Newton’s Roney Elam Becomes Fourth 2015 East Texan to Commit to Texas A&M

The Texas A&M Aggies are building one of the nation's very best recruiting classes for 2015, and an East Texan became the latest player to come aboard.

Newton defensive back Roney Elam tweeted news of his decision to commit to Texas A&M early Friday afternoon, becoming the 20th player overall to commit to the Aggies and the fourth from East Texas.

Elam (6-3, 170) joins Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack, Whitehouse safety Justin Dunning and Sulphur Springs safety Larry Pryor as A&M pledges. The Aggies also have an offer extended to Gilmer cornerback Kris Boyd, who is still uncommitted.

With Elam's commitment, 19 recruits from East Texas have issued verbal pledges, while there are 12 other players in the 2015 class with FBS offers who have yet to commit.

Elam reportedly chose A&M over LSU, which gave the Newton standout his first FBS offer back in February. He also holds offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech.

The Aggies are currently riding a wave of momentum after early success in the nation's premier conference. Since joining the SEC prior to the 2012 season, A&M has gone 20-6, produced a Heisman Trophy winner and begun a $450 million renovation project that will, among other things, increase Kyle Field's capacity to 102,500.

Elam played on both sides of the ball last season. Playing quarterback, he finished with 939 passing yards and 11 touchdowns and 437 rushing yards and five scores. Defensively, he racked up five interceptions and forced a fumble.

Once Elam signs his national letter of intent next February, he will become the third Newton player in as many years to sign with a major FBS program. D.J. Dean signed with Arkansas as part of the 2013 class, while Kevin Shorter inked with Texas last February.

Newton, which will begin the year ranked No. 5 by the Associated Press in Class 3A, was 12-1 last season and will compete in the new District 11-3A Division II this fall along with Corrigan-Camden, Crockett, Deweyville, Garrison and Hemphill.

2015 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Jarion Anderson, WR, Texas High, 5-11, 165 – offer from Tulsa (1)
• Rodney Bendy, WR, John Tyler, 6-4, 180 – committed to North Texas; additional offer from ULM (2)
• William Brown, DL, Texas High, 6-3, 259 – offers from Arkansas State, Texas State (2)
• Kris Boyd, ATH, Gilmer, 6-0, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (14)
• Nate Brooks, DB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 150 — committed to North Texas; additional offer from Louisiana Tech (2)
• Nick Cain, ATH, John Tyler, 5-10, 165 — offer from ULM (1)
• Key’Vantanie “KeKe” Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 — offers from Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Tulsa (5)
• Justin Dunning, S, Whitehouse, 6-4, 200 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt (11)
• Brandon Durman, LB, Tyler Lee, 6-2, 230 – committed to Louisiana Tech (1)
• Chandler Eiland, QB, Canton, 6-0, 178 – committed to ULM (1)
• Roney Elam, CB/S, Newton, 6-3, 175 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Jeff Gladney, ATH, New Boston, 6-0, 174 – committed to TCU; additional offers from North Texas, Northern Illinois, Rice, Texas State, Tulsa, UTSA (7)
• JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Houston, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• Tyrone Hunt, DE, Arp, 6-4, 230 – offer from UTSA (1)
• Marcalas Johnson, Arp, 5-10, 181 – offer from Colorado State (1)
• Kevrin Justice, RB, Kilgore, 6-0, 177 — committed to Houston (1)
• Jaylon Lane, CB, Nacogdoches, 6-2, 185 — committed to Oklahoma State; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Boise State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, South Alabama, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, UCLA, ULL, Utah State, Wake Forest, Washington State (38)
• Blake Lynch, ATH, Gilmer, 6-3, 193 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, TCU (6)
• Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 330 – committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, USC (21)
• Terry Mark, WR, Lufkin, 6-1, 180 — committed to Houston (1)
• Erik McCoy, OL, Lufkin, 6-4, 297 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State, ULL (6)
• Samuel Miller, DE, Canton, 6-3, 220 – committed to North Texas; additional offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Nevada, Oregon State, Texas State, ULM, UTEP, UTSA (11)
• Chett Munden, OL, Marshall, 6-6, 303 — committed to North Texas; additional offer from ULM (2)
• Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs, 6-1, 185 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Kyshaun Smith, S/LB, Tatum, 6-2, 178 — offers from Houston, Memphis, Texas State (3)
• Chris Spikes, WR, Jasper, 6-3, 175 — offer from Houston (1)
• Javon Thomas, RB, Texas High, 6-3, 211 – committed to Tulsa; additional offers from Navy, New Mexico, Rice, Toledo, ULM (6)
• Jackson Tyner, QB, Edgewood, 6-5, 220 – committed to Rice (1)
• Isaac Warren, DB, John Tyler, 6-1, 189 — committed to Purdue; additional offer from Arizona State (2)
• Broderick Washington, OL, Longview, 6-3, 285 — offer from Arkansas State, Houston, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, North Texas, ULL, UTSA (7)
• Matthew Weeks, OT, Tyler Lee, 6-6, 274 — offer from SMU (1)