Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies are starting June red-hot on the recruiting trail. They just landed their third commitment of the month and second of the day with three-star athlete Loia Valade committing to the program on Tuesday.
Valade is from Boca Raton, Florida, and picked Texas A&M over the Auburn Tigers and in-state Florida Gators. He is their third commitment from Florida, joining five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews and four-star edge Frederick Ards III, who also committed to the Aggies on Tuesday.
He is ranked as the No. 797 overall player and No. 22 athlete in the Rivals industry ranking. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is also the No. 85 player from Florida. While listed as an athlete, he is expected to play in the secondary for the Aggies.
Valade had a breakout junior season at McCallie High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before transferring to West Boca Raton for his senior season. He played wide receiver and defensive back, catching 29 passes for 456 yards and five touchdowns to go with 21 tackles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups.
He adds even more depth to Texas A&M’s 2027 recruiting class, which now has 18 members and is ranked as the best class in the country. They have cleaned up in the secondary, landing five-star safety Kamarui Dorsey, five-star cornerback Raylaun Henry, four-star safety JayQuan Snell, three-star cornerback Hakim Frampton, and now Valade.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Three-star athlete commits to Texas A&M over Auburn, Florida
Reporting by JD McCarthy, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
