Texas A&M lands 2027 LB Aston Whiteside

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Burleson (Texas) Centennial three-star linebacker Aston Whiteside has committed to Texas A&M, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

He chose the Aggies over the likes of Kentucky, Texas Tech and Miami.

He is the No. 491 overall prospect and No. 41 LB in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 66 recruit in the Lone Star State.

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Coming off an official visit to College Station, Whiteside is locking in with head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was scheduled to visit Kentucky next, but he’s instead off the board before the heart of the summer.

“The official was great,” Whiteside told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman. “A&M took a huge step in my recruitment. The hospitality they showed my family and me was great, as well as the caliber of recruits there. That’s the type of environment I want to be in … They showed my family and me great hospitality. I got to see the caliber of players they were recruiting. Overall, I learned a lot more about the program. I can honestly see myself going there.”

Whiteside becomes commit No. 16 for the Aggies this cycle and he’s also the first listed linebacker prospect to choose the SEC program. A&M has the top-ranked class, as of June 1, per the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

While being a top-500 prospect, Whiteside is still the second-lowest-ranked commit in the class. It’s a monstrous haul for Elko and Co., one that already features a whopping five five-star prospects.

The last time a program signed at least five five-stars and didn’t finish atop the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings was Ohio State in the 2021 cycle. The Buckeyes inked seven five-stars but still finished at No. 2 behind Alabama, which signed five of its own.

A&M of course put together a landmark No. 1 class in the 2022 cycle, signing nine five-stars. Alabama (2023), Georgia (2024) and Texas (2025) are other schools that have recently signed five or more five-stars in a cycle.

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Mark Matthews headlines as the No. 6 prospect and No. 1 OT in the nation. He’s flanked atop the class by Hampton (Ga.) safety Kamarui Dorsey, Baltimore St. Frances Academy cornerback Raylaun Henry, IMG Academy (Fla.) EDGE Zyron Forstall and Houston Kingwood interior offensive lineman Kennedy Brown.

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