The Katy offensive lineman was one of the players across the nation to see his recruitment explode this spring, with the Aggies helping to spur a flood of offers. After A&M offered, Auburn, Utah, Ole Miss and LSU all jumped in.

But Echols, who grew up a fan of the Aggies, always seemed to be leaning A&M's way. He made his first official to Aggieland, followed by trips to Auburn and Texas Tech, but he never seemed overly serious about either of them.

Echols is the 10th commit for the 2024 class and the second offensive lineman -- coincidentally, he's also the second offensive lineman from the Katy area, joining Ashton Funk.

The Aggies now have three in-state commits, along with seven from out-of-state. Echols joins 4-stars Jordan Lockhart and Eric Karner.

This one's pretty easy, because I've seen him in person. He's a solid player now, but his upside is very high.

Echols plays tackle at Katy, but he's definitely an interior lineman at the next level. The Aggies liked him as a guard or center, and that's where he's best suited.

Echols is an extremely intelligent guy who already has pretty solid technique. He's got a solid base and a strong lower body and can handle most anyone's bull rush. It's the speed guys who give him trouble. At the Rivals camp in Dallas, he struggled when he was out at tackle, but when he moved inside, he was very effective.

He has good arm length and knows how to use his lower body to push off and gain momentum against opposing linemen. They, on the other hand, struggle to move him if they go right at him. That's a very good trait for an interior lineman.

Echols still has some baby fat on him that the A&M strength and conditioning program should help mold into muscle. He should be able to develop with either a redshirt year or minimal competition, with Kam Dewberry, TJ Shanahan, Mark Nabou and others already on campus.