Why 5-Star Recruit Brandon Arrington Committed To Texas A&M Aggies Over Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks and the Texas A&M Aggies were the finalists for class of 2026 cornerback recruit Brandon Arrington.

Arrington made his highly anticipated commitment announcement on Thursday, putting on a Texas A&M hat.

"They have recruited me the hardest," Arrington told On3. "They made me feel wanted from the beginning...It is about the people at A&M. The staff made me feel welcome and that is what did it."

Brandon Arrington Commits to Texas A&M Aggies

Nov 16, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts during the first half against the New Mexico State Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Brandon Arrington is a 6-2, 180 pound cornerback out of Spring Valley, California. Arrington is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 10 overall pick prospect in the class of 2026 according to 247Sports Composite. In addition to being a five-star football recruit, Arrington is also a track star that won the CIF state title in the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash.

WATCH: 5-star ATH Brandon Arrington commits to Texas A&M 🚨

Arrington is the No. 29 overall ranked prospect in the 2026 class.@brandonjubie2 x @GigEm247 pic.twitter.com/2yG1fMbzre
— 247Sports (@247Sports) June 19, 2025

Arrington has stressed that coaching and the staff is the biggest thing he looked for in his recruitment. He has not wanted to get into get into the NIL dollar amount and what type of role that played. His dream has been to play college football and not to make a certain amount of money doing it.

“I don’t talk about that at all. I just want to go there and play ball,” Arrington told On3. “I just want to achieve my dream and my goal. That’s all I’m really thinking about.”

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts during the second half against the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7. at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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Oregon Still Searching For First 5-Star in 2026 Class

Oregon offensive lineman Marcus Harper II, left, talks to Oregon head coach Dan Lanning during the Oregon football’s Pro Day Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks missed out on Brandon Arrington, as he chose the Aggies over the Ducks on Thursday. Oregon's highest graded 2026 recruit as of now is four-star athlete Kendre Harrison.

In the updated On3's 026 recruiting rankings, Oregon is ranked No. 8 in all of college football and No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference.

The Ducks currently have one commit in the defensive backfield so far, with four-star safety Xavier Lherisse committing in February. Oregon is also pursuing five-star safety Jett Washington, who is expected to make his college decision over the summer.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during the coaches press conference in Los Angeles Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, ahead of the Rose Bowl. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Whether Lanning and the Ducks land Arrington or not, recruiting has been surging under Lanning's leadership. In an exclusive interview with Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus, Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski revealed what makes Lanning unique, as the coaches pair up to recruit two-sport athletes to Eugene.

“He plays tic-tac-toe in his office with recruits. Like he's real,” Wasikowski said. “There was a recruiting call one time - he's with a couple of his college buddies on a lake in the Ozarks on a boat. And he didn't even have a shirt on and he's taking a recruiting call. He picks up the phone… He answers a FaceTime at all hours of the day or night… You never know, you're not always on your prettiest face and the best look when you're getting FaceTimed by somebody randomly. And yet he's that guy, right?”

“He's the guy that just wants to do whatever he can,” Wasikowski continued. “He's a genuine person.”