Disrespectful Updated Rivals Recruit Rankings Have Texas A&M Fans Mystified, Outraged
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A digital firestorm ignited this morning as Rivals.com released its updated 2025 recruit rankings, leaving Texas A&M fans shocked, mystified, and flat-out outraged over what many are calling a “slap in the face” to one of the most stacked recruiting classes in the country.
The most controversial move? Five-star defensive end Jaylen “Tank” Mathis, a physical freak who dominated the 7-on-7 circuit and clocked a 4.54 at the Houston Under Armour Combine, was dropped from No. 12 overall to No. 37 — and lost his fifth star entirely. Aggie fans, coaches, and even rival analysts took to social media to voice disbelief.
“Y’all watched the tape, right?” tweeted former A&M linebacker and ESPN analyst Tyrell Jackson. “Tank was cooking future SEC tackles like it was a backyard barbecue. This is straight disrespect.”
It didn’t stop there. Four-star QB commit Trent Larrimore, widely praised for his elite arm talent and poise under pressure, fell behind several uncommitted quarterbacks, including one who hasn’t played varsity football since 2023 due to injury. “Is Rivals ranking ghosts now?” one Aggie supporter posted on TexAgs, the popular Texas A&M message board, where a 47-page thread titled “Rivals = Clowns” began trending within hours.
The outrage deepened when it was revealed that rival programs — particularly Texas and LSU — saw several of their commits receive unexpected bumps. A&M’s top-rated linebacker Darion Ricks was leapfrogged by a Texas commit who had fewer tackles, fewer offers, and didn’t make the All-State team.
“They’re cooking the books,” claimed user “AggieTruth88” in a post that has since been shared over 10,000 times. “They want Texas back. They want us quiet. But we’re not going anywhere.”
Rivals’ lead analyst, Brad Whitmore, defended the update in a hastily arranged livestream. “We don’t rank based on school. We rank based on projection,” Whitmore said. But his words did little to calm the storm, especially after screenshots emerged of Whitmore liking tweets celebrating Texas’ jump to No. 3 in the class rankings — bumping A&M down to No. 6.
Even recruits weighed in. Jaylen Mathis posted a cryptic Instagram story showing a bull charging through smoke with the caption “#StillComing,” followed by a repost of his game film highlights. Larrimore simply tweeted, “Keep receipts.”
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elston didn’t address the rankings directly, but during his afternoon press availability, he smiled when asked about the controversy. “We don’t play stars,” he said. “We play football.”
Still, the Aggie faithful aren’t forgetting anytime soon. A fan-led “Rivals Boycott” has already gained traction, with Aggies calling on fans to support more “unbiased” platforms. And while the rankings will shift again before National Signing Day, one thing’s for sure: College Station will remember who disrespected their class — and they’ll be ready to prove them wrong.
