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Lobwedgephil

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  1. Spoiler

    Billly

    Though the Ags are just three practices into the spring season, there is more than enough intrigue and excitement to warrant a 'weekly recap' type of update. Consider this an Easter egg from yours truly, because the truth of the matter is that the Ags haven't even put on the pads yet during closed practices. That happens this week when the presumptive top-ten squad will cap things off with a Kyle Field scrimmage on Saturday. Here's an update on how things went for Jimbo's bunch as the Aggies began practicing in the spring for the first time in two calendar years, believe it or not.

    Oh, and a quick reminder, if I didn't mention someone you're wondering about or your favorite player, it doesn't mean he's injured or not playing well.

    • At receiver, you tend to get a little more of a feel for how things are going during the first couple of practices than you typically would along the offensive line and in the running game prior to pads popping. Initial returns at what promises to be a pivotal position for the Aggies have been pretty encouraging, the primary reason being that second-year wideout Demond Demas has gotten off to a strong start. The gifted sophomore was slow in adjusting to the rigors of the college game last fall but hung in there and worked his way into playing time late in the season, even seeing meaningful pass game reps in the Ags' Orange Bowl win over North Carolina. Well, Demond has continued his progression and has strung together good practices to open up spring ball. For Demas, it's as much about day-to-day consistency as it is making highlight-worthy catches, and that's something he's been able to do so far. If #1 continues to gain confidence, watch out.

    0136168-kmbj-240x135.jpg
    Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
    Leal is picking up where he left off in what should be a dominating season.

    • The Ags have so many established stars on the team right now that sometimes you just have to say things like "DeMarvin Leal is out there doing DeMarvin Leal type things." The same goes for guys like Ainias Smith, Isaiah Spiller and Kenyon Green, each of whom have looked like exactly what you'd expect in the early going. They look like All-SEC dudes out there and that's particularly true with Leal, who really does have game-wrecking potential as a junior. A different type of defensive end than Myles Garrett, but #8 is getting just about as difficult to block.

    • Speaking of blocking, let's talk briefly about the Maroon Goons. Again, no pads yet so this is more about who's playing where and some first impressions. After a shaky day one going up against an A&M d-line that should prove to be one of the best in the country, the offensive line has strung together a couple of good days to end the first week of work. The most encouraging news might be that Luke Matthews has looked good in the middle at center. Josh Henson is going to need the veteran to step into the starting lineup in year four and perform at a high level. The first step is a solid spring, and Luke's Week One showing was what Henson needed to see.

    Across the board with the 1s, your usual first-team has consisted of Kenyon Green at left tackle (the future All-American has looked good when lined up on the end of the line), Akinola Ogunbiyi and Layden Robinson at guard and third-year tackle Blake Trainor on the right side.

    Couple of dudes worth mentioning: Ogunbiyi really impressed during the Ags' 'Fourth Quarter' drills leading into fall camp, and he's hit the ground running in the Ags' first few practices. Aki has been primarily lining up at guard and has a real chance to start there as a redshirt freshman in 2021, but I'm still not convinced he won't see some time at tackle because he's plenty athletic enough to handle it. True freshman Matthew Wykoff is looking like he could be another versatile piece for Henson to move around this spring. In Wykoff's case, it's center and guard, and the 6-6, 320-pound mid-termer continues to turn heads early.

    Across the board with the 1s, your usual first-team has consisted of Kenyon Green at left tackle, Akinola Ogunbiyi and Layden Robinson at guard and third-year tackle Blake Trainor on the right side.

    • One area of concern when it comes to the offensive line could be when the Ags are trying to get the young quarterbacks and receivers a good look behind the second-team OL. The Ags will welcome a half dozen new faces to the practice field once fall camp begins (five true freshmen including injured mid-termer Trey Zuhn plus Tennessee transfer Jahmir Johnson) but for now, the group is fairly thin and the second-team unit features virtually nothing in the way of playing experience. When that group is lining up against a loaded A&M first-team d-line, I suspect things could get problematic for the offense, which is all the more reason why I believe you'll see Fisher regularly shuffle his QBs when it comes to first- and second-team reps.

    • Did I say quarterback? Okay, we'll talk about the very, very early stages of the fight for QB1, but there's not much to report. A good first few days for Haynes King, and I believe that he has the potential to really change the way things have looked at the position at any point during Fisher's first three years at the helm. He's just a different player than Kellen Mond and is extremely dynamic as a running threat. Mond was a real problem for opposing defenses in the designed run game and King will be as well, but where Haynes really opens eyes and causes the defense issues is when he scrambles to make things happen. He's done that a few times already in practice and has shown that he can outrun the angles of even some of the Ags' faster defenders. 

    As you'd expect, there is going to be a lot more to talk about once the Ags start working into some full pads, 11-on-11 situations and conduct their first full scrimmage (something Jimbo Fisher has always placed a great deal of value on when evaluating his QBs) on Saturday.

    • Linebacker is a position that Mike Elko is probably feeling good about coming out of week one. It's one of those positions that you're going to know a hell of a lot more about once the pads go on and we start seeing things like inside drill and full-contact scrimmages, but the Ags are in a good spot with a returning sixth-year vet (Aaron Hansford) as one of two starters and a junior in Andre White who has looked very good throughout the off-season. Prior to spring ball, I talked about what a big month of April it was going to be for emerging youngsters like Chris Russell, Edgerrin Cooper (my pick to click) and Antonio Doyle, but one of the guys I didn't mention who had a solid first week of work outside of the first-team is third-year man Tarian Lee. Tyler Santucci has a lot to work with as he looks to round out the playing rotation at linebacker, and any of the guys mentioned could push.

    • With Bobby Brown gone and Derick Hunter making the move to offense at right tackle, there's an opportunity for playing time on the inside, as Mike Elko and Elijah Robinson typically play two-deep every Saturday. The guy who looks most equipped to force his way into action may be second-year man Isaiah Raikes. The 320-plus pounder is moving dudes around and beating blocks in the early going, so he'll certainly be one to watch once the pads go on and the Ags attempt to slow down a potent ground game in practice.

    0120327-rpet-180x180.jpg
    Lia Musgrave, TexAgs
    Thin at TE early on, the Aggies are eager to get Baylor Cupp back on the field this spring.

    • As I said prior to camp, Baylor Cupp was slowed by an injury suffered during the off-season. He's expected back in the near future, but the tight end position is very light without All-SEC starter Jalen Wydermyer, Cupp and Blake Smith (the redshirt freshman is out this spring as he continues to recover from last September's knee surgery). When Baylor returns to action, he should get all kinds of work with the first-team offense, something that will pay big dividends in the fall when Fisher wants to put two pass-catching weapons on the field at the position, both of whom stand better than 6-4.

    • I've had a couple of longtime insiders tell me this spring that the Aggie secondary looks as good physically as any unit A&M has fielded since joining the SEC (and certainly dating back long before that). Jaylon Jones is a manchild at corner, and Myles Jones looks like you'd expect a 6-3 (and nearly 6-4) cover man entering year five would look. Veteran cover man Elijah Blades has picked off a couple of passes in the early going, and true freshman Deuce Harmon had a strong first few days. As anyone who follows recruiting closely knows, Harmon is just a tough, football-playing dude, and he's looked good so far, even during some extended time with the 1s when Myles Jones was dinged up during one of the practices. Fellow true freshman Tyreek Chappell has also jumped out with his combination of speed, athleticism and on-field attitude. Two impressive youngsters who should still be in high school.

    At safety, Demani Richardson simply doesn't get enough run when talking about the team's star players. Injuries slowed his progress some as a sophomore, but he's looked like a guy primed for his best season in Maroon & White. Antonio Johnson is another safety who has turned heads during the first few practices.

     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 3
  2. 6 hours ago, Bone3421 said:

    Who knew having clf over 20$ was so bad...guess if gets over 20$ tomorrow I'll sell my options.

    Been over 200% on them 3 times then clf dives back down...was close to 21$ at open

    Hope it does for you. Was a nice technical breakout, to get up there. Just be careful as todays candle could be a reversal candle. 

  3. 14 hours ago, tbone_ said:

    Anyone else have this issue? New phone. Volume is great on speaker, great with headphones, great with Bluetooth, but put the damn thing to your ear and I no volume out of that speaker.
     
    I’ve tried every setting i could find. Any ideas?
     
    Also, htf does someone make a Genius Bar appt? Is that even still a thing?
     
    Thanks in advance.

    Tried a hard reset? 

  4. 34m  · 
     
    I am extremely proud to represent those who have no perceived power against those who have PERCEIVED power. Things are changing in this country, in this great state, and in this great city. And I feel like it’s for the better, for all of us! Today we filed suit against Deshaun Watson. Too many times women have put up with behavior that we all know no one should put up with. Should we make excuses for the famous? Or those who hold special positions, or quarterbacks on a local professional football team? I don’t think so! All people are equal, and all deserve dignity and respect. My dad was a butcher. My mother drove my school bus and worked in the snack bar. Knowing what I know now: My momma had more dignity in her pinky finger than most executives or coaches or politicians or famous athletes have in their whole bodies! This case we just filed against Watson isn’t about money—it’s about dignity and stopping behavior that should be stopped, NOW! Stay tuned for details. LET ME SAY THIS. I’m a Marine. I’m not easily intimidated. If you have info or have been part of this, contact my office: txattorneys.com.
    • Hook 'Em 1
    • Haha 1
  5. Spoiler
    How would you describe Jimbo's coaching philosophy? To me it seems that he is both a tough, old school coach, but he is also a player's coach. The thing that really stands out to me after following him for several years now is that he really loves his players, and they love him.

    There's no doubt Jimbo loves his players, and that's something that also really helps him on the recruiting trail. It's genuine and it's easy to see for prospects and parents alike. And, yes, he is a tough coach who demands excellence from his players, coaches and the team. It's hard but also very rewarding work. There's a reason the track record and resume are what they are.

    Name a few former players who have the ability to be college or pro assistants and ultimately head coaches and why?

    I've not put a ton of thought into this one but there are so many in the profession right now. Jerrod Johnson is a name that stands out as far as someone who is just coming up through the NFL ranks and working his way from the bottom up. Closer to the top are guys like Aaron Glenn and Dennis Allen (he'll get his second shot soon, I believe).

    Who is the best all-around team player on this team. Lots of talented players, but I am looking for a leader and team-first player? Seems to be more than usual these last few years.

    There are a handful of them, to be sure. Some of the names that stand out are guys like Keldrick Carper, Jayden Peevy, DeMarvin Leal. I'll go with Ainias Smith and Haynes King as two that I've heard a whole heck of a lot about this off-season as far as leadership goes.

    Did you agree with Chris Simms ranking of Mond being the 4th best QB in this year's draft class? If so, does that point to the receiving core being the primary reason for the lack of passing game explosiveness last season, and do you believe that element will be fixed this year?

