Texas A&M landed a surprise commitment from Carthage, Texas running back KJ Edwards on Tuesday afternoon. Edwards, who was originally scheduled to commit on Aug. 2 after going through a full schedule of official visits, made his pledge to the Aggies after a weekend visit to College Station.
Edwards was scheduled to visit Texas on June 20. The Longhorns also received one prediction for Edwards’ services on the 247Sports Crystal Ball.
Edwards, the No. 47 player overall and No. 2 running back in 2026, is now the highest-ranked prospect in a Texas A&M class that now sits at second in 247Sports’ Team Composite Recruiting Rankings. His commitment also gives the Aggies arguably the best backfield tandem in the nation, as Texas A&M already holds a pledge four-star back Jonathan Hatton Jr., the No. 8 player at his position.
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The 5-foot-10 Edwards rushed for a career-high 1,789 yards and 23 touchdowns last season while averaging a blistering 12.6 yards per carry. He also runs track for Carthage, where he has a personal best of 10.99 seconds in the 100-meter dash.
Based on his 247Sports scouting evaluation, Edwards could be an early impact player for the Aggies:
Plays at a different speed in pads and in elite camp settings, such as 2025 Under Armour Dallas Regional. Frequent big-play threat. Excels as a cut-and-go slasher with agility in the hole to make a man miss and hit the second level unencumbered. Slippery strong with a low center of gravity that fosters positive pad level. Not stylistically an open-field move-stringer, but capable of stacking cuts and gaining yards after contact. Sudden stop-start athlete with jump-cut burst. Not bounce-happy, but particularly dangerous when bouncing because of sudden lateral burst to gain angle leverage. Finishes runs above his weight. Advanced vision. Knows how to stay patient for blockers.
Texas A&M continues stacking backfield talent
Though Texas A&M didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher last season — due in large part to a litany of injuries in the running back room — the Aggies do know the importance of building a deep backfield in the SEC. Previous staffs recruited the running back position very well, and second-year coach Mike Elko has hit the ground running in that regard.
In addition to Edwards and Hatton, who still have to sign, Texas A&M added a pair of high-upside backs in 2025. Three star Jamarion Morrow chose the Aggies over offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Auburn, while Deondrae Riden Jr. signed after an accomplished career at in-state DeSoto High School.
Neither will likely see the field much as freshmen, given the presence of veteran blue-chip options on Texas A&M’s roster. Le’Veon Moss, the No. 5 running back in the class of 2022, is back after leading the Aggies with 768 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing last season.
He’ll team with Rueben Owens, a former five-star prospect that missed most of the 2024 season with a foot injury, as one of the SEC’s top running back tandems. The Aggies can also turn to experienced options like Amari Daniels and EJ Smith, who was a four-star prospect in the class of 2020.
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