The Aggies add yet another high-profile commit to an already spectacular recruiting class, which is one of the nation’s best, in 2023 Shiner athlete Dalton Brooks.
The top-100 prospect in the nation is also one of the state’s finest two-way prospects. While Brooks’ ability as a running back excites the Aggies, he will be part of a historically talented secondary class.
On Saturday afternoon, Texas A&M closed in on another top in-state target, snagging a commitment from Shiner standout Dalton Brooks over other competitors including Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Texas. He’s the second prospect to pledge to the Aggies at the recruiting pool party on Saturday; Anthony Hill was previously committed.
Brooks is the eighth commitment in Texas’ Aggie class, and he joins La Grange cornerback Bravion Rogers and South Oak Cliff cornerback Jayvon Thomas as one of the nation’s top-100 defensive back prospects. The Aggies currently have eight pledges overall.
Brooks’ accomplishments are self-evident. He was the District 13-2A-I annual MVP and Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year by the Texas Sportswriters Association (TSWA). As a junior, Brooks had 2,611 yards rushing and 39 touchdowns on 238 rushes. In his sophomore year, he also picked up three interceptions, eight pass breakups, and six tackles for a loss while gaining over 1,000 yards on the ground.
In February 2021, Texas A&M extended an offer to Brooks. Since then, he has visited College Station on several occasions, including twice this summer. He was in attendance for the Aggies’ upset of No. 1 Alabama last fall.
Height and apparent frame length are appropriate for the position. Dalton possesses a very lean, athletic, and strong build. When needed, he becomes a high-volume tackler. He arrives with a high physicality on defense taking nice angles to the ball and laying the lumber on ball carriers. On defense, he is more natural and intuitive.
This player has amazing field speed, but he may still get more out of it. This athlete displays exceptional redirecting ability, but if you’re putting him at a DB spot in college, you’ll need to translate that into consistent short-area twitch, especially if he’s going to be asked to cover short areas.
Dalton may line up on either side of the line of scrimmage for Texas A&M, but he has long-term potential as a safety prospect with a high-major recruiting pedigree and a big future in the NFL Draft.
(photo credit: 23 Shiner ATH Dalton Brooks on a visit to Texas A&M, Twitter)
