When Jimbo Fisher was linked to the LSU head coaching vacancy in the fall of 2021, Fisher rebutted any report of his interest in the job by rhetorically asking why he would want to play against the 2022 recruiting class he was in the middle of building at Texas A&M.
The early signing period has come and gone and Fisher’s sentiment is ringing truer now than ever before. Texas A&M signed five five-star recruits during the early signing period and put the icing on the cake of its 2022 class during Sunday’s Under Armour All-American Game, securing the commitment of five-star linebacker Harold Perkins.
Perkins picked Texas A&M over Texas and LSU, where he was once committed. Perkins’ recruitment is not over, as he is looking to take official visits throughout January, but his commitment has Texas A&M on the verge of making modern recruiting era history.
Perkins’ pledge to Texas A&M pushed the Aggies’ 2022 recruiting class past Alabama as the highest-ranked recruiting class of all-time, according to 247Sports. Texas A&M also now has a comfortable lead over Alabama and Georgia for the top 2022 recruiting class in the nation — one it is a lock to hold onto as long as Perkins remains on board.
“I think people are realizing what we can do and where we’re going,” Fisher told 247Sports’ Josh Pate during the early signing period. “Where this game is going, what our future is here and what A&M can present for them not only athletically but for life after ball, education and everything else. This place is all-encompassing, it has everything it needs.”
Headlining Texas A&M’s 2022 recruiting class are Perkins, five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen — the No. 1 player in USA TODAY High School Sports’ top 100 rankings — five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart, five-star cornerback Denver Harris, five-star quarterback Connor Weigman and five-star defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy.
The class also features numerous blue-chip four-star prospects, including Philadelphia pass rusher Enai White, hulking Arizona defensive lineman Anthony Lucas and hard-hitting local safety Bryce Anderson.
Texas A&M fell short of its goals in 2021, but it’s hard to see that happening much more with the talent it is bringing into its program through recruiting. The Aggies are inching closer to becoming a force to be reckoned with and are setting records while getting there.
