Kentucky target Josh Irving commits to Texas A&M

Four-star center Josh Irving is ready for some Bucky Ball in College Station, choosing Texas A&M over fellow finalists Kentucky and Louisville.

The 6-foot-11 big man out of California, ranked No. 40 in the 2026 class by Rivals, took an official visit to Lexington earlier this month and the Wildcats made a late push, but Bucky McMillan and the Aggies held off Mark Pope and his staff as the longtime favorite. It was seen as a back-and-forth between UK and A&M with UL fading down the stretch.

“Texas A&M is a good one. They think I can immediately make an impact,” Irving told KSR. “The way they saw me play over the summer, they see that I’m a very good three-point shooter in transition. They see that I’m very smart in terms of basketball IQ. They think I could fit into their offense immediately and start playing immediately. I’d have to learn sets, but it’s about common knowledge with when to cut, how to come off ball screens, and how to play.

“Even defensively, I’ll make a big impact. They love the shooting aspect of my game and how I can immediately make an impact on offense. They don’t think there’s a better fit than there.”

Prior to his commitment, three picks came in favoring A&M to give the SEC foe a 92.9 percent chance to land him in the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine. Joe Tipton, Jamie Shaw and Jaxson Callaway were the Rivals analysts to submit final predictions this week.

Irving joins 2026 Washington (D.C.) Prince George’s four-star guard Neiko Mundey in the Aggies’ early class — quite the start for McMillan in College Station.

As for Kentucky, Deron Rippey Jr., Jordan Smith Jr., Caleb Holt, Baba Oladotun, Maximo Adams, Christian Collins, Arafan Diane, and, yes, Tyran Stokes are still on the board and considered top targets.

On to the next.

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