Alvin Shadow Creek 2027 WR Aden Starling (6-0, 175) solidified his status as one of the premier pass-catchers in the state by winning WR MVP at the Elite 11 Regional in Austin.

“I was really excited,” Starling said. “It means a lot because all the work I’ve put in over the past months and years is starting to pay off.”

Starling’s polished route-running and sudden burst off the line of scrimmage make him a dangerous threat at all three levels. It’s no surprise that Houston worked quickly to lock him down.

Starling committed to the Cougars over Baylor, Arizona State, South Carolina and more back in September.

“It just felt like a family environment—the coaches, the energy Coach (Willie) Fritz brings,” Starling said. “A big part of it was Keisean Henderson, the quarterback commit. If we can get all the top players to stay home, then we can really change things around.”

Starling feels like playing at Shadow Creek, a program that has consistently produced top recruits. Practicing against future P4 defensive backs sharpens Starling’s game.

“Shadow Creek puts out great talent every year. We just breed dogs,” he said. “We compete and try to make each other better every day.”

“Going against them in practice is always great—iron sharpens iron. You might not win every time, or some days you might get the best of them. It’s a battle every day.”

Starling is poised for a breakout season in 2025 on a wide receiver unit loaded with talent, including 2026 Texas commit Chris Stewart and rising 2028 phenom Jaylen Addai.