Nation’s No. 5 Recruit Reveals Top Team As In-State Battle Heats Up originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
There’s no doubt that every year, the state of Texas produces a number of talented high school players, and the 2027 recruiting class is only looking to continue that trend.
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One of the top players in that group is cornerback John Meredith, who seems to be prioritizing teams close to home, taking three visits in June, all with in-state teams, including the Texas Longhorns, the SMU Mustangs and the Texas A&M Aggies, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons.
Of course, though, only one team will be able to come out on top in this battle, and in the same article from Simmons, the cornerback revealed which team is the favorite in his eyes as of now.
“Texas A&M is doing the best job with me right now, and they are sitting at the top of my list,” Meredith said. “Every time I go there, it feels like home. Coach JP (Jordan Peterson) and coach Mason (Smith) make it feel like I already go there. They are hitting me up every day and they know me really well. I am treated like family every time I am on campus.”
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Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko (left) and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian (right) are battling for CB John Meredith.Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
That’s exciting news for the Aggies, as it’s no surprise these teams are duking it out for Meredith, as Rivals Industry Rankings place him as a five-star recruit, the No. 2 cornerback, the No. 2 player in Texas and the No. 5 player in the nation.
However, the Longhorns are far from out of this race, as he also told Simmons that: “Texas is right there,” and “They are really coming hard. I have been there four or five times and I will be back in the fall.”
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Despite these in-state schools showing a lot of interest early on, several out-of-state programs have done what they can to make an impression, with Meredith receiving offers and taking visits with the Oklahoma Sooners and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
If the Aggies did come out on top, though, it’d be a big reason to celebrate as Meredith could be their first top-10 recruit since landing defensive lineman DJ Hicks (No. 7) in the 2023 class.
Related: Texas Receives Exciting Message From Nation’s No. 1 QB
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