    I'm honestly to the point that I'd love to see folks just embrace Kellen's success and stop trying to figure out 'what was wrong' with the A&M offense in 2020. It just feels like everyone wants to 'blame' someone or a unit or the scheme or whatever, but here's how I see it: Could the downfield passing game have been better? Yep. Was the offense as a whole - including the passing game - good and at times great? Yep. I think the unit played poorly in two of ten games, to be honest. I think Kellen's strengths weren't appreciated as much as they should have been until folks finally seemed to warm late in the season, but I also think the combination of the lack of a true deep threat on the outside and Mond clearly preferring to take what's there (which ultimately served him very well as a senior) did play a role in the Ags not being as explosive in the over-the-top passing game that you saw from three of the four teams ranked ahead of them and some of the teams directly behind them, as well. Continue to upgrade at WR, watch guys like Lane develop as they gain experience and maybe the next starting QB is more of a big-play seeker (for better or worse) and you'll get what you want to see in terms of chunk plays in the passing game.

    This is the first time in years where there can be an actual discussion about who our best offensive playmaker is going to be. How would you rank our returning offensive playmakers (top 5)?

    Top 5? Good question. 1) Ainias 2) Spiller 3) Wydermyer 4) Achane 5) Lane. Tough on two levels. First, I could easily see Haynes King shooting up this list if he wins the starting job. Two, Spiller at No. 2 and Achane at No. 4 might seem odd because I think Achane is the most explosive, big-play threat the Ags have, and he could end up No. 1, but all of Spiller's first downs and 120- and 140-yard games and TD runs inside the five yard line are absolutely 'big plays.' Achane and King do have the potential to revolutionize the A&M offense at some point. The questions are will Haynes win the job, and then it's a matter of when and not if, IMO.

    Who will provide depth at DT this year behind our 2 expected starters?

    For starters, we know Leal can slide inside when need be. From there, Isaiah Raikes is the leading candidate, but then it's probably a free-for-all with guys like Dallas Walker, Adarious Jones (I need to double-check on his post-injury status), early-enrollee Marcus Burris and even Albert Regis or perhaps even one of the 'big' defensive ends like Shemar Turner‍ or Tunmise Adeleye‍ as DEs who can make their presence felt inside in certain Mike Elko packages designed to put a Justin Madubuike-like athlete inside to get to the passer.

    Bet the number years Sark is the head coach at Texas.. I'll put the O/U at 4.5

    I'm going with the under. I think he's another four-year head coach in Austin. The streak will extend to three. They're getting excited about it and falling for the hype and will be even more fooled every time he adds a big-name recruit but, long term, this was a fallback, desperation hire. The Burnt Orange spin-doctors are working overtime and that fan base is buying it hook, line and sinker. It's quite comical, actually. An upgrade over Herman? Yes, but is that really what you're looking for when making a hire at the University of Texas??? And correct me if I'm wrong but are these the same assclowns (media included) who tried to tell us Tom Herman was a better hire than Jimbo Fisher and the same group that said the Ags overpaid for a national championship head coach while getting downright giddy about hiring a two-time failed head coach who happens to be a national championship assistant...all after failing to land the national championship head coach of their own that they tried to assure us they were getting. Par for the course.

    Regarding the NCAA and visits. What will it take for the HAVES to say no NCAA this is not our wish, such as the SEC saying we will allow visits?

    I don't think it will come to that. I think prospects will be able to visit beginning June 1 and throughout the month. But, yes, ADs, head coaches and the Power 5 conferences are at their wit's end with this stuff.

    Do you agree with me that Gabe could have been a great wrestling manager in the WWE/WWF? I think he acts the nice guy but could hit you with a cane or throw some chemical in your eyes when nobody is looking.

    Haha he does have a little Jimmy Cornett in him, that's for sure. Gabe is the 'palms up' guy for sure. "Who me???" He'd also be a good hype man during the backstage promos and would do anything to make sure his guy wins. Loyal and crafty that one.

    Predict the 2021 season record for the Aggies football team and for tu. How significant will those records be in the final rankings of the 2022 recruiting class ?

    A little early for predictions, but I think the Ags are a ten-win team one way or the other, with the ceiling being a title contender. So much will depend on the OL this year (again). As for Texas, I think they'll see some fool's gold early against a pathetic schedule (Tech, K-State, Kansas, Baylor, WVU, even TCU and one of those non-conference games are laughably bad) but ultimately drop four or so. And, absolutely, the way both teams' seasons go will play a big role in how things shake out in '22 but especially with the '23 class. A good portion of each class will probably be decided prior to the season in terms of guys being committed. Texas and Sark have to prove it this fall. Keep an eye on the Louisiana and Arkansas non-conference games. Lose either of those, and it's a very rocky start to the 'Jack ass, all fake' era. With all of that said, if the Ags handle business and have another NY6 type of season in year one with a new starting QB, then none of this matters.

    Will we see accelerated activity from kids considering our final WR spot(s) now that we have two committed?

    It's possible, but I don't think you see that until after the Ags land a third pass-catcher. The Aggies have an excellent shot with Chris Marshall‍, and I'd say a good to very good shot with Brenen Thompson‍ and a good shot with Kojo Antwi‍. Wildcards out there would be Jay Fair‍ (how hard are the Ags going to press this spring?) and even Evan Stewart‍ (I've heard there has been some legitimate conversation since his Texas decommitment).

    Are you hearing anything about fans and the spring game? Limited attendance?

    I think there will probably be some type of limitation, but if we're being honest, even if the crowd is limited we haven't typically seen more than 30k at one of the spring games in quite a while. Something tells me if you want to attend, the odds are high you won't be turned away.

    What or who will be the biggest surprise of this year's team?

    As for the what, I'll go with the offense being more explosive than folks expect in year one with a new QB and an offensive line that we're all wondering about. The who? I'm going to go with Devin Price as a contributing more than you expect receiver and Akinola Ogunbiyi plus a true freshman grabbing two of the starting jobs up front. Maybe even go with Zion Harris finding a way to factor in as a pass rusher as a true fish.

    Which true freshmen are most likely to be contributors on offense and defense?

    Bryce Foster‍, Tunmise Adeleye‍, Shemar Turner‍, Deuce Harmon‍ and Jahzion Harris‍ might be my five most likely.

    Which RS freshmen are most likely to be contributors on offense and defense?

    Baylor Cupp, Haynes King, Akinola Oguynbiyi, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah Raikes, Devin Price. Lot of contenders here, which is a good thing. I didn't even mention about four or five others who I could have easily included there like Demas, Moose, Doyle, Diggs and Harris.

    Final 4 for women's basketball?

    I think they're going to get there. Thing is, they're not a dominant team but, like the Aggies in football this year, Gary Blair's bunch is tough-minded and just knows what it takes to win games in the fourth quarter. That'll carry them deep into the tourney, IMO, especially with a 1 or 2 seed.

    When is Jesus coming back? Hope to see a football natty first.

    At the rate we were going at this time exactly a year ago and then into the fall, it was really feeling like some time just before the 2020 national title game, with the Ags set to win a rematch with Alabama in Miami.

    Nice to see Jimbo adding elite speed to fill a gap in the WR group. Is he also looking for the same for the defensive backfield, equal priority in my opinion?

    I think that's an ongoing push by Fisher, Mike Elko and TJ Rushing. Elevate the overall talent level in the defensive backfield but also get faster anytime you can. They're making pretty significant strides towards that end but the Class of '22 has the potential to really get the Ags where they need to be. Love the additions of Harmon, Tyreek Chappell‍ and Jardin Gilbert‍ in that regard, and Bobby Taylor‍ can really run, too.

    Excited to hear about the planned renovation and upgrade of the President’s House area and open space to the East of the stadium from the 12th Man Foundation. Do you think we can rival the Grove for gameday tailgating experience when it's done?

    I'll have to see it to believe it, but I do love what they're planning to do out there. You can't force atmosphere, however. It has to be organic, so for it to rival The Grove and some other iconic places will take time. Tailgating in Aggieland has come so damn far since A&M joined the SEC back in 2012, however, that there's no reason to think it won't only get better.

    Predict the 4 WRs coming out of Spring with the lead for their positions going into August Camp.

    I hit this one in the video portion. Short version: Not even Fisher or Craig know the answer to that yet. Smith, Lane and Jones return as starters and Buckley has extensive starting experience. Chapman will push to start once fall camp rolls around if healthy. Coming out of spring, I don't think there will be any surprises unless Demas breaks out. He's the obvious wildcard and hope, but the sleeper to keep an eye on is Devin Price, IMO. Had a strong close to the season in practices and has carried that over into a strong off-season.

    I just got through reading an ESPN article about the next 5 Clemsons (they chose Georgia, ND, Oregon, Penn State, and LSU). It was all based on SP+, and takes no account of current circumstances like LSU's NCAA troubles. My main question is what are your thoughts on some of these predictive models like the SP+ (which seems to always prop up tu)? Are there any you pay more attention to than others?

    If these ridiculous metrics were printed on paper I could tell you what I'd do with them. That article was a joke and not even worth a read. As you said, there is so much they don't factor in. Just lacks common football sense, at times. Penn State? LSU? They're not taking into account coaching attrition under Ed O and the cumulative effect of coordinator turnover. Not factoring in LSU's off-field and NCAA stuff, not factoring in the fact that Ed O really isn't that good. Forget the fact that Penn State was God-awful this year and their wins were over some absolutely TERRIBLE teams. James Franklin has some issues in Happy Valley, and I don't need a computer to figure that one out. And I'm just trying to figure out by what metric you wouldn't include A&M as one of these teams if you're going five deep. Makes little to zero sense.

    Who are your spring MVPs?

    Oh man, so early to try and figure that out. I'll go Ainias on offense and go with a wildcard and say McKinnley Jackson on D.

    What is your percentage of concern along the O line with basically all new starters and less experience?

    Pretty concerned if we're being honest. The future of the Aggie OL is as bright as it's been in a long, long time and maybe even ever after the '22 class is signed, sealed and delivered, but this is the year that Henson and the Maroon Goons will have to scrap through and overcome a great deal of inexperience. Tall order going against SEC defenses every Saturday, but I just have a feeling this group will overachieve. There are some real pieces to work with, that much is certain. A starting five going something like Green-Aki-Matthews-Robinson-Johnson (Tennessee transfer Jahmir Johnson) features two guys who have started most of two years in the SEC at the tackle spots, a fourth-year guy at center (and a Matthews, at that) and a third-year in Layden. There are obviously other options and combinations, but just showing you one that could certainly end up being much better than folks expect.

    Any investigation/punishment coming up for the alleged recruitment of Kendal Daniels‍ AFTER he signed his LOI?

    Doubtful. And I have all of zero idea what, if anything, went on there. Big picture wise, I'm afraid that type of thing will become more and more common, unfortunately, as it gets easier and easier to transfer out.

    Rehab progress of Baylor Cupp, Chapman, Buckley and Demani?

    Demani and Cupp are good to go this spring, I'll check on Buck but Chapman I'm not expecting them back until the summer off-season and probably in time for camp, but I'll follow up there, as well.

    Will Wydermeyer finally get some national recognition?

    I think he's already received some (Mackey finalist and most in the country know about him) but, yes, I do think entering this season he's talked about as one of the two or three best returning tight ends in college football.

