Texas A&M Football: Is Texas’ recruiting rekindling a rivalry?

Texas A&M football fans have taken notice of the wild recruiting run in Austin, serving only to fan the flames of a rivalry that was never truly extinguished.

Since Arch Manning committed to Texas, the Longhorns’ have exploded on the recruiting trail to a degree that hasn’t really been seen in Austin since Texas A&M football left their rivals for the more fertile recruiting grounds of the SEC.

Texas A&M has finished higher than Texas in three consecutive recruiting cycles, including back-to-back in-state recruiting wins before the Aggies landed the highest-rated class in modern recruiting history.

While they haven’t faced off on the field, A&M has inarguably had the better run on the gridiron as well. Texas is 20-15 over the last three seasons. Texas A&M is 25-10 with a No. 4 overall finish in 2020. That’s what makes the recent recruiting surge so interesting.

Despite ardent claims from each side that they have “moved on”, the Longhorns’ big week in recruiting combined with the Longhorns’ eventual arrival in the SEC has stoked the rivalry fires that never truly died out. A&M had the No. 1 class in 2022. Could Texas threaten that threshold in 2023? What happens when these two schools have to settle their disputes on the gridiron?

Texas is a blueblood brand that has always been expected to recruit at an elite level. Since making the move to the SEC, and arguably more so in recent years, the Aggies have proven they can match the Longhorns, if not outdo them.

Whether some fans like it or not, these schools will be forever linked. So when Texas lands a blue-chip recruit, the ripple effects will be felt in College Station. It’s a two-way street though, and the Aggies will respond in kind. It’s a new era for this storied rivalry, one that will soon enough have a resolution on the field. Thank goodness.