Brian Perroni 67946 posts
63 minutes agoVIP
Texas A&M is at 24 commitments in the class of 2019 already. There is a maximum of 28 spots in the class with the Aggies like to sign that many, or possibly 27, when all is said and done.
-As far as the current commitments, most are 100-percent locked in. A few make take some visits, though.
DeMarvin Leal has already officially visited both Alabama and Texas with Clemson still being a possibility. However, A&M is not too concerned with the 6-foot-4, 280-pound defender. The Aggies feel he will end up signing with them. Alabama would be the most concerning team out of any as they have continued to recruit him hard and it was his most recent official. But, again, A&M does not expect him to end up anywhere else.
Linebacker Tarian Lee Jr. out of Florida made a somewhat surprising commitment earlier this summer while in town to camp and take in the Aggie Elite Day. A&M really likes him and the Under Armour All-American is getting some other looks now as well. Last weekend, he was at Florida State. However, the in-town school has not offered and he is not really on their radar at the moment.
Alabama is going to try to get new A&M commit Christian Harris in town for an official, especially if Henry To’oto’o announces elsewhere. However, it bodes well for the Aggies that he committed to them fresh of an unofficial visit to Alabama. He says he had a hard time telling Saban no, but likes the fact he has been a priority for A&M from the beginning.
It would surprising if any of the others took visits.
-Who could be the next pledge?
I continue to believe it will be Katy Mayde Creek defensive end Marcus Stripling. The 6-foot-2.5, 260-pound defender is still mentioning other official visits, but it would not surprise me to see him shut things down before the season starts.
A&M really likes Stripling and wants him in the class, but the Aggies cannot hold a spot forever without knowing his intentions. He is aware of that and that could speed up his process. As long as there is room, though, he’s a take. He’s still a heavy Aggie lean and I expect him to end up in the class.
-Stripling is likely the only summer pledge, should he end up doing so, which means A&M will go into the season with a few spots left. I believe Katy Seven Lakes defensive end David Ugwoegbu will end up taking one of them.
A&M wants one of either Ugwoegbu or Adisa Isaacout of New York, but the latter is likely Penn State-bound. Ugwoegbu wants to visit both Alabama and Oklahoma and likes the idea of playing for Saban in Tuscaloosa. However, with him not camping there this summer, there may not be a spot. His family is also very, very high on A&M. He likes the Aggies a whole lot as well and last weekend’s barbecue went a long way toward helping that cause even more.
-A&M has one tight end committed in Baylor Cupp but the Aggies are dangerously thin at the position. After this season, it is only a senior Jace Sternberger and an underclassman Glenn Beal on campus. They want another and the only target right now is Dickinson’s Jalen Wydermyer.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end was another player that was at the barbecue last weekend and the fact that his mother made the trip and it was her first-ever visit was big. Wydermyer still wants to use his official visits, but this is pretty much an A&M/Miami battle with Ole Miss sticking around as well.
The only problem with his Miami visit is that he says it will likely be during Dickinson’s bye week, which is not until the second-to-last weekend of the season. Will he wait that long? I think it depends on exactly how full the A&M class gets.
I still believe he will end up in Maroon and White.
-With most players planning to sign early, West Mesquite wide receiver Dylan Wright is the exception. The four-star still has plans to announce at the Under Armour game in early January.
Wright will likely announce a top group soon, but this one is essentially an in-state battle between A&M and Texas. The Aggies currently have the momentum but Texas was once considered the leader by a good bit.
Wright has been to College Station several times recently and, with so few targets left, the Aggies have made him a priority. This one will likely go down to the wire but my Crystal Ball pick has been on A&M.
-Fort Bend Dulles athlete Ainias Smith will be an interesting prospect to watch. He is not necessarily a need but his speed and versatility are a luxury the Aggies would love to have.
The trouble is, there might not be room. With him waiting until late in the season or even after it to make a decision, though, A&M’s hand will not be forced anytime soon. If there is room later on, then he would be welcome. However, there may not be.
Even so, Smith is not a lock for the Aggies. He does not necessarily need to go to the biggest ‘name’ school. He has always sort of marched to his own beat and he could decide to go somewhere that a bigger role would be likely earlier. Vanderbilt and Southern Miss are the main other competitors with Louisiana Tech really trying hard to get in there as well.
-I’ll be honest and say that I don’t know where things stand with junior college defensive end/linebacker Kuony Deng right now. That is something A&M will have to figure out – is he worth a spot when he will only be around for two years?
A&M was long his lone Power Five offer but it was obvious more would come. A big one to him did this week in Virginia Tech. Deng is from Virginia and the Hokies have moved into his top group, along with A&M, Nebraska and Texas. The latter two have yet to offer.
-A&M will host a few official visitors during the season that would be takes pretty much no matter what. They would make room for all of these, but at the moment, none are likely.
Five-star Louisiana defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsherincluded the Aggies in his top seven but A&M is actually likely in his top three, along with Alabama and LSU. The trouble is, the Aggies are likely running third. He still plans to visit, though, so there’s always a shot. However, his teammate Devonta Lee did not include A&M in his top group and is expected to end up at in-state LSU.
Florida defensive tackle Jaquaze Sorrells has an announcement planned for Aug. 27 and he is expected to pick South Carolina. That date has been set for some time but, even with that being the case, he has told us multiple times that he still plans to visit A&M. If that trip does indeed happen, it will be big. But it is still an uphill battle.
Florida edge rusher Khris Bogle is planning to be in town for the Clemson game on an official. The national top-100 prospect was once thought to be a near-lock to Miami. While the Canes are still in good shape, he is a little more open now. Should he want to come aboard, there would actually be a spot for him without having to make one. However, it would likely mean no room for Ugwoegbu or Isaac.
A&M is still working on Dallas Bishop Dunne national top-100 cornerback Marquez Beason as well. However, I continue to hear that nobody is expecting him to flip from his Illinois pledge, regardless of what happens with head coach Lovie Smith.
-Five-star linebacker Nakobe Dean made an unofficial visit to A&M over the summer and has family in Texas, but he is a longshot at best right now. An official from him is not guaranteed, but might happen. However, Florida State currently has the momentum with Alabama also having him as a very high priority.
-A&M sent a written offer this week to Houston North Forest offensive tackle and new Texas commit Javonne Shepherd. The Aggies will continue to recruit him but I don’t see him flipping.
-At linebacker, Georgia prospects Kevon Glenn and Nick Jackson are both still on the radar as well. Depending on if there is movement at the position, the Aggies could ramp things up with them. Both were in town for the Aggie Elite Day earlier this summer