    How are Diggs and Harris coming along? How great will it be to move Leal inside on passing downs with Peevy with Tyree and another speedster on the outside and bringing Hansford on a delayed blitz?

    Don't sleep on Zion Harris, either. Diggs I think is further along, as Harris hasn't really filled out much at all yet in the way of adding some needed weight. Diggs isn't quite as twitchy as either of the Harrises but he's bigger and more physical. I could see him earning the reps this year that Jeremiah Martin would have had had he returned as a senior. He should be ready to contribute.

    Just how much better will the secondary be with 4 legit CB's? Just a few years ago we had to start Renfro and Myles as true Fish because there were only 3 CBs on the roster.

    I'm still in an 'I'll believe it when I see it' mode with Blades because even when he returned last year (after a head-scratching decision to sit out and then a draft announcement and then back) we saw little of him, including being suited out and out there in a game (Orange Bowl or the Tennessee game, I'm not sure I remember which one) and then being in warm-ups after halftime. Myles Jones returning was a big-time development for this team, as was Brian George getting two starts to end the season. Those two plus Jaylon Jones and either Blades or one of the true freshmen (two of whom are already on campus) and I think the situation at CB is better than it's been since Fisher and Elko got here in 2018.

    We know who will start at tackle and one of the guard positions. Who are the best bets to take over at center and the other guard?

    We technically don't even know that, do we? The expectation (and current plan) is for Kenyon Green to play tackle, but you never know how things shake out on an offensive line when we're talking about getting the 'best five' out there. Green at tackle is what I do expect we'll see, however. At center, I still think Luke Matthews is the best bet, though Smart Chibuzo and perhaps even a true freshman will get their cracks at the job (Matthew Wykoff has even worked some at center during the off-season and Bryce Foster can certainly play in the middle if need be). Still think Luke in year four will be the odds-on favorite. At guard, it could very well be Akinola Ogunbiyi, but I'm still not completely convinced he won't end up at tackle if he's one of your best two. Aki and Bryce Foster are two guys who could nail down a spot at guard opposite Layden Robinson.

    Thanks for doing these Billy! It's been out for a little while now, but the Umbrella Academy on Netflix is amazing.

    I've always seen that when searching for shows and have been tempted. May have to give it a look. I'm watching a couple of one-season quickies right now in 'Tell me your secrets' and 'Your Honor.'

    What should expectations look like for Demas this year?

    Most difficult player for me to predict for the 2021 season because he could continue to struggle to make the adjustment or could burst onto the SEC scene as one of the league's top young receivers. The range is pretty significant, and it all depends on what the talented second-year receiver does between now and next fall in terms of his preparation. The talent is there, with the only thing he lacks physically right now is that Demond still hasn't packed on very much weight. But all of the other tools and physical attributes? He's got them. And he's getting better. Has been since the last month of the season or so. I'm just not ready to call it a sure thing just yet but am hoping to feel a lot more confident about #1 making a game-changing impact next fall coming out of spring ball. He really should look like a different player next fall.

    How have the QBs looked so far this offseason?

    Let's hold off on the QB evals until spring ball, but as far as the workouts go, King and Stowers are both next-level athletically. And they're also both incredibly intelligent in terms of football IQ and are way ahead of where most QBs are entering year one (Stowers) and through one year in the program (King) in terms of their knowledge of Jimbo's pro-style offense. King's leadership is off the charts, as well, and he's doing a great job of motivating the receivers and backs to be out there for voluntary stuff consistently.

    The guy we don't talk about enough, however, is Zach Calzada. Totally different guy from last off-season and even during the season to now. First off, Calzada is a much better athlete than folks seem to think. He's a 4.7 guy who has really competed well during the Fourth Quarter drills. He's also more engaged than at any point since arriving in College Station and has really made a strong impression on coaches, teammates and insiders with a strong off-season, one that has folks convinced he's ready to compete this spring.

    What was Haynes King's 40 time?

    I'm not positive on this, but I believe a 4.46.

    Will anyone catch Bama from a recruiting/talent perspective as long as Saban is there? What position group is key to beating them? DL or DB comes to mind (barring another JFF level player taking over the game).

    Probably not, but you can get close enough to beat them. Do that in the right year or at the right time and it might result in a championship. I still say that if A&M were to break through against the Tide and ride that win to an SEC title or more, the Aggies with a coach like Jimbo, a stadium like Kyle, facilities that can stand toe-to-toe with the Tide, the location and where the roster is at now...well, Nick Saban knows that A&M is one of the few programs in the country that could catch up and keep pace for a multi-year stretch. Just imagine if the Ags were to pull off an Alabama win and a playoff berth this fall. Coming off of 9-1 and a top-5 finish and then a playoff berth/SEC title? With the No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7 classes already on campus? Where would the 2022 class rank? And what would that mean for '23? Yeah, Texas A&M has that type of potential if they can strike at the right time, but we all know how tough a task it is we're talking about.

    Thanks for doing these, and btw, I think Griff deserves more air time... I mean, he makes a lot more sense than some of the post-game call-in show participants...

    This is an outstanding point. He's a good boy. The rest of them? Not so much.

    Apologize if I missed it earlier but do we know how the loss of Daniels impacts the initial counter rule and what options we may be looking at to use that spot?

    I need to re-check that one, but my guess is that it will not impact the initial counter number. There's no way it should, just like a signee who failed to qualify wouldn't impact it.

    Do you think there is a chance we add a grad transfer after the spring and, if so, what position?

    There's a chance and the Ags are continuously searching, but there's no telling if they'll add one or who it will be. I'd call it a possibility but far from a sure thing.

    You shouldn't complain about the success with our Offense. It's balanced and produces. Some recently have stated (Chris Simms and others) that it lacks imagination and predictable. Can you see Fisher changing at all, a little more wide open based on new personal? Basically, does a new QB change up our Offense and become more vertical and wide open?

    I do think Jimbo will open things up more as the Ags progress in the way of speed, adding big-play options at wideout and a more trusted ability to connect over the top but the scheme is going to remain the same. Chris Simms, huh? That predictable offense may not have been elite last year, but it was really damn good if you go back and look at what the Aggies did over the course of a season. And they did it with a receiving corps that probably didn't rank in the top half of the SEC in terms of talent or depth.

    How long before the "house of cards" football and basketball programs at LSU totally collapse under NCAA and FBI investigations? How is Wade still coaching there and will our old pal, Woodward go down with the ship?

    Don't know, don't know and no. Woodward got there after all of this happened. When the time comes that a move has to be made in terms of Wade or even Ed O, the AD is going to do what he has to do. Wade is absolutely finished, IMO, but I think Orgeron will continue to coach in Baton Rouge. What will be interesting is if a very talented Tiger team still manages to drop four games or so this year. That combined with last year's 5-5, new, more stiff NCAA sanctions and a disappointing 2021 and then what? The heat turns up considerably. I think this is a turning point type of season for Ed O. As far as the when, it's going to happen. They're going to suffer a pretty big hit in both sports, but I have no idea when.

    Any road trips you look forward to this next season? Being locked down this past season, I'm itching to hit the road and take in some games on the road. What your favorite SEC town so far to visit? Auburn is mine.

    I'm right there with you! Beyond ready after a season off from hitting some SEC road games. Hell, I even miss Jerryworld. Looking most forward this coming season to Baton Rouge, actually, as I think that's going to be a war and want to see the Ags finally break through in Death Valley and go three out of four against the Purple and Gold. Ole Miss in Oxford will probably be one of those 'survive and advance' type of Saturdays for the Aggies and should be a pretty wild atmosphere, as well. If I'm ranking them, I'm going outside of the SEC to an early September trip to Denver and then the short trip to Bayou Country.

    Any word on the status and existence (or lack thereof) of the NCAA investigation against LSU? News reports seem pretty bad for no action to be taken.

    See below. Storm clouds are covering Red Stick, but it feels more like waiting on 'the big one' out in California than a hurricane forming in the Gulf of Mexico and knowing it's a few days out.

    Heard some radio folk in Louisiana today all jacked up that Ed O is recreating his Joe Brady magic of 2 years ago with new offensive coordinator Jake Peetz. What are your thoughts?

    I've made my thoughts on this pretty clear. Certain folks in the media are going to push this agenda because, inexplicitly, they are die-hard supporters and promoters of Ed O while making it their life's mission to go after certain other coaches with far less checkered pasts and choppy resumes. We know the folks in Baton Rouge that cover LSU have gone all-in on this narrative because they need it to be true. You're not recreating the magic of 2019 any sooner than Coach Sumlin was able to recreate the 2012 season minus Kliff Kingsbury and Johnny. Too much turnover on that staff at the coordinator level, and they're going to continue to feel it, no matter what the 'unbiased' cheerleaders in the national media tell you.

    Oh, and they were oblivious to any possible sanctions headed their way.

    Of course they were.

    Biggest risk to not beating Alabama?

    For this year, I'd say it would be an inexperienced offensive line and a quarterback who has never faced a Nick Saban defense. For any year, it's whether or not the Aggies can win battles on the outside, both WR vs CBs and the A&M cover men vs Bama's talent at wideout. Playing at home and the chance of having a gunslinger and a guy who can go 'off script' at QB would help in one regard, as will experienced, future NFL corners against a receiving corps that is still talented but sans Waddle and Smith. So that brings us to this: How good will the Aggie OL be at the halfway point in the season, and will the A&M receivers get open against the Tide secondary for the first time since Mike Evans, Ryan Swope and Malcome Kennedy did so in '12 and '13?

    How has Schmidt's offseason program progressed over his time in Aggieland? Any changes specifically in 2021 and if so what is the anticipated outcome in respect to 2021 season?

    No idea on the changes. The Fourth Quarter stuff is a staple and an integral part of team-building, leaders emerging and also pushing the individuals and the unit to the absolute limit. The thing about Schmidt is that he's been doing this forever and is as knowledgeable as anyone in the game, but he also knows the importance of putting an outstanding staff around him, which he has done since arriving in College Station. The entire operation is incredible, and the way he and the S&C staff navigated the 2020 off-season doesn't get nearly enough credit when you see how A&M won games in the second half and physically outlasted virtually every opponent they faced. Much of the same this off-season, and I'll also say this much, no one knows more about what championship-caliber roster talent looks like, and I've heard the S&C legend is loving what he sees.

    When the history of Aggie football is written will we remember the drive midway through the 3rd quarter as the drive that changed the trajectory of Aggie football? As always thanks for doing these.

    Assuming you're talking about the drive against Florida and, yeah, I do agree with that. The Ags were down 28-17, the sharks sensed blood in the water and rival recruiters, the Bathwater Bunch in Austin, The Athletic and many others in the national media had their twitter fingers ready to pronounce the Jimbo Fisher hire a bust. They had the 'Fisher and A&M versus top-five opponents' and 'Aggies have now lost four of their last five SEC games' stats ready to fire away, many among the 12th Man were ready to call for a new starting quarterback and so on and so forth. Lose that Florida game and who knows how things would have gone for the Maroon & White. Instead, you knock off No. 4 and haven't lost since, with a second win in three years against LSU, eight straight Ws, an Orange Bowl victory and another top-7 recruiting class since that fateful drive. Yes, I think that was the definitive turning point of the Fisher Era in Aggieland and it's nowhere but up.

