the Aggies heavily, but Florida State has made a big move in recent weeks. With Williams’ scheduled to commit next week, a strong showing — especially on offense — will be paramount for the Aggies.

Four-star San Diego (Calif.) running back and UCLA commit Roderick Robinson, who rushed for an eye-popping eight touchdowns last weekend, will also be on an official. A&M doesn’t currently have a back committed and has its sights set on Robinson, four-star Jeremiyah Love and five-star Louisville commit Rueben Owens. The latter was expected to make an unannounced visit, but said Tuesday he had canceled it after news of the plan broke.

A week after visiting Oklahoma, five-star Notre Dame safety commit Peyton Bowen will take an unofficial beginning Saturday, as will Alabama five-star safety pledge Tony Mitchell. The Aggies have been in relentless pursuit of both and at least have their ears right now. A new addition to the list, according to Aggie Scoop’s Tim Verghese, is four-star Georgia wide receiver commit Raymond Cottrell. The No. 101 prospect in the On3 Consensus, Cottrell was a one-time Florida pledge before flipping to the Bulldogs this summer.

Back for the second consecutive weekend is five-star Katy (Texas) Paetow defensive lineman David Hicks, who is thought to be down to Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Alabama at this point. The Sooners are expected to receive an official visit later this season.

Last but certainly not least is five-star linebacker commit Anthony Hill, who joined the Aggies’ class in late July. He’s given no indication that his commitment is wavering, but as the nation’s top ‘backer, his recruitment isn’t going to end until he signs on the dotted line.