Connect with us

Texas

Arrington, top athlete prospect in ’26, picks A&M

Published

on

Arrington, top athlete prospect in ’26, picks A&M


Texas A&M beat Oregon to the commitment of five-star athlete Brandon Arrington on Thursday, securing the Aggies their highest-ranked pledge under second-year head coach Mike Elko.

Arrington, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound speedster from Spring Valley, California, is the No. 1 athlete prospect and 14th overall recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300. Projected to play cornerback at the next level, Arrington took official visits to Penn State, Washington, Texas A&M, Alabama and Oregon this spring before narrowing his finalists to the Aggies and Ducks and announcing his commitment in a ceremony at California’s Mount Miguel High School Thursday afternoon.

Arrington told ESPN that his connections with Texas A&M assistants Jordan Peterson and Bryant Gross-Armiento and the development path the program presented him were central drivers in his decision to join the Aggies’ 2026 class.

Advertisement

“The relationship goes back to day one, for real,” he said. “They’ve been locked in with me, recruiting me hard from the very start. The environment feels like home. The people care about football there.”

Arrington’s pledge marks the latest and most significant piece of recruiting momentum for a Texas A&M class that began the week ranked No. 7 in ESPN’s team rankings for the 2026 cycle.

The Aggies added along the offensive line Monday with four-star offensive tackle commit Samuel Roseborough (No. 123 overall), then edged Texas for four-star rusher K.J. Edwards (No. 106) on Tuesday in a major in-state recruiting win. In Arrington, Texas A&M has its fourth ESPN 300 pledge in the month of June and a prospect who would rank as the program’s highest-rated signee since five-star defensive tackle David Hicks (No. 8 overall) in the 2023 cycle if Arrington ultimately signs later this year.

Upon Arrington’s commitment, Texas A&M will next turn its attention to No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown and elite wide receiver prospect Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (No. 23 overall), both of whom are expected to announce their commitments early next month. Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley (No. 19) and top 50 offensive tackle John Turntine III represent another pair of priority targets as Elko and the Aggies seek to land a second top 10 class in as many cycles.

A nationally competitive sprinter who plays two-ways at Mount Miguel, Arrington now headlines an impressive Texas A&M defensive backs class in 2026. Illinois flip Victor Singleton (No. 55) previously stood as the program’s top-ranked pledge in the cycle, and between Arrington’s move and the early June commitment of four-star Camren Hamiel (No. 86), the Aggies now hold pledges from three of ESPN’s top 15 cornerback prospects in the 2026 class.

Advertisement

Arrington, considered among the fastest prospects in the cycle, projects as a raw talent with a high-developmental ceiling at the next level.

He flirted with California high school track and field records earlier this spring when Arrington posted personal bests in the 100-meter (10.24 seconds) and 200-meter (20.37) events. Texas A&M coaches have compared Arrington’s combination of height, length and speed to the build of former Aggies All-SEC selection Will Lee, and talent evaluators believe Arrington can develop into an elite Power 4 cornerback when he turns his sole attention to football in college.

“I tell everyone about him: If his ceiling is a 10, he’s only at a three right now,” said Mount Miguel head coach Verlaine Betofe. “Once he gets to the next level, he’s going to explode. I think he has first-round talent.”

With Arrington’s pledge, the top end of the 2026 athlete class is expected to settle further in the coming days and weeks. Four-star recruit Joey O’Brien (No. 102 overall) is set to announce his commitment Friday with Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon and Penn State among his finalists. Texas and USC reach late June as the leading contenders for athlete Jalen Lott, No. 108 in the 2026 ESPN 300, ahead of his scheduled announcement on July 8.



Source link

Advertisement

Texas

Texas A&M Forward Transfer Seemingly on Visit to See Lady Vols Basketball | Rocky Top Insider

Published

on

Texas A&M Forward Transfer Seemingly on Visit to See Lady Vols Basketball | Rocky Top Insider


fatmata janneh lady vols basketball
Photo via Texas A&M Athletics

Lady Vols basketball is looking to add more pieces to its 2026-27 roster with high-level experience. After completing her junior season at Texas A&M, Fatmata Janneh has emerged as a Tennessee target for her final year of eligibility. According to her Instagram story on Sunday night, she is in Knoxville.

With the Aggies a year ago, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.4 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. She also showed off an ability to hit from range, posting 1.1 makes per game on 33% shooting from three.

Perhaps Janneh’s biggest strength is her rebounding, though. She ripped down 9.7 boards per contest, good for the fifth-most in the SEC. This featured 2.6 rebounds on the offensive end per outing.

Janneh also averaged 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. She appeared in 27 games, starting in each.

More From RTI: How Watching The NCAA Tournament Drew Terrence Hill Jr. To Tennessee Basketball

Janneh started her career with a pair of seasons at St. Peter’s. As a sophomore, she averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. This made her a sought-after transfer in the portal before landing at Texas A&M as the nation’s leading defensive rebounder. As a freshman, she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Advertisement

The forward is from London, England, attending Barking Abbey Sixth Form for her prep ball. She would be the second player from England to join the Tennessee roster if she committed. UT also added the commitment of incoming freshman and former Boston College signee Irene Oboavwoduo this offseason.

So far, Caldwell and the Lady Vols have landed five transfers in this portal cycle. This features Liberty guard Avery Mills, Northern Arizona guard Naomi White, Stanford forward Harper Peterson and Georgia forward Zhen Craft and guard Rylie Theuerkauf.