    Who in the 2021 class has the best chance to be the Ainias Smith of the class (a prospect that comes out of nowhere and makes a big impact).

    Such a highly-rated group that there aren't going to be too many 'out of nowhere' types, but I really think folks are sleeping on Amari Daniels‍ due mainly to how good and what a prized recruit LJ Johnson Jr‍ was. Others who stand out in this regard are Zion Harris, Matthew Wykoff‍ and Tyreek Chappell.

     

    • Hook 'Em 1
  6. Spoiler
    Liucci
    Staff
    AG
    At different times during Jimbo Fisher's first three seasons at the helm, Texas A&M has lost games thanks in large part to the fact that they didn't have enough speed at the skill spots to threaten defenses on the perimeter, deep down the field or simply with enough game-breakers touching the football. On the flip side, the Aggie defense saw a steady diet of nightmare one-on-one matchups when lining up against the likes of Bama, Clemson and LSU.  

    The mission since arriving for Fisher and Mike Elko has been a rapid upgrade in the speed and athleticism department at both wide receiver and in the secondary. This is particularly true at wideout, where the Ags simply haven't had enough elite-level playmakers touching the football and have lacked game-changing speed. Ainias Smith has been an All-SEC-caliber exception, and we saw what a true home-run hitter was capable of in Fisher's offense when true freshman tailback Devon Achane won the Orange Bowl MVP in about four minutes of work.

    For Fisher, Darrell Dickey and Dameyune Craig, Ainias and Achane represent the tip of the iceberg. On Tuesday, the Aggies took a very big step towards addressing that very specific need - and also added to what the folks in Bright believe will be an exceptional overall haul at the wide receiver position - when Isaiah Sategna chose the Maroon & White.

    The Fayetteville, Arkansas, product is the type of talent who could have a very early if not immediate impact on the A&M offense, much like Smith did two seasons ago and Achane did last fall. Why? Because he brings one of the few things to the table that the Aggies are lacking. Sategna has game-changing speed and is capable of threatening a defense both vertically and by turning simple grabs into big plays after the catch Pure electricity when you pop on the tape and anytime he's on the track, which is exactly why Isaiah managed to separate himself in the eyes of the A&M staff and claim one of the precious spots at the position in the Ags' Class of 2022. The two-sport star has a skill-set that sets him apart, plain and simple.

    On the football field, the 5-11, 170-pounder caught 41 passes for 814 yards and 7 touchdowns as a junior and has over 1,500 yards and 76 catches to his credit on two years on varsity. He was the 7A Offensive Newcomer of the Year in Arkansas as a sophomore and is considered the No. 1 prospect in the state, which means that the Aggies have gone into enemy territory and grabbed the top-ranked recruit in the Natural State for the third straight year. Sategna possesses true breakaway speed, the kind that will make him next-to-impossible to keep up with when he's able to get a step in one-on-one coverage. We're talking about a true 'take the top off' threat, something that's been missing in the Aggie offense since Christian Kirk played his final game in Maroon & White (with a newly-hired Jimbo Fisher watching from a suite at the Belk Bowl). Isaiah also shows excellent hands, finds and adjusts to the football and he possesses next-level quickness. Like Kirk, he's the type of versatile weapon who could be equally effective lining up outside and blowing past would-be cover men or creating matchup nightmares operating as a slot.

    Sategna ultimately chose the Ags over a list of ten finalists that also featured Arkansas, USC, Florida State, Oregon, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Baylor, South Carolina and Texas Tech. He also holds offers from the likes of Auburn, Penn State, Tennessee, Michigan and Ole Miss with plenty more to come if teams are able to make the spring rounds or when the national top-250 (and rising) prospect set the track on fire over the next two months.

    Isaiah's track pedigree is second to none, which is why track and field is where he first emerged as a rising star. His parents both competed at LSU under now-A&M head coach Pat Henry. His mother, Dahlia, was a sprinter for the Tigers who went on to compete in the '92 Olympics for Jamaica, and Mario Sategna currently serves as an assistant track coach at Arkansas. As a freshman (his sophomore season was essentially wiped out last spring due to the pandemic), Isaiah recorded bests of 10.80 in the 100, 21.93 in the 200, 49.93 in the 400, 14.61 in the 110 hurdles and 37.67 in the 300 hurdles. The 300 hurdle time was the fifth-fastest in America by a high school freshman since 2000. Sategna also set the indoor state long jump record, leaping 24-1.5", a distance good for seventh nationally. The mark fell just 3.5 inches shy of the national freshman record set all the way back in 1996. Currently competing as a sophomore, Isaiah has a chance to set as many as six state records en route to likely graduating from Fayetteville High as the most decorated track and field athlete of all-time. Like Devon Achane in 2020 and Bryce Foster in 2021, Sategna will compete for Pat Henry's national championship program during the football off-season.

    The newest addition to A&M's Class of '22 pushes the total number of pledges to eight. He joins Clear Springs' Noah Thomas at receiver, where the Ags are likely to ink four pass-catchers this cycle. Receiver is considered a pressing need for the Aggies this go 'round, and nothing would make Fisher and Craig happier than to eventually add a couple of names from a list that includes Suwanee, Georgia stud Kojo Antwi, Spearman speedster Brenen Thompson and Fort Bend Marshall's Chris Marshall to the class. Just imagine for a moment Sategna, Thompson (he of the 10.18 100) and Achane and you can see what has Jimbo (and Henry, for that matter) so excited about the possibilities. 
     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 1
  7. Spoiler


    Liucci

    7:15p 

    Staff

    AG

    Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies are in the process of wrapping up what could very well end up a top-5 2021 recruiting haul. They'll do just that if they're able to close things out with a couple (or perhaps even three or four) national top-100, borderline five-star caliber additions. Before putting the finishing touches on the '21 class, however, The Ags sent a pretty emphatic message that they're prepared to do even more top-100 damage in the upcoming cycle, perhaps even contending with the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson for the national recruiting crown.

    That's the goal and the Ags took the type of first step certain to have not only the 12th Man but the entire Lone Star landscape buzzing when Katy defensive end Malick Sylia dropped his commitment announcement on Sunday evening. Quite the weekend for Sylia, who earned a state championship ring on Saturday night in Arlington before, as teammate (and heavy A&M lean) Bobby Taylor called it, 'breaking the internet' with his choice.

    A borderline five star who is likely to rank anywhere inside the national top-40 and possibly even emerge as one of the nation's top-20 recruits, Sylia chose the Aggies over offers from every power program in the country, including Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida, giving the Ags as strong a start to what promises to be a wild 2022 recruiting race as they could have possibly hoped for.

    Sylia choosing in favor of A&M at the same time that Myles Garrett was doing his thing for the Cleveland Browns in an AFC Playoff showdown feels fitting. Though not the same player, Malick is regarded almost as highly and coveted by all of the same championship-contending programs that Garrett was coming out of Arlington Martin several years ago. Like the eventual No. 1 overall pick, Sylia possesses game-changing potential off the edge. He's a truly gifted pure pass-rusher who has only begun to scratch the surface of what can only be described as limitless potential. At 6-6 and 230 lean pounds, Malick has absolutely incredible reach and length and his quickness off the snap is unmatched. He can also 'bend the edge' and is a nightmare matchup for opposing offensive tackles. Sylia's quickness, ability to reach blockers before they get their hands on him and his ranginess on the perimeter also makes him very tough against the run. I mentioned Garrett and, as a prospect, he belongs in the discussion with recent Texas products like Myles, North Shore's K'Lavon Chaisson and another Katy product in former LSU star and first-rounder Danielle Hunter. Sylia has the potential to be that type of disruptor off the edge and gives Mike Elko the kind of unique skill set that the Ags haven't really had on the field during his first three seasons running the Maroon & White D.

    The newest Aggie is coming off of an impressive junior season that was cut three games short due to injury. He missed the final three games of Katy's state title run but was a force up front for the first dozen games or so. As a sophomore, Sylia burst onto the Houston area and the national recruiting scene starting for the state powerhouse and totaling 7 TFLs and 4 sacks.

    Malick's addition also resonates on a couple of levels outside of the simple fact that the Ags added a game-changing edge presence. Terry Price and Elijah Robinson have already stockpiled an unbelievable amount of talent on the defensive line and are still in the process of finishing off a 2021 d-line haul that might be the best in the country and what the Ags have done since Fisher's arrival in College Station has been jaw-dropping good. During the '21 cycle, the Ags got it done on both lines of scrimmage, so Sylia's addition not only adds to an embarrassment of riches along the DL but also points to Texas A&M continuing a truly dominant recruiting run in the trenches, an area of strength that the Ags rode to a top-5 finish and Orange Bowl trophy this fall.

    Sylia's addition is also the first step in what many believe will be a Houston area ambush that could serve as the cornerstone of a class that will contend for national No. 1 honors and/or go down as the best of the Fisher Era, one that already includes the No. 3, 6 and (probably) 5 or 6 haul in succession. Sylia was one of several prospects in H-Town who was leaning heavily to A&M. Others include Katy teammate Bobby Taylor, LSU commit and Beaumont Westbrook S Bryce Anderson, the Dickinson duo of five-star TE Donovan Green and P.J. Williams, Cy-Park LB Harold Perkins and the Atascocita OL Kam Dewberry. We've been speculating about several dominoes falling in rapid fashion early this spring so stay tuned, as it's likely that Malick's announcement will set of the type of chain reaction those of you who have followed this for a while remember Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns orchestrating twenty years ago when they had things rolling in Austin.

    Today, it's Fisher and the Aggies with an overwhelming amount of recruiting momentum at work. We've wondered since Fisher's arrival what things would look like once Jimbo and Texas A&M were able to recruit off of a breakthrough season. Well, you saw it during the Orange Bowl build-up, as the Ags closed out the early signing period by adding the likes of Remington Strickland, Shemar Turner, Tunmise Adeleye, Bryce Foster, Elijah Jeudy and Jardin Gilbert. What you're on the verge of seeing is what Fisher and Co. will do following a New Year's Six bowl win the promise of being a regular playoff contender. Adding a game-disruptor like Sylia is another big-time stop towards reaching the ultimate goal.

     

  8. Spoiler

    Liucci

    12:04a, 1/16/21 

    Staff

    AG

    This is one of those days and weekends where there could be some activity or it could end up being very quiet in the way of commitments but it's one that we may look back on in a couple of weeks and realize that it turned out to be as important as any during the 2021 cycle (not to mention what it could mean for Jimbo Fisher's squad as early as next fall).

    Here's what we're looking at this weekend in terms of prospects who have already made their way or plan to be in Aggieland this weekend:  

    Wanya Morris: A former five-star offensive tackle who started 20 games for Tennessee as a true freshman and sophomore. He's a mid-term enrollee (as in next week) who will choose between A&M, OU and USC. I don't need to tell any of you what a big deal this would be in terms of filling a need next fall. Not a done deal as some seem to be making it sound but the Ags are going to be tough to beat out here when all is said and done.

    Tywone Malone: A borderline five-star (he should be, since he's as good as any true interior DL prospect in America) and national top-100 recruit who would give the Ags a potential game-changing pure DT in back-to-back classes. The two-sport sensation will be signing in less than three weeks and choosing between the Aggies, division rival Ole Miss and Florida State and there's a very real chance he'll end up playing for Jimbo Fisher and Rob Childress.

    LJ Johnson: The five-star tailback and longtime priority target for the Aggies has current plans to be in town tomorrow. He still hasn't decided between A&M and Texas and what makes this one even more interesting is that the Cy-Fair standout has already graduated but isn't yet sure whether or not he's going to enroll and begin classes sometime next week or put his decision on hold for just a bit longer, wait and sign in February and arrive in either Aggieland or Austin in June with the rest of the 2021 signees.

    The Ags are also still very much in the hunt for a couple of other highly-regarded 2021 prospects, including national top-100 wideout Brian Thomas - one of the top three recruits in the Bayou State - but if we end up looking back and realizing that Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies added at least two and perhaps even all three (now we're really dreaming but it's certainly possible) of the guys who are slated to be in town this weekend, it's this weekend that could turn out to be as impactful as any during the '21 cycle.  

    ...and to think it could be followed up in the not-too-distant future by a pretty wild stretch of 2022 news in the weeks or month immediately following.

     

  9. Spoiler

    Ryan Brauninger

    10:38p 

    Staff

    I was made aware of the update on CyFair RB LJ Johnson Jr a little bit ago, and I wanted to provide y'all with what we are hearing on our side. 

    1) If you've read our updates on LJ over the last month, you know where our confidence has been on this recruitment in the recent weeks. 

    2) Yes, there has been talks of LJ making a trip to College Station with a buddy of his. Those talks began surfacing in the middle of the week. 

    3) If he does make the trip, he'd certainly have the opportunity to be around some guys on the team including all the early enrollees of the 2021 class. 

    4) A trip to Aggieland this weekend would be the second one in as many weeks. Early last week, LJ snuck up to College Station to get a feel for the town and have dinner with his family. 

    5) Uncertain whether he plans on staying the night or just making a day trip. 

    6) If I had to guess, the news leaking is likely an attempt to shine a light on the visit and to keep LJ in Cypress or convince him to make a run over to Austin. 

    7) If you're thinking that LJ would use this trip to move in and enroll, you're out ahead of your skis. It is highly unlikely that would be the case in any way, shape, or form. I know many of you were probably wondering, but he wouldn't be coming up here to start classes or even commit for that matter. 

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 1
  10. 4 hours ago, bluto said:

    Damn options are black magic. Bought gme March puts @ $30 when share price was ~$40. Share price dropped $5 today and options barely moved.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Always check the IV, sounds like your were juiced when you bought them. 

  11. https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1343396052494381058?s=20

     

    Spoiler

    As college football coaching changes, Urban Meyer isn't only one who could jump to NFL

    Pete Thamel
    Pete Thamel
    Sun, December 27, 2020, 8:28 PM CST·6 min read
     
     

    Urban Meyer’s name shot through the NFL stratosphere on Sunday after an ESPN report indicated at least two NFL franchises made initial contact about him being their next head coach.

    Meyer becoming an NFL coach could become a reality over the next 10 days or so, as sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports that there has been outreach by multiple franchises to gauge Meyer’s interest.

    The news broke on a day when Jacksonville solidified itself as perhaps the NFL’s most intriguing destination, as the 1-14 Jaguars are slated to get Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence with the top pick in the NFL draft and are expected to part ways with coach Doug Marrone. The general manager job is already open.

    Will Meyer go to the NFL? Here’s the safest answer: Meyer certainly isn’t headed back to college, as college coaching is amid a sea change that could lead to an influx of coaches in college football exploring the NFL.

    There are clear signs of Meyer’s interest in the NFL, as sources say he has been intrigued enough that he has researched the league through former players and friends, inquired about potential staff and is learning how the front-office infrastructure works.

    Urban Meyer claps with a whistle in his mouth.
    Then-Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer watches during warmups before the Rose Bowl against Washington on Jan. 1, 2019, in Pasadena, California. Meyer has been linked to NFL coaching jobs in recent days. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

    Meyer is an obsessive competitor, and sources close to him say that the NFL is intriguing because he’d be able to test himself at the highest level of football. Meyer’s favorite times in coaching have been amid rebuilds at Bowling Green and Utah, and there’s a chance an NFL job would allow him to overhaul the culture of an entire organization in a similar way.

    There are drawbacks, however, that would slow down any notion that Meyer leaving his Fox television gig for the sideline is imminent. Meyer’s health, which led to him stepping down at Ohio State in 2018, remains a factor. He has a congenital arachnoid cyst in his brain, which required surgery in 2014 and haunted him throughout the 2018 season, where the image of him doubled over in pain on the sideline still lingers. Meyer also truly enjoys his analyst role for Fox, as a switch back to the sideline would mark a distinct lifestyle change and risk his legacy as one of the best coaches of his era.

    How college football coaching is changing

    Why would the NFL have more appeal than a job like Texas or USC? Few jobs in sports promise to change as precipitously as college football coaching in the next 12 months. The absolute control that so many of these coaches coveted is now waning, with the transfer portal, one-time transfer exemption and Name Image and Likeness rules all shifting the power away from the coaches. This isn’t an endorsement or indictment of that shift, just acknowledging facts.

    No college coach, given truth serum, would say they truly love to recruit. It’s a part of the job that is more tolerated and endured than enjoyed. The uptick in transfers and freedom of player movement means that not only will coaches be worried about luring the next recruiting class, but also need to stay locked in on the constant recruitment of their own players. While the benefits of Name Image and Likeness — the ways for athletes to profit off their name, expected to be legalized by the NCAA in the upcoming months — are slated to be solely for athletes to figure out, there’s little doubt that orchestrating deals for players is going to become a big part of the job description for college coaches and programs.

    The other aspect coaches are privately dreading will be the agents who help arrange these NIL deals for players. Is the NIL agent sitting in on the home visit and quizzing the coach about the local car dealership’s generosity a new reality? Probably, and that’s not going to sit well with the old guard.

    The other factor that can’t be overlooked as theses worlds intersect is the schematic crossover between the sports. Spread offenses with running quarterbacks have gone from the bane of NFL talent evaluators to the heartbeat of the league’s most successful offenses.

    Will college coaches jump to the NFL?

    We did a list a few weeks back of potential college coaches who could end up in the NFL. There have been two college coaches the past two seasons who’ve made the leap — then-USC OC Kliff Kingsbury and Baylor’s Matt Rhule. Prior to Kingsbury being hired in 2019, there was a four-year gap from 2015-18 for the NFL hiring a college coach. (That was Bill O’Brien jumping from Penn State to the Houston Texans in 2014.)

    The days of the NFL not plucking a college coach for four years are long over. The combination of the changing nature of the college job and the shallow pool of NFL candidates is going to keep the NFL engaged in the college ranks.

    “I think the reason we’ll see more college guys go to the NFL is the pool of pro coaches ready to be head coaches is so much smaller,” said an industry source. “Guys like Matt Campbell, Dan Mullen and Pat Fitzgerald, those kinds of guys will be in the mix now.”

    Will they go? No one is sure. Campbell hasn’t worked a day in pro football. Mullen can’t be thrilled with the NCAA’s recent ruling against him and Florida, which includes a one-year show cause penalty for recruiting violations. Fitzgerald has resisted more than a half-dozen overtures before. Will this time be any different? The NFL is still fascinated by Lincoln Riley, holds a deep respect for David Shaw and James Franklin came close to the Texans’ job back in 2014. There are plenty of options.

    We could see seven or more NFL head coaching jobs open, as the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans are open and will likely be joined by the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. And while Meyer’s name will get the juice, other college candidates will certainly emerge.

    As the college football landscape continues to professionalize, the most logical step is for college coaches to simply go to the pros in the next few seasons following Kingsbury and Rhule.

     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 2
    • Like 2
  12. 3 hours ago, 52-80 said:

    My position in Alibaba got rekt today.
     

    Lessened the pain a bit playing against the volatility near the market close (selling inflated near the money puts), but main holdings still impacted. 
     

    Should’ve known better....I posted a few weeks about Jack Ma getting his wrist slapped by the CCCP. Now they want to smack him on the back of the head, or worse. 

    Buy the dip. 

  13. xB1Lw.jpg

     

    Spoiler

    Offense

    Quarterback (1): A
    For the second straight year, Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies got their man in state. This time around, it was the signal-caller that the Aggie head coach had targeted as the No. 1 Texas gunslinger from the very beginning of the process. Truth be told, A&M could have landed just about anyone from a pretty deep Texas crop of QBs in 2021, passing on the likes of Jalen Milroe‍ (Alabama) and Dematrius Davis‍ (Auburn) in favor of the 6-4, 220-pound dual-threat from Denton, Eli Stowers‍.

    Stowers was actually already an Aggie when I wrote this article for the 2020 class a year ago. Since then, Eli's journey has been an interesting one. As a junior, he led Guyer to the 6A state title game and amassed over 4,000 yards of total offense while throwing for 36 TDs (and 47 total scores) against just 4 picks. Unfortunately, Stowers suffered a knee injury early in the championship game loss and missed the entire off-season. Finally healthy, Stowers and Guyer are still alive in the playoffs despite losing most of the 2019 offense and navigating a head coaching change.

    TexAgs

    Stowers was A&M’s priority at QB from the outset.

    Jimbo and Darrell Dickey were attracted to Eli in the early going and never looked back. As for the why, he's a really big, really fast and ridiculously athletic quarterback who possesses all of the tools to be an excellent passer (and runner) in Fisher's pro-style system. Stowers is also a competitor and a winner who has starred on the gridiron, the hardwood and in track and field (he won the 6A state high jump title as a sophomore) during his time at Guyer.

    Few can evaluate the position as well as Jimbo, and he was able to see all of the state's best in the camp setting last summer. He zeroed in on Eli early, thanks in large part to a lot of uncoachable physical traits, immense upside and the same type of football IQ the head coach saw last year in Haynes King. Again, if you're getting who you want in the state of Texas and have a reputation as one of the best QB developers in the country, you're doing alright. That's where Fisher and the Aggies are today, thanks to adding Stowers' signature on Wednesday.

    Looking ahead to '22: The Ags may very well end up continuing the in-state trend in what looks like a solid year at the position, but they're also likely to take the '22 search coast to coast. The nation's No. 1-ranked signal-caller is already off the board, with Southlake's Quinn Ewers‍ choosing Ohio State over the Ags after decommitting from Texas. Fisher and Dickey both have a standing relationship with Tennessee product and another five-star in Ty Simpson‍ and should have some staying power in that very high-profile recruitment (the Ags recently made Simpson's top-10). Closer to home, Bridgeland two-sport star Conner Weigman‍ (baseball) and Austin Westlake's Cade Klubnik‍ are the two QBs in Texas who are drawing the most attention from power programs as the 2020 season winds down. A&M has yet to offer, but it wouldn't come as a major shock to see the Ags fully engage and eventually land one of the two as their '22 centerpiece.

    Running Back (1): INC
    The Ags are pretty excited about Miami product Amari Daniels‍, who comes from the same high school program as Hurricane legend Willis McGahee and a pair of backs who starred under Jimbo Fisher at Florida State in Devonta Smith and Dalvin Cook. Fisher has been familiar with Daniels dating all the way back to his final season at Florida State and offered the 5-8, 200-pound bowling ball following a stellar camp performance in College Station during the summer of '19.

    There are several reasons Fisher, Tommie Robinson and the Aggies targeted Amari from wire to wire. First and foremost, he's a natural playmaker who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Averaging nearly 10 yards per carry in his varsity career, Daniels is an intense competitor who has consistently risen to the occasion in big games, running for over 700 yards in Central's run to the 2019 state title and ripping perennial power Northwestern for around 150 yards earlier this fall in the biggest game of the year in Miami. The dude is grossly underrated by the services, to the point that this one reminds me a little bit of how I felt when A&M ever-so-briefly held a commit from a three-star playmaker out of Louisiana by the name of Travis Etienne.

    Walker Lott, TexAgs

    A&M coaches are working hard to add LJ Johnson to the 2021 haul.

    The reason for the 'Incomplete' grade, of course, has to do with the fact that the Aggies' dogged pursuit of Cy-Fair's LJ Johnson Jr‍ will extend into the new year. Johnson decided to sign in February, where he's still looking like a good bet to wear Maroon & White or Burnt Orange. The five-star tailback is tough to get a read on and seems to have waffled back and forth between the state's two biggest programs, but if I had to give the Aggies or Longhorns the edge entering the holidays, I think I'd call the coveted runner a slight A&M lean.

    Now that LJ has made the decision to let things play out (barring a stunning surprise later today), there's a lot of recruiting left to do here. If Fisher, Robinson and the Ags win out, we're talking about an A+ haul at the position and Johnson and Daniels plus the sensational five-man OL haul would be as good as any 'run game class' in the country. It goes without saying that landing Johnson is pretty important for the Ags, who have swung and missed on a couple of five-star backs in recent seasons (nevermind the fact that they may have the SEC's best back Isaiah Spiller and one of the league's most exciting true freshmen in Devon Achane). Beyond LJ, the only back worth keeping an eye in January could be San Diego four-star Byron Cardwell‍, the nation's No. 11-ranked ball-carrier.

    Looking ahead to '22: It's still early in the process, but there may not be a whole lot of high-end, SEC-caliber talent in the Lone Star State in the '22 class. Klein Cain's Jaydon Blue‍ will be pursued by pretty much every program in America, but next year feels like one in which the Ags will scour the national landscape to add a runner or two (depending on whether or not Johnson ultimately joins the '21 fold).

    Offensive Line (5): A+
    If we've learned anything this year, it's that Jimbo Fisher will figure out a way to move the ball and score points on just about anyone if he's working with a quality offensive line. For the first time since their first two seasons in the SEC, Texas A&M finally fielded an elite-level o-line. The result? With the Maroon Goons setting the tone, the Aggies are perhaps one win away from earning the program's first-ever CFP berth. That's the good news. The great news? The Ags' dominance in the Southeastern Conference trenches should extend well beyond 2020, thanks to elite-level recruiting by Fisher, Josh Henson and Company.

    I realize what Jake Matthews, Luke Joeckel and Ced Ogbuehi went on to become, but the fact of the matter is the five-man 2021 haul that A&M assembled on Wednesday can fairly be compared to the class signed ten years ago that many refer to as the best in Aggie history. For starters, the Ags landed arguably the two blockers who were at the top of their 'Big Board' from the outset — Katy Taylor five-star Bryce Foster‍ and Richmond Foster's Reuben Fatheree‍. Henson also added two very versatile pieces in Fort Bend Christian's Remington Strickland‍ and Magnolia's Matthew Wykoff‍ and a grossly underrated out of state tackle in Trey Zuhn‍. Interestingly enough, three of the five signees (Strickland, Zuhn and Foster) had at least one Aggie parent, and Fisher and Henson were able to see four of the five signees in person at camp. Preparation and some good fortune on the family tree front never hurt, right (just don't ask Tom Herman and the Longhorns how that went with the Brockermeyer twins). If we're being perfectly honest, the Aggies signed four of their five top OL targets in the state, with longtime Ohio State lock Donovan Jackson‍ being the only one that got away. That's a remarkable in-state 'hit rate' at any position.

    In Fatheree and Foster, the Aggies may have secured the signatures of franchise additions at both left tackle and on the interior at guard. Both have NFL first round potential and what can best be described as 'rare' physical gifts. Fatheree is a towering 6-8 bookend blessed with incredible flexibility and length and Foster with the type of size, power (and even speed) combination that many NFL linemen wish they possessed. Bryce — who also has national champion/Olympic medalist potential as a shot putter — is so far advanced physically that he could push for immediate playing time at guard or center, depending on how many starters Henson is looking to replace. Because he was such an accomplished basketball player, Fatheree only recently spent his first full off-season in the weight room and the results were pretty remarkable. Give 'Deuce' (who chose the Ags over LSU and OU) a full off-season with Jerry Schmidt and we're likely talking about a 6-8, 320-pound left tackle with a Jonathan Ogden-like skill set. As good as I've seen the Ags sign at the top of an OL class since Matthews and Joeckel more than ten years ago.

    I realize what Jake Matthews, Luke Joeckel and Ced Ogbuehi went on to become, but the five-man 2021 haul can fairly be compared to the class signed ten years ago that many refer to as the best in Aggie history.

    Trey Zuhn is the guy in this class who doesn't get nearly enough run and it's because he committed so early in the process and never once waffled. An Aggie legacy and the No. 1-ranked prospect in the state of Colorado, Zuhn camped in College Station prior to his junior season and was offered right about the time he walked through the Bright Complex doors. The same thing happened when the 6-5, 300-pound tackle camped at Notre Dame, OU, Michigan and Ohio State. He's an extremely impressive athlete at that size and is pretty ahead of the curve from a technique standpoint. 

    The same can be said about Matthew Wykoff. The Magnolia product has slowly but surely added size over the past year and now checks in at 6-5 and over 305 evenly distributed pounds. He's versatile enough to play anything from right tackle to guard or even center and possesses eye-catching polish for an incoming freshman. A pleasant surprise at the time of his commit, Wykoff picked the Ags over Penn State, Auburn, USC and Texas, among others.

    The Ags moved on Remington Strickland a few weeks ago, but Henson had been recruiting the Houston-area lineman for quite some time. Built like a block of granite, the 6-5, 290-pounder moves so well for his size and packs such impressive pop and power that he'd likely have loaded up on offers last spring or throughout the summer camp circuit had he been able to do so. As it stood, Remington earned his recruiting attention the old-fashioned way...by putting together a stellar senior season. Texas, Michigan, OU and the Aggies all offered in fairly rapid succession, but he grew up an A&M fan and playing at Kyle Field and in the SEC won out for a lineman who could easily play guard, tackle or center.

    Speaking of Henson's recent run on the recruiting trail and the Aggies going head-to-head with Oklahoma for o-line prospects, how about this interesting count: Since arriving at A&M during the 2020 cycle, Henson has landed and signed Akinola Oguynbiyi, Chris Morris, Zuhn, Wykoff, Fatheree, Strickland and Foster. That's SEC-championship level recruiting in the trenches and winning battles against the best of the best in college football to make it happen. As for OU, Lincoln Riley, Bill Bedenbaugh and the Sooners have an A&M/Josh Henson problem on their hands because they did everything they could to land Foster, Fatheree, Ogunbiyi and Strickland and also were prepared to take Morris and Zuhn at the time of their commits.

    Looking ahead to '22: Entering the current cycle, most longtime observers would agree that the offensive line crop in Texas was the deepest and most talent-laden group in recent memory. The Ags took full advantage. Expect more of the same in 2022...on both fronts. The Lone Star State is once again loaded with coveted, high-end Power 5 and nationally-ranked blockers. A&M has already extended offers to ten o-linemen in state and have garnered early interest from targets from Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Sitting at the top of the board are names like longtime priority Kameron Dewberry‍ of Atascocita (Kenyon Green's former HS teammate) and Summer Creek's Kelvin Banks‍. Both are in the five-star conversation and have the potential to be next year's Fatheree/Foster for Henson and the Aggies. Another SEC-ready target is Allen guard Neto Umeozulu‍, who has held the Ags in high regard since he began playing football. Other names to watch as the Ags look to get an early jump next spring include Dickinson's PJ Williams‍, C.C. Flour Bluff's Johnny Dickson‍, Frisco tackle Cole Hutson‍, WO-S interior OL Demetrius Hunter‍, Arlington OT Devon Campbell‍ and Jaylen Early‍ of Duncanville. Expect another four- or five-man haul in the offensive trenches, as the Maroon Goon takeover continues.

    Tight End (2): C
    With Baylor Cupp and Blake Smith still having not taken a snap in Aggieland, tight end isn't the greatest need in this class. There certainly weren't a lot of high-level options in state, but James Coley and the Aggies will welcome a high-level, polished blocker with good hands and will eventually welcome a down-the-road project with NFL size and unlimited upside.

    Fernando Garza‍ comes from a Katy program that, like A&M, loves to pound the football. Because of that, Garza is probably the best in-line blocker at the position in the state. At 6-5 and 245 pounds, Fernando can also make plays in the passing game thanks to his outstanding frame, good hands and route-running ability. Like Blake Smith a year ago, Garza is going to be one of those three-star signees no one talks about but who has a chance to impress early and develop within Fisher's tight end-friendly offense. His season ended with a knee injury, so Garza will rehab and enroll a year from now as a grayshirt.

    Dametrious Crownover‍ is expected to join his older brother on the Aggie roster prior to the 2021 season. The 6-6, 260-pounder could very well end up growing into an offensive tackle, but his preference is tight end, and I'm sure the idea of lining up the big man next to the tackle with his hand in the dirt would appeal to a head coach/play-caller who loves putting more than one TE on the field at a time. If Crownover leans up and simply redistributes his weight, he could eventually step onto Kyle Field as an exceptionally-athletic and gigantic threat in the passing game, as well. He catches the ball pretty effortlessly and, if he manages to keep his weight down, could be a difficult coverage assignment for (much) smaller DBs and LBs. Again, we're talking about a developmental prospect here but one with an extremely high upside.

    Not the strongest year in state, but if there was one that got away, it was probably Elijah Arroyo‍ of Frisco Independence. James Coley got a very late start after coming over from Georgia for a player who committed too early in the process. The Miami native's family plans to move back to South Florida from the Dallas-area, which kept the Ags from having much of a shot at the state's best in 2021. A&M could have ripped Atascocita's Landen King‍ away from Auburn in the final days before NSD but decided to stand pat and gear up for a big run at a certain Houston-area junior...

    Looking ahead to '22: For the Aggies and everyone else recruiting Texas, Dickinson's Donovan Green‍ is the prize. Green is as good as there is in the country (including this year's seniors) and it's no secret that the Ags' pitch will include the chance to follow fellow Gator Jalen Wydermyer's All-SEC and eventual NFL footsteps. The need will certainly be a pressing one for an A&M offense that features the position as well as anyone in college football.

    Wide Receiver (2): B

    This was a tricky grade for me. Why? Because Shadrach Banks‍ is a top-10 'football player' in Texas and Yulkeith Brown‍ is a straight-up playmaker and one of the most respected and competitive prep prospects in Miami. Off of raw talent alone, this is an 'A' level haul. What makes me knock the grade down a little (for now, more on that in a moment) is that both Shad and Yulkeith are so versatile that either could wind up being used in any number of roles.

    Jamie Maury, TexAgs

    Banks is a versatile player likely to see the field in a variety of ways.

    Both Brown and Banks have that 'Ainias Smith tool kit' in that they could easily end up lining up in the backfield, splitting time in the slot and tailback or, if needed, could even eventually play on defense. Both could — and probably will — factor in as special teams weapons at some point, as well. At 6-1, 220 pounds, Banks could really be used at WR, RB, h-back or fullback on offense and could probably even make a pretty damn good linebacker for Mike Elko. Yulkeith, meanwhile, has shown on the field that he can be both a shutdown corner (I think he could excel covering the slot) and a difference-maker at tailback (he ran for over 1,400 yards as a sophomore).

    With all of that said, Banks and Brown are signing with the Ags as receivers and not 'athletes.' They'll both be in Dameyune Craig's meeting room from day one, and the plan is to have them catching passes, likely from a variety of spots in the formation. Shad's combination of size and vision and his ability to set up tacklers makes him very difficult to bring down after the catch, and he plays with a very high football IQ. He doesn't have Ryan Swope's downfield speed, but with the ball in his hands there are some real similarities...especially near the line of scrimmage. Brown is on the small side at 5-9 and around 180, but he's incredibly explosive and catches anything thrown his way. Both are legitimate matchup problems and playmakers in their own way, and I can tell you right now, they're going to be tough to keep off the field.

    Where this grade skyrockets, however, is if Fisher and Craig are able to add a borderline five-star pass-catcher to the haul in early February. Longtime target Brian Thomas‍ is exactly what the Aggies need at the position — a game-breaker on the outside who has the kind of size and speed the Ags have seen the past few seasons when facing the likes of LSU and Bama. The Louisiana product feels like a slight lean to Alabama, and LSU is making a furious push. A&M is squarely in the mix and has been in this one for the long haul, and landing him would quickly turn this group into a solid A while also adding a dynamic skill talent who would rate as one of the top signees in the class.

    Landing Thomas or LJ Johnson feels very important because the Ags need a big-time, five-star type of win at one of the skill spots, and recruiting at either position hasn't been great, particularly in state. That could change in a hurry and almost did on Wednesday, when the Ags almost had a shocking Signing Day steal when longtime LSU commit JoJo Earle‍ was set to decommit and sign with someone in February. The Ags were beginning to be rumored as the team to beat and had several productive conversations, but then the one guy no one wants to see enter picture late entered the picture late. Alabama and Nick Saban came calling, presented the pitch to join former Aledo teammate Jace McLellan on the Tide roster and 'become the next Jaylen Waddle' and Earle was signed, sealed and delivered by Wednesday afternoon. Aledo's last four top-shelf recruits have chosen Bama (x3) and LSU. So much for Texas high schools keeping the best in state, right?

    Again, Banks and Brown give the Ags two very dynamic and versatile pass-catching weapons. Add in Thomas and you're talking about a rock-solid 'A' haul, and I'd also expect A&M to find other possibilities around the state and country who decided against signing early. Still a need for a pure outside receiver with height and length, IMO. Either that or perhaps scour the transfer portal in January.

    Looking ahead to '22: Obviously, a lot of the Ags' need in the next cycle will depend on how they close things out in February, but the wish list will probably include wanting at least three signees on the outside in '22. Regardless of how things turn out, the A&M offense is going to need to add some dynamic weapons on the outside, and that's especially so (perhaps the biggest need on offense) if Thomas ends up in Tuscaloosa. Size and speed will be priorities, and the good news is that the state of Texas features plenty of both in the junior ranks.

    While Ohio State is becoming a bit of an early problem thanks to the Ewers commitment (the Buckeyes have already landed state No. 1 Caleb Burton‍ and are in the driver's seat for coveted Aggie target Armani Winfield‍, as well) and OU has already nabbed one of the best in Garland's Jordan Hudson‍, there are still several potential impact receivers on the in-state open market. For starters, Winfield has yet to cast his lot with the Buckeyes, though the Lewisville receiver is leaning heavily their way. Frisco LIberty's Evan Stewart‍ is a legit game-changer who is still wide open in his recruitment, as well. He's a top-ten talent in Texas and a shoo-in for a top-100 ranking nationally, if not top-50 when all is said and done. 

    Two pass-catchers who the Aggies appear to have a very good early shot with are 10.2 sprinter Brenen Thompson‍ of Spearman and Chris Marshall‍ of Fort Bend Marshall‍, Devon Achane's alma mater. Thompson might be the fastest receiver prospect in the country and is also a tough, versatile dude, while Marshall is a basketball player-turned-receiver whose upside is off the charts. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Ags eventually win out here and go out of state for more help in what could end up being a four-man class in 2022.

    Defense

    Defensive Line (6): A+
    This is an A+ class that's an Elijah Jeudy‍ addition (he's announcing between A&M and Georgia on January 2) away from earning just the second "A++" (that's 'A PLUS plus') grade I've ever handed out.

    Texas A&M has set the bar pretty high since Jimbo Fisher arrived with six weeks to go in the 2018 cycle. Since that time, the Ags have headlined each class with a five-star or borderline five-star signee — Bobby Brown ('18), DeMarvin Leal ('19) and McKinnley Jackson ('20). This time around, the Ags took it one step further, landing not one but two five stars. On top of that, Elko, Terry Price and Elijah Robinson signed a four-star pass rusher from the Northeast (and are the favorite to sign another) and stayed in state to beat OU and Texas in separate head-to-heads for a pair of athletic 280-pound interior defenders. All told, the current five-man haul is as strong as any I've seen the Ags sign in roughly a quarter century of covering Texas A&M recruiting. Add Jeudy and the group is as good as any d-line class in the country.

    The current five-man d-line haul is as strong as any I've seen the Ags sign in roughly a quarter century of covering Texas A&M recruiting. Add Jeudy and the group is as good as any d-line class in the country.

    While landing the players sitting atop the big board in Bright is all that really matters to Fisher, Elko and the A&M staff, the battles won en route to sewing up the 2020 defensive line haul paint a pretty clear picture of how well the Ags recruited along the d-line this cycle. The Ags outlasted Bama, LSU, Georgia and Texas for Shemar Turner‍, Florida and Bama for Tunmise Adeleye‍, potentially Georgia for Jeudy, won a head-to-head with Texas for Albert Regis‍ and took down OU in the race for Marcus Burris‍.

    As far as what the Ags are actually adding to what has quickly become a d-line stable as deep and loaded with top-end talent as any in the SEC (yes, the Aggies are now on par with the Bamas, Georgias and LSUs of the world), let's just say part of what makes this group so special is that it features a little of everything. 

    Let's start with two guys who stand out as class headliners, DeSoto's Shemar Turner and former Katy Tompkins star Tunmise Adeleye, two of the ten best defensive end prospects in the entire country and a pair of guys who are going to bring All-SEC and high-round NFL potential with them to College Station. Both could have signed with anyone in the country but chose to jump on board with what is looking more and more like a 'Wrecking Crew Reboot' under Mike Elko. 

    Turner is an SEC West defensive lineman if ever there was one. He's cut from the same mold as some of the Ags' recent signees up front. He is big, strong, physical, athletic and flat-out nasty. At 6-4 and 280 very lean pounds, Turner is an explosive front four defender who plays with a violent burst out of his stance, routinely exploding through blockers and into opposing backfields. Shemar uses his hands exceptionally well and is dominant against the run and particularly disruptive when pursuing the quarterback. Watching the DeSoto star in action and seeing him in person, it's tough not to make the Ty Warren comparison here. Not sure he shouldn't be considered the No. 1 prospect in Texas because I think the two OLs I have ranked ahead of him wouldn't be able to block Shemar.

    Landing Tunmise Adeleye seemed like a pipe dream throughout much of the process. He originally committed to Ohio State and, even after he opened things up, Florida appeared poised to land the five-star who starred as a sophomore at Katy Tompkins and last season at IMG Academy. Fisher, Elko and especially Terry Price hung in and continued to chip away, making sure Adeleye knew how badly the Ags wanted to keep the Houston-area standout at home. The persistence paid off, as A&M ultimately won out over the Gators and Alabama to land a player who most still consider a national top-100 DE and a state top-15 talent despite the fact that he missed his senior season. We're talking about an easy state top-10 talent here and a potential impact member of A&M's front four as early as next fall, just like we've seen from recent five-star caliber additions like Brown, Leal and Jackson. The long-armed, 6-3, 245-pounder is a gifted athlete whose frame is going to carry a lot more weight than it does today. He'll be a lean 280 in no time and have the ability to set the edge versus the run and generate pressure from the edge and as an interior guy when Elko wants to mix things up.

    Both Adeleye and Turner fit the recent trend of Elko finding guys who can play up and down the LOS, following in the footsteps of Kingsley Keke, Justin Madubuike and Leal. Ideal fits and two-year recruitments that paid off big-time on NSD 2020.

    Justin Schoenemann

    Burris missed his senior year but was a monster the two seasons prior.

    Marcus Burris would have likely been considered a state top-15 talent were it not for an Achilles' injury that cost him his senior season. The good news is that Burris is ahead of schedule in his recovery. Better news? The reason the Ags and Sooners fought for Marcus' commitment despite the injury had to do with how good he was on the field as a sophomore and junior and his upside on the defensive interior. Burris' background and his game remind me a lot of former A&M star and longtime NFL DT Red Bryant. He's a 6-5, 280-pounder with a basketball background, a ridiculous wingspan, outlandish strength and that small-town work ethic that typically separates great from good. By the time he takes the field in College Station, Marcus will be a 6-5, 315-pounder in Elijah Robinson's rotation, and I'm also not sure the dude couldn't become an All-Conference offensive tackle one day (same thing I said about Bryant before he went on to make millions on defense). 

    As far as Albert Regis goes, he's got to rank as one of the most intriguing signees in the Ags' Class of 2021. Prior to his junior season, he more than held his own with several nationally-ranked OLs at A&M's camp, landed on the radar, chose Minnesota early, saw his stock soar as he grew from 6-0, 250 to 6-2, 285 and then chose the Ags over Texas earlier this fall. Regis is still adjusting to the added size (and has actually slimmed back down to around 280) but the fact of the matter is, when you pop in the film, you see a guy well north of 250 doing things like snag end zone fades with one hand, catch deep balls as a wide receiver, line up at tight end, h-back, running back as well as DT and DE. Let Robinson and Jerry Schmidt mold Albert for a year and let's see what the Ags have in the defensive trenches. He's a unique piece who I could even see participating in some offensive packages down the road.

    Looking for pure pass-rushers? Jahzion Harris‍ might be the most underrated player in the entire class. The top-ranked prospect in the state of New York, Harris is a long, twitchy and explosive edge defender with off-the-charts potential. The 6-4, 220-pounder boasted offers from the likes of Ohio State, LSU, Michigan, Penn State, Miami and OU at the time of commitment and never once wavered. The lack of a senior season kept the Brooklyn native's ranking from soaring, but it did nothing to temper the excitement in Bright for a guy who is the type of naturally-gifted corner-bender the Aggies badly needed.

    The Ags are also in an excellent position to eventually put the cherry on top by adding Philadelphia (PA) Northeast DE Elijah Jeudy. A teammate of early signee Tyreek Chappell‍, Jeudy is a little bigger than Harris at 6-3, 245 but equally effective when it comes to getting to the quarterback. He's more of your prototypical weakside end. An instinctive end, Elijah is going to have the size to stand in against the run and is also a talented pass-rusher who blends the kind of power, size and quickness that have both Jimbo and Kirby Smart doing everything possible to add his skill-set to their roster.

    If the Ags close things out by adding Jeudy, go ahead and pick any metric you want, this was an A+ class and as good as you're going to see Texas A&M recruit at any position. An absolute clinic, from Houston to Dallas and from East Texas all the way up to the Northeast. In each of Fisher's first four recruiting cycles in College Station, the Ags' haul in the defensive trenches has gotten better, a pretty remarkable accomplishment.

    Looking ahead to '22: We know Elko and his two aces (Price and Robinson) are going to attempt to stockpile talent up front in every class, and the '22 haul could end up being a four-man group, depending on attrition between now and then. Two guys in state stand out head and shoulders above the rest in the early going : Five-star defensive end Malick Sylla‍ and Denton Ryan 300-pounder Big Bear Alexander‍. The Aggies are right in the middle of both recruitments and will almost certainly have a seat at the table when decision time rolls around. A couple of other in-state names to watch include Arlington Martin DE RJ Cooper and Omari Abor‍ of Duncanville. And if there's one position where you can take it to the bank that the Ags will find one or two guys from elsewhere around the country, it's the defensive line, where A&M has inked players from Florida, Tennessee, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Mississippi since Fisher's arrival.

    Linebacker (0): Incomplete
    I'm leaving it as an 'incomplete' for now, though I believe signing at least one linebacker could have easily been justified. The Ags let Kaci Seegars‍ walk late and really only pursued one additional linebacker (Alabama signee Kendrick Blackshire‍) since late spring. Obviously, Mike Elko and Tyler Santucci were content with who's on campus and who is out there in '22 to not sign a linebacker this cycle. Additionally, I'm also not sure 6-4, 195-pound safety Kendal Daniels‍ won't grow into a LB/S hybrid cut from the same mold as former Clemson star Isaiah Simmons. The Oklahoma product could end up starring in the box if he grows out of being a deep safety, which would alter this grade significantly.

    The A&M staff clearly didn't feel the need to add numbers at LB this year, perhaps because both Antonio Doyle and Edgerrin Cooper are very promising first-year 'backers who will get their freshman seasons back, Chris Russell and Andre White are still young and there's a legitimate chance that Aaron Hansford could return for one more season in Maroon & White. So, with that being the case...

    Looking ahead to '22: Another reason the Aggies were content to sign just Seegars at the position this go-round had to do with the fact that the state of Texas is pretty loaded at the position in the junior ranks. A&M is in very good early shape with The Woodlands Martrell Harris‍, and the Ags are squarely in the mix for one of the nation's best in five-star Harold Perkins‍ of Cy-Park. Perkins is the ultimate prize in '22, but there are plenty of SEC West caliber 'backers in-state, including Katy's Ty Kana‍, Manvel's Justin Medlock‍ and Owen Pewee‍, who happens to be Harold's teammate at Cy-Park. I'd expect the Ags to try and land their two most coveted in-state guys and probably look out of state and inside the SEC footprint to close out a three-man haul next December.

    Defensive Back (4): A-
    On Wednesday, Mike Elko and T.J. Rushing celebrated four signings in the defensive backfield, a group that jumps off the page when it comes to the caliber of athlete the Ags added on the back end. The quartet includes the No. 1 cover corner in Texas, a national top-60 prospect at safety who also happens to be the No. 1-ranked recruit in Oklahoma, the No. 1-ranked recruit in Arkansas and a corner from the Northeast who Fisher, Elko and Co. considered elite from day one. The Aggies were probably one addition away from this one earning an A or even an A+ grade and could add the final piece of the puzzle in January, so stay tuned.

    TexAgs

    Kendal Daniels has a unique skill set to become an impact defender for A&M.

    Headlining the Ags' list of signees in the secondary is safety Kendal Daniels‍. The product of Beggs, Oklahoma is considered the top-ranked prospect in the Sooner State and, needless to say, A&M convincing the impact defender to play south of the Red River came as quite the shock to Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch in Norman. Daniels chose the Ags over OU, Clemson and LSU — three of last year's four playoff teams — and it's easy to see why he's considered one of the top safety prospects in the country.

    A uniquely-talented defender, the kind of safety that isn't available in every recruiting cycle and someone with All-SEC potential and beyond. Standing nearly 6-4 and 190 pounds, Daniels is a thin, rangy safety who covers an incredible amount of ground on the back end of the defense. When you watch the four-star defensive back on tape, you see a field general who is essentially 'patrolling' the entire secondary. He's drawn comparisons to former Clemson phenom and 2020 NFL first-rounder Isaiah Simmons. One can only imagine what a creative defensive mind like Elko will be able to do with a chess piece like Daniels — someone who, like Simmons, can line up virtually anywhere in the back seven on a given snap.

    The Aggies entered the 2021 cycle with cornerback standing out as one of the most pressing areas of need. There just aren't enough on the current roster and, outside of Jaylon Jones, there isn't a proven commodity set to return at the position. So what did Mike Elko, T.J. Rushing and the Aggies do? They went out and signed a trio of cover men, each bringing a slightly different skill-set and/or background to the table — three corners the Ags are pretty excited about when it comes to upgrading the position in fairly short order.

    Don't listen to what the spin-doctors in Austin or the national networks try to tell you. Go watch the tape, watch the candidates in person and ask around to those in the know in the Dallas area. There wasn't a better cover man in the state of Texas this year than Denton Guyer's Deuce Harmon‍. An explosive athlete who plays an extremely physical brand of ball on the island, Harmon is a winner, a leader and a straight-up ballhawk. One of the Ags' early commits and a longtime priority of the A&M staff, Harmon chose the Maroon & White over former Big 12 rivals Texas and OU and never looked back. Because of his mental makeup and the ability to line up at corner or nickel in Elko's scheme, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Harmon become one of the earliest impact guys in this class.

    The home-state Razorbacks and Missouri Tigers pushed very hard late, but the Ags inked the top-ranked prospect in Arkansas in Dreyden Norwood‍. He's more projection at this point, but we're talking about a top-shelf athlete who has excelled when he's lined up in the secondary. Norwood is simply the best athlete on his Fort Smith Northside team, so his primary position in high school was under center, where he reminded me of former Wrecking Crew great Derrick Frazier. As a cover man, Dreyden's 6-0 frame, outstanding hips, footwork and ability to find the football and his QB background makes for a very 'heady' cornerback when it comes to understanding coverage. The Ags won out here over offers from Arkansas, Mizzou, Auburn, Miami and Notre Dame, among others.

    Jimbo Fisher and Mike Elko were elated that Tyreek stayed under the radar. He has a chance to be this year's Ainias Smith, an absolute steal who quickly emerges as one of the most buzzworthy members of the 2021 class.

    In my opinion, Tyreek Chappell‍ is the most fascinating player the Aggies signed on Wednesday. At the time of his commitment, Michigan, Tennessee and Penn State were all hanging on the Philadelphia playmaker's decision, and his stock would likely have soared had he been able to participate in camps and actually play football as a senior. Chappell's tape is absolutely filthy — at both wide receiver and corner. We're talking about elite ball skills and the kind of speed and raw athletic ability that would have certainly earned him four stars and a spot in the national top-250 if he played in Texas or anywhere in the South. Folks, I can assure you that Jimbo Fisher and Mike Elko were elated that Tyreek stayed under the radar. He has a chance to be this year's Ainias Smith, an absolute steal who quickly emerges as one of the most buzzworthy members of the 2021 class once this group gets on campus.

    The Ags were disappointed that they were unable to land Pennsylvania four-star Donovan McMillon‍ (Florida) and Mississippi corner MJ Daniels‍ (Ole Miss) late, but the cherry on top of a strong class in the secondary is still out there if the Maroon & White are able to pull either Baton Rouge University Lab safety Jardin Gilbert‍ or Tallahassee standout Terrion Arnold‍. A&M is in the best position and lead for Gilbert, and if the Ags outlast Alabama and LSU and add a DB who many believe played his way into top-5 status in Louisiana, a very good class becomes great. Jardin is exactly what Mike Elko loves at safety; he's fast, rangy and fluid, is a two-sport standout (basketball) and has a pretty impressive highlight reel at receiver, as well. But it's at safety where GIlbert's athletic ability and extremely high football IQ and instincts made him a longtime (even if relatively under-the-radar) priority for Elko and the Aggies. The DC hand picks his safeties, and landing a couple from a group of three or four that has always included Jardin and signee Kendal Daniels has always been considered a non-negotiable must in this class. I like the Ags' chances to win out here, but we won't know the verdict until his announcement the day after New Year's.

    Looking ahead to '22: Watch what Elko and Rushing do in the secondary in 2022. Between a very deep year in the Lone Star State and what the Aggies have shown they're capable of doing from coast to coast, it's safe to expect an even more impressive haul for Texas A&M in the defensive backfield a year from now.

    A couple of big-time targets worth keeping a close eye on as early as the start of the new year are Katy cover man Bobby Taylor‍ and Beaumont Westbrook safety and current LSU commit Bryce Anderson‍. Two top targets who many believe will be Aggies when the dust settles. Other in-state targets who have already earned offers include North Shore five-star cornerback Denver Harris‍, Garland S Chace Biddle‍, John Paul II corner and Wrecking Crew legacy Terrance Brooks‍, Clear Lake CB Julian Humphrey‍ and Lexington S Jarred Kerr‍.

    Overall: A-

    This group certainly feels like it's trending up. In the past week alone, the Aggies added Strickland, Turner, Adeleye and Foster to surge from somewhere around 15 and well into the top 10. The Ags could still add a pair of four-star defenders in Juedy and Gilbert, which would push that class grade to an A and probably as high as No. 6 or 7 in the national rankings. If the Ags capped things off with either Johnson at tailback or Thomas at receiver, you're talking about four five-star worthy and national top-100 additions to close things out. Land both of the skill-position stars plus Jeudy and Gilbert and the Aggies would threaten to crack the top-5 for the second time in three cycles. Right now, this is an A+ haul in the trenches, but the skill spots could use a difference-maker (or two) in order to push this thing from excellent to elite, which is where Fisher and the Aggies have elevated the bar.

     

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