Elko, Aggies snag commitment from 4-star Hatton
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Eli Lederman
Texas A&M secured the commitment of four-star rusher Jonathan Hatton Jr. on Saturday, edging fellow finalist Oklahoma for ESPN’s No. 5 running back and No. 73 overall prospect.
Hatton, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound recruit from Cibolo, Texas, is the fifth-ranked prospect from the state of Texas in the 2026 class. He is Texas A&M’s ninth pledge in the cycle, and Hatton joins Douglasville, Georgia, teammates Jordan Carter (No. 30) and Aaron Gregory (No. 53) as the third top-100 recruit in coach Mike Elko’s second full recruiting class with the Aggies.
“They’ve done some amazing things at Texas A&M and that school is just something I want to be a part of,” Hatton told ESPN. “The coaching staff is great. Between the coaches and the program, they’re only going to elevate from here.”
Hatton initially committed to Oklahoma in October 2023 during his sophomore season at Byron P. Steele II (Texas High School). Hatton, who was also a standout track sprinter, rushed for 1,229 yards and 20 touchdowns in Texas’ top high school classification last fall. He remained the top prospect in the Sooners’ 2026 class up to his decommitment from Oklahoma on Dec. 2, 2024, one day after the Sooners hired former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
“I realized I was missing out on a bunch of stuff just because I was committed as a sophomore,” Hatton said. “When I reopened my process, all these schools came pouring in. I definitely feel like I made the right decision, decommitting from OU. I wanted to put myself in the best position for me.”
Hatton fielded interest from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee in the final weeks of 2024. Oklahoma maintained its presence in his recruitment, too. Hatton told ESPN that he built a good relationship with Arbuckle during his initial months with the Sooners, and Hatton visited the program March 8.
Yet it was Texas A&M that emerged as the top contender for Hatton once he reopened his recruitment last year. Hatton made his most recent visit to the program this weekend, and upon sealing his commitment Saturday, Hatton became the third-ranked member in the Aggies’ 2026 class.
He joins Gregory, ESPN’s No. 9 wide receiver prospect, and four-star quarterback Helaman Casuga (No. 268 overall) in a growing collection of offensive talent bound for Texas A&M this cycle. The Aggies also hold commitments from tight end-Y Caleb Tafua and athlete Madden Williams, who is expected to play wide receiver.
Texas A&M signed four-star running back Deondrae Riden and three-star rusher Jamarion Morrow in the 2025 cycle. Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels — the Aggies’ top two leading rushers from a year ago — are both set to return to the program this fall.
“Ever since last summer, the relationship with them just got stronger and stronger,” Hatton said of Texas A&M. “Coach Elko, [running backs coach] Trooper Taylor, and [offensive coordinator] Collin Klein are all super great coaches to be around and talk ball. The offense is crazy. It’s something different that Coach Klein does over there.”
Hatton’s pledge occurs during a significant recruiting weekend at Texas A&M with a handful of ESPN Junior 300 recruits on campus.
Five-star tackles Lamar Brown (No. 5 overall) and Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 9) each made the trip to see the Aggies. Four-star wide receiver Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (No. 21 overall) and safety Jireh Edwards (No. 43) are among the other priority targets visiting this weekend.
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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