Among Texas A&M’s 26 commits in the Aggies’ No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class, six five-star prospects, led by Rivals’ No. 2-ranked player, offensive tackle Mark Matthews, continue to stand out, while the Rivals300 rankings update saw several Aggie commits, including standout Edge Frederick Ards III, who is close to being a five-star prospect.
Standing nearly 6’5″ and 220 pounds, Ards is currently seen as an outside linebacker and has thrived from a two- or three-point stance, consistently converting speed to power, which led to his career-high 80 tackles, 11 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. While Ards will be heavily pursued by several blue-blood programs, third-year coach Mike Elko’s background in developing defensive linemen continues to pay off on the recruiting trail.
Cashius Howell earned unanimous All-American honors last season after leading the SEC with 11.5 sacks, doing so with short arms compared to most NFL edge rushers and outside linebackers, but after being selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the former Bowling Green transfer should pick up where he left off.
Ards’ path towards double-digit sacks with the Aggies will start with his offseason training under S&C coach Tommy Moffitt this time next year, and among the top-ranked Edge prospects, Ards is ranked 6th and 50th overall in the Rivals300 rankings. The Florida native’s future is undoubtedly bright on paper, and getting him to the finish line before Early Signing Day is now the focus.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M 4-star commit ranked 6th best 2027 Edge rusher in Rivals300
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