Tennessee will also roster a pair of incoming freshmen. Four-star recruit and top-50 prospect Gabby Minus is staying true to her signing despite the roster overhaul and assistant coaching changes, along with the addition of Oboavwoduo.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Texas

Texas needs at least $174 billion to avoid water crisis, state says

Published

on

Texas needs at least 4 billion to avoid water crisis, state says


AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas communities will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to avert a severe water crisis, a new state analysis revealed Thursday. That’s more than double the $80 billion projected four years ago, when the Texas Water Development Board last passed a state water plan.

The three-member board presiding over the agency authorized the highly anticipated draft blueprint Thursday, the first administrative step toward adopting the water development board’s plans for the next 50 years. The plan, released every five years, encompasses the projects that 16 regional water planning groups in Texas said are the most urgent, water development board officials said. 

The board’s latest estimates come as the state’s water supply faces numerous threats. Growing communities across Texas are scrambling to secure water, keep up with construction costs and cope with a yearslong drought. This week, Corpus Christi officials said the city may be just months away from declaring a water emergency. Meanwhile, other rural cities by the Coastal Bend are rapidly drilling wells to avoid a crisis. Residents in North Texas have also been bracing for groundwater shortages.

In an effort to restrain the crisis, lawmakers last year called an election in which voters approved a $20 billion boost for communities to use on water-related expenses. The water development board’s estimate shows that what lawmakers proposed on the ballot falls dramatically short of the needed cash, experts said.

Advertisement

“What this number tells me at the end of the day is if we don’t get serious about (funding water projects), there are going to be serious consequences for Texas,” said Perry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network. “Even with the billion-dollar-a-year plan kicking in, it’s not going to be enough to offset the costs of the projects that are going to have to be executed.”

The new estimate accounts for 3,000 projects, from regional infrastructure upgrades to smaller endeavors such as drilling new water wells. Texas’ water supplies are expected to drop by roughly 10% between 2030 and 2080, according to the water plan. In that same time frame, the maximum amount of water communities can draw is also expected to decline by 9%.

The 80-page plan notes approximately 6,700 recommended strategies that would add water to the state’s dwindling portfolio. The recommendations — which are not accounted for in the cost — include developing new supplies from aquifer storage and recovery, brackish groundwater, desalination and recycled water. It also calls for water conservation.

The report suggested that if Texas does not implement the plans and recommendations, the state is one severe drought away from an estimated $91 billion in economic damages in 2030.

The state’s plan attributes a variety of reasons for the bigger price tag, such as higher costs of construction due to inflation, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, and a growing backlog of water supply projects.

Advertisement

“There’s a plan that can meet our needs,” said Matt Nelson, deputy executive administrator for the Office of Planning at the water development board, adding that they take their cues from the regional planning groups. “These are local projects that folks need to implement; they’re needed regardless of how they’re funded. It’s important to remember these are not top-down projects or state projects.”

Experts told The Texas Tribune that the board’s estimate is only a fraction of what Texas communities will need to ensure they have water in 50 years’ time, saying growth and development are outpacing the state’s ability to keep up.

“This is a bigger water plan in terms of volume strategies and capital costs compared to anything we’ve ever seen before,” said Jeremy Mazur, the director of infrastructure and natural resources policy at think tank Texas 2036.

Mazur suggested that the $174 billion only covers water supply projects and does not account for updating aging infrastructure, adding that the actual price could amount to a quarter of a trillion dollars.

“There’s a substantial magnitude with regard to the capital investment needed to both fix our aging and current systems and potentially develop the water infrastructure, water supply projects that we need.“

Advertisement

The report largely confirmed what many water experts have warned regarding threats to the state’s water supply, said Sarah Kirkle, director of policy at the Texas Water Association.

“Population growth, extreme weather, and economic development needs are all increasing demands on our infrastructure, and the state is going to need more water, sooner,” Kirkle said. “This is all while water projects are becoming more costly and complex because the easiest and cheapest local projects have already been developed.”

Fowler, with the infrastructure network, said he expects the Texas Legislature to take up the issue next year, when lawmakers meet for the 90th legislative session. He said the state should take a bigger role in ensuring that communities can afford their respective water projects.

“It’s going to have to be a top-down priority, there’s no way around it,” he said. “The challenges are so immense that it’s going to take all hands on deck.”

Texas residents have until the end of May to comment on the proposal. Water development board officials must adopt it by January 2027.

Advertisement

Alejandra Martinez contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Texas

Co‑worker confesses to killing missing North Texas man and stealing his car, police say

Published

on

Co‑worker confesses to killing missing North Texas man and stealing his car, police say



A North Texas man reported missing earlier this week was found dead Friday, and police say a co‑worker has confessed to fatally shooting him and stealing his car.

The suspect, Gregory D. Lewis, 34, remains in custody and faces a forthcoming capital murder charge, according to the Fort Worth Police Department. 

Lewis is accused of killing 31‑year‑old Thomas King, who had been last seen in his Taco Casa work uniform. King was reported missing on Tuesday after failing to return home Monday from the fast‑food restaurant in the 1100 block of Bridgewood Drive.

Advertisement

Car found at Arlington motel 

Police said King’s car was found at the Quality Inn on I‑20 in Arlington, and surveillance video showed Lewis arriving in King’s vehicle shortly after King left work. 

Detectives identified the man in the video and arrested him on unrelated charges.

  Gregory D. Lewis, 34

Tarrant County Jail

Advertisement


Body discovered on Fort Worth’s East Side 

King’s body was located on Friday in an open field on Fort Worth’s East Side, authorities said. 

According to police, Lewis confessed to shooting the victim and stealing his car. 

Medical examiner review pending 

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. 

CBS News Texas has reached out to Taco Casa for comment.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending