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Longhornfrenzy

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Everything posted by Longhornfrenzy

  1. Sooner site wars! Drumm having to apologize for his business partner Parker Thune
  2. Decision time approaching for 5-star DL Dominick McKinley Billy Embody 5-star DL Dominick McKinley. (On3) 2024 Acadiana (La.) defensive lineman Dominick McKinley is approaching his decision on Sept. 1, knocking out his decision before his senior season. The five-star prospect has LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M among the programs heavily in the mix for him. Texas leads the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine over LSU right now, but will that change? I can see another program landing McKinley. I could see him ending up at Texas. That said, like Shea Dixon reported last week, sources will vary on where they see McKinley landing. LSU had him on campus for the Bayou Splash, offering his brother and 2026 prospect Darryus McKinley. His family and coaches were with him in Baton Rouge for the visit, which was the most positive visit the Tigers had of the recruitment. McKinley opened up more than he had previously and sources left the visit feeling better. There’s the reality though that other programs over the spring and into summer built a stronger base with McKinley and his family. Texas is certainly one of those programs as is Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. LSU was playing catch-up here in a sense. Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson, Texas A&M defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, Oklahoma defensive line coach Todd Bates and Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis all have impressive recruiting resumes and are strong relationship builders. The first two are two of the best in the nation right now. Ohio State carried a large amount of buzz behind the scenes lately, but there was a thought LSU punched back against the Buckeyes with their visit and the staff putting in work behind the scenes. While I do think Oklahoma has done a good job, I don’t get the sense the Sooners are in that lead group right now. I do think LSU, Ohio State, Texas and Texas A&M are among that top group battling away. I could see any of these schools winning out. While there’s been more of a buzz from Ohio State and Texas over the summer, don’t sleep on Texas A&M either. Robinson is one of the best in the country for a reason. LSU isn’t by any means done with their pitches, which will come over the next two weeks. There’s an eternity in this recruitment, at this point. There’s lots of time to make a move. I do think it’s critical that LSU gets McKinley now vs. trying to flip him late. With how he’s handled the recruiting process, I don’t get the sense he’s really about keeping it going any longer
  3. Fall Camp Report: Offensive observations from A&M's first two weeks By Billy Liucci August 16, 2023 In the first of two installments of his Fall Camp Report from Texas A&M's opening two weeks of camp, TexAgs' co-owner and executive editor Billy Liucci offers plenty of notes, observations and pieces of information regarding Jimbo Fisher's and Bobby Petrino's offensive unit. Entering camp, there were a couple of discussion topics that few outside of TexAgs would acknowledge, much less report on or say out loud. A legitimate quarterback battle would take place in August, and the Texas A&M offensive line — while needing to show significant improvement over last season — would be one of the deepest spots on the roster. Both of those things have been made crystal clear as A&M is now two full weeks into camp. At quarterback, Conner Weigman started strong, has progressed steadily and is playing good ball. The sophomore has had an impressive August thus far. However, both quarterbacks had their struggles in the first scrimmage, and Max Johnson has since strung together a pair of outstanding practices — the best two he's had in August. With a decision by Jimbo Fisher probably at least a week away (possibly not until game week), it's still too early to name a favorite. I know the reaction here, so let me tell you ahead of time: You're wasting your energy if you turn this into any sort of negative. Jamie Maury, TexAgs Both Max Johnson and Conner Weigman are in their first fall camp with new Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. These two are pushing each other, and it's leading the entire team to practice better as a result. The offensive line has been a very interesting position to track. Reuben Fatheree is still on schedule and should be ready in time for the season. He recently returned to practice and is noticeably lighter and leaner than he was at this time a year ago. However, Fatheree missing time did allow for a couple of younger tackles to get more practice time with and against the ones, and both Chase Bisontis and Dametrious Crownover have been pretty damn impressive from wire to wire. Crownover would be on my very short list when asked about the most improved player on the Aggie roster over last spring, and I'm telling you right now: Bisontis is good enough to start in the SEC as a true freshman if the need arises. The New Jersey product is going to be special. That said, the Aggies return both starting tackles, and the guy no one talks about is quietly putting together an outstanding month of August. That's third-year man Trey Zuhn, and the 6-foot-6, 315-pounder has been healthy and has performed as well as anyone on Steve Addazio's starting five. In summary, the tackle position has been a fun one to watch this fall, and along with a pretty experienced Akinola Ogunbiyi also factoring in, the Ags appear to have finally built some quality depth at the position. On the inside, Bryce Foster is your center and should be as good as any in the SEC. The Aggie offensive line was a different unit with #61 in the middle last fall and missed him dearly. Foster did miss some time last week and was out for spring ball. He's back in action, and the Ags need him Sophomore Mark Nabou received important reps at center during the spring, and his versatility offers Steve Addazio a number of interior options. Still, Foster's absence has given Addazio and Fisher to develop much better depth in the all-important middle, with Mark Nabou getting plenty of work and looking very good. The guard/center from Seattle needs continued work on snaps, but he's more than a capable backup and remains one of the most underrated signings in that record-setting 2022 class. Nabou will provide depth and push to play at any of the three spots in the middle. Remington Strickland is also beginning to look like a guy who could not only provide invaluable center depth but also potentially step in and start a little later in his career. As expected, the running backs have essentially taken turns showing out. Veteran Amari Daniels is still very much in the mix, but I will say that I'm hearing the names Le'Veon Moss and Rueben Owens a lot lately. I'm particularly excited to see the five-star freshman in the early going, as he's begun to establish himself as a big-play threat out of the Aggie backfield. Here's a name at running back folks might not want to sleep on: Colorado State transfer David Bailey. The 235-pound back caught our eye during the open practice, and I was told the former Boston College starter ripped off a couple of long runs in the first-team scrimmage last Saturday. He brings something different to the backfield stable, which is worth noting when it comes to Fisher and Bobby Petrino looking for someone to wear on a defense with hard yards between the tackles. Losing Donovan Green for the season at tight end is a crushing blow, as he was a returning starter at the spot and one of the more likable guys in that locker room. Green isn't just good at football, but he also really cares about football, which makes him a real loss. That said, depth at tight end means that it's a loss that the Aggies should be able to absorb. The position has seen a few guys miss some time since last spring due to a series of bumps and bruises (including Green prior to the season-ending injury), but there has been some positive buzz coming out of the first two weeks of camp. Max Wright returns for a sixth season at Texas A&M and is an important piece for the Aggie tight ends, both on and off the gridiron. Max Wright is returning for year six on campus, and he means a lot more to that huddle than many realize. As far as Wright the player, I think the coaching staff has the most confidence in the veteran when it comes to his knowledge of the offense and his blocking ability. Wright can also make plays in the passing game, even if not as dangerous a weapon as Green. That's where guys like Jake Johnson and Theo Melin Öhrström come in. Fisher mentioned Öhrströ snagging around eight passes in Saturday's scrimmage setting, and the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Swede is now likely to be thrown into the mix, ready or not. He's close, and we probably would have seen him work his way into the mix as the season wore on regardless. As for Jake Johnson, he was turning heads in a big way before suffering a minor injury that cost him a couple of days. Personally, Jake is the guy I believe has the biggest opportunity in front of him with Donovan out. The second-year tight end was going to play a ton anyway and now has a chance to see his number of reps and targets soar. When it comes to true freshman Jaden Platt, he's probably the most gifted player at the position in terms of frame and all-around athleticism. Give him some time, and we'll see if he contributes later in the season. The Ags lost their most proven player at the position, but there is healthy competition for first-team rep distribution at tight end. Time for the next man (or men) to step up. At receiver, Evan Stewart has been doing Evan Stewart things. No surprise here, as I'm not sure I've seen a more athletically-gifted player at the position at A&M. Re-read that. I mean it. We all know Stewart can make the incredible grab look routine, but his quickness and athletic ability in his routes are simply next-level. Noah Thomas has continued to impress on the outside, and nothing has changed when it comes to the Aggie coaches and players expecting a breakout season from the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher. To nobody’s surprise, do-it-all man Ainias Smith is doing it all. “Sub Zero” has seen time at receiver, running back and on special teams throughout fall camp. How about Ainias Smith? He's healthy and has recently been demonstrating why he should be considered a prime candidate for first-team All-SEC honors at the 'all purpose' spot. In recent practices, “Sub Zero” has gotten some extra work in the backfield, and to no one's surprise, Smith has looked exceptional running the football. Those three, plus proven playmaker Moose Muhammad, give Dameyune Craig a group that most position coaches around the country would envy...and that's without anyone knowing about “All Dae.” Jahdae Walker was a largely unheralded portal addition out of Grand Valley State, but the dynamic receiving threat has turned heads and won over coaches and teammates alike with his energy and work ethic since stepping foot on campus. However, where Walker has really stood out is on the field. Standing around 6-foot-4, Walker's combination of size and speed is NFL starter-type stuff, and his work ethic and practice production have been elite since the beginning of fall camp. No matter how crowded things may seem at wideout, Walker looks like a fall camp standout who will work his way onto the field early and often. Quick note about something we don't talk about enough around here: Punter Nik Constantinou and kicker Randy Bond have been outstanding through a couple of weeks of camp. I've also heard quite a bit of positive buzz from backup kicker and second-year man Ethan Moczulski. The Aggies have a chance to be pretty strong on special teams this fall, in the kicking game and with guys like Smith, Muhammad, Bryce Anderson and Moss leading the way in the return game.
  4. By Billy Liucci TexAgs co-owner and executive editor Billy Liucci joined TexAgs Radio Monday morning to share his thoughts as week three of fall camp kicks off. Liucci also discussed his takeaways from football's scrimmage, players who are emerging and more. Segment 1 (00:00:00 - 19:32:29) The weekend was good. Texas A&M had its first scrimmage. In the weeks' worth of practice, there are plenty of notes. We have the press conference and practice today. I will go to lunch with my scouting buddies that are coming to watch the seniors. Long story short, the first-team defense looked really good. People are trying to say we are and banged-up football team right now. That is not true. They had a significant injury, and we will see if Jimbo Fisher talks about it today. We don't do that crap. We let the coach be the word on anything season-ending. Luckily, they didn't practice yesterday. Maybe someone's parents heard about an injury on the TexAgs boards. Posters are mentioning kids that are hurt that aren't. I understand the why of it. We wonder why practices aren't open. Tempers flare. There are fights. I wish we had a little more time out there to see more football play, but there should be a cutoff. I like the idea of staying out there in the spring but turning the cameras off. I will be interested in what Jimbo Fisher says. There was a thread that said Evan Stewart was hurt. Stewart is not hurt. Other schools can take that and run with it. Guys will be banged up. They will have knicks and bruises that keep them out. Those things accumulate. I don’t consider that to be a banged-out football team. They had guys out at safety, but we saw that depth. The first-team offense started off Conner Weigman and then Max Johnson. The red zone stuff shined. The main takeaway is your first-team defense looked really strong. Some will say, ”Omg, bad offensive line play.” Defense is usually ahead at this time of the year. You want it to be back and forth. Defense has an advantage in practice, but Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy and Bryce Anderson said with Bobby Petrino that you don't know what is coming. Guys will miss the first game and be out for Miami, but as of today, if you are to ask how many guys miss the first two games, the list might include one player. Athletically, this team is the best for Jimbo since the 2016 Florida State squad. They won the title in 2013 with Dalvin Cook and Derwin James. They had a loaded roster. They do need to stay healthy. I still come back to the offensive line and defensive line. I worry about corner. I don't think they are great at corner. I want to see who steps up. Your defensive line needs to dominate. Haynes King got smoked every time he dropped back against Alabama. That was his most historic performance, and if they finished it off, it would have been legendary. I think Will Anderson had seven or eight hurries. A&M's defensive line got the best of Alabama’s offensive line. The Aggies got to Jalen Milroe five or six times at Kyle Field. Milroe hung onto the football. Pressure is pressure. They will have to play like they did against LSU all year. They have one of the top three defensive lines in the SEC. Now the Offensive line? If it’s a top-five or six unit in the league, this is a double-digit-win football team. Segment 2 (19:33:00 - 27:37:17) The Florida game last year pisses me off. There are a lot of games for A&M that are do-over games. If I could let you change a couple of games that are reasonable to change in a tenure, what would it be so far? I agree with LSU in 2021. They could have got a fourth down stop. Max Johnson made the play. I would probably include Ole Miss from that year, which was the game before that. They had a chance to win that in the fourth. With those, you finish 10-2. You would have been 6-2 in the SEC and beat Alabama and LSU. That would have been back-to-back New Years Six bowl games. It would have changed the whole perception. I would go with Appalachian State too because of what it did to the locker room and morale. You would have been 5-0 going into Mississippi State. I could also go with Alabama last year instead of Appalachian State. You were close to winning that game. If they would have won, I wonder what effect it would have had on the following games. I think it would have changed so much. There is a world where A&M's one two-yard play away from being 4-0 in the last two years vs. LSU and Alabama. Segment 3 (27:37:18 - 31:21:08) Jahdae Walker has been one of the... I wouldn't say “surprises” because the guys this summer would tell you that he is a breath of fresh air out there. With his approach to everything, the guys have embraced him. To come from Grand Valley State and seamlessly transition into Texas A&M football with the locker room and loaded receiving room. He was 5-foot-11 in high school. Now, he is 6-foot-3. He has NFL-caliber running numbers. He has had some really good days. Physically and athletically, this dude has got it and has three years of eligibility. He can make an impact this year
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