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Phone: 281-971-3362
Email: paul@westhoustonsf.com
A look at the spring roster (now that it's posted)
A few interesting things to note: Demond Demas, Jordan Jefferson and Dallas Walker are not on it. Luke Matthews is, which is more than a bit of a surprise, but we haven't seen him out there yet. Both Myles and Hezekiah Jones are back, but that was pretty commonly known. Derick Hunter is gone, to Hinds Community College in Mississippi, but we'd alerted you to that already.
If the roster is totally accurate (and sometimes they're not), A&M currently has 71 scholarship players on campus with 18 more to come in the summer. That would mean a total of 89 scholarships accounted for, so they're still 4 over. But that's not as terrible as it was, and they may avoid some serious depletion at certain positions.
5-stars creating a buzz already
Two guys who have stood out during the shorts and no pads segment of spring ball are true freshmen Evan Stewart and Denver Harris. Stewart has gotten a ton of buzz, with his quickness and ability to get open. Harris has gotten some snaps against the veterans and held his own. He's not afraid of the competition and has proven himself to be quite capable so far. The pads come on in two weeks, after spring break, and it'll be fun to see what happens then.
Diggs making an early push
I had penciled Fadil Diggs in as a starter at defensive end before camp started (once I realized Shemar Turner was staying inside) for two reasons: one, he's a veteran and two, he was the backup defensive end last year. It just made sense. The question was whether he'd be a placeholder or a guy who could start full-time. So far, he's done quite well from what we've heard. He may not be a big name (even though he was a 4-star and the top player in New Jersey his senior season), but he's a guy who puts in a lot of effort, doesn't make many mistakes and finds the ball. The true freshmen may be getting more hype, but Diggs is someone who could be out there for the first snap in the fall.
2021 big names showing they're legit
Stewart and Tunmise Adeleye were the two biggest names in A&M's defensive recruiting class a year ago. Turner was a freshman All-SEC selection, while Adeleye got hurt in camp and missed the season. If both are healthy this season, they won't be role players. They'll be big parts of the defense.
Turner is listed at 285 pounds on the roster, but don't buy it. He's gotten a lot bigger and broader in the shoulders. He looked a bit undersized as a tackle last year, but not so much now. He looks like he can handle the pounding on the interior, and his speed could cause serious trouble.
Keeping Turner on the inside makes the defensive tackle crew extremely strong on paper. McKinnley Jackson, Adarious Jones and Isaiah Raikes are back with Turner, as are Marcus Burris and Albert Regis. Add in Walter Nolen and that group is stacked.
Adeleye is a defensive end at 295 pounds. He may have slimmed down just a bit, but he looks a lot taller than the 6-foot-4 he's listed at. Like Turner, he's off to a strong start to camp and has been working with the first team. Of all the end candidates, he may be the most likely to start due to his size and speed that someone at his size shouldn't have.
Nation's #2 player seems to be narrowing his list
Allen's David Hicks was a surprise visitor at A&M's practice Wednesday after taking a look at Oklahoma at the end of February. Right now, all I'm hearing on the Hicks front is it's a two-team race between those two programs, and the opinion on who's leading depends on who you talk to. He's not afraid of competition and A&M's going to have a loaded defensive front, but he definitely likes OU as well. I don't think he's going to be in any rush to make a call, but it sure seems like it's going to be another A&M-OU battle for a prized defensive lineman.
Kenyon to team up with Mike in Tampa?
It's always tough to project where players might go, especially before Pro Days (A&M's will be March 29, if I remember right). But the Tampa Bay Bucs suddenly have a huge hole in their offensive line after one of their starting guards, Ali Marpet, abruptly retired. Their other starting guard, Alex Kappa, is a free agent, as is their starting center. So who might be around to fill one of those needs at 27? Kenyon Green. The last Aggie they took in the first round, Mike Evans, is working out pretty well, so keep your eyes on this one.
Phone: 281-971-3362
Email: paul@westhoustonsf.com
A look at the spring roster (now that it's posted)
A few interesting things to note: Demond Demas, Jordan Jefferson and Dallas Walker are not on it. Luke Matthews is, which is more than a bit of a surprise, but we haven't seen him out there yet. Both Myles and Hezekiah Jones are back, but that was pretty commonly known. Derick Hunter is gone, to Hinds Community College in Mississippi, but we'd alerted you to that already.
If the roster is totally accurate (and sometimes they're not), A&M currently has 71 scholarship players on campus with 18 more to come in the summer. That would mean a total of 89 scholarships accounted for, so they're still 4 over. But that's not as terrible as it was, and they may avoid some serious depletion at certain positions.
5-stars creating a buzz already
Two guys who have stood out during the shorts and no pads segment of spring ball are true freshmen Evan Stewart and Denver Harris. Stewart has gotten a ton of buzz, with his quickness and ability to get open. Harris has gotten some snaps against the veterans and held his own. He's not afraid of the competition and has proven himself to be quite capable so far. The pads come on in two weeks, after spring break, and it'll be fun to see what happens then.
Diggs making an early push
I had penciled Fadil Diggs in as a starter at defensive end before camp started (once I realized Shemar Turner was staying inside) for two reasons: one, he's a veteran and two, he was the backup defensive end last year. It just made sense. The question was whether he'd be a placeholder or a guy who could start full-time. So far, he's done quite well from what we've heard. He may not be a big name (even though he was a 4-star and the top player in New Jersey his senior season), but he's a guy who puts in a lot of effort, doesn't make many mistakes and finds the ball. The true freshmen may be getting more hype, but Diggs is someone who could be out there for the first snap in the fall.
2021 big names showing they're legit
Stewart and Tunmise Adeleye were the two biggest names in A&M's defensive recruiting class a year ago. Turner was a freshman All-SEC selection, while Adeleye got hurt in camp and missed the season. If both are healthy this season, they won't be role players. They'll be big parts of the defense.
Turner is listed at 285 pounds on the roster, but don't buy it. He's gotten a lot bigger and broader in the shoulders. He looked a bit undersized as a tackle last year, but not so much now. He looks like he can handle the pounding on the interior, and his speed could cause serious trouble.
Keeping Turner on the inside makes the defensive tackle crew extremely strong on paper. McKinnley Jackson, Adarious Jones and Isaiah Raikes are back with Turner, as are Marcus Burris and Albert Regis. Add in Walter Nolen and that group is stacked.
Adeleye is a defensive end at 295 pounds. He may have slimmed down just a bit, but he looks a lot taller than the 6-foot-4 he's listed at. Like Turner, he's off to a strong start to camp and has been working with the first team. Of all the end candidates, he may be the most likely to start due to his size and speed that someone at his size shouldn't have.
Nation's #2 player seems to be narrowing his list
Allen's David Hicks was a surprise visitor at A&M's practice Wednesday after taking a look at Oklahoma at the end of February. Right now, all I'm hearing on the Hicks front is it's a two-team race between those two programs, and the opinion on who's leading depends on who you talk to. He's not afraid of competition and A&M's going to have a loaded defensive front, but he definitely likes OU as well. I don't think he's going to be in any rush to make a call, but it sure seems like it's going to be another A&M-OU battle for a prized defensive lineman.
Kenyon to team up with Mike in Tampa?
It's always tough to project where players might go, especially before Pro Days (A&M's will be March 29, if I remember right). But the Tampa Bay Bucs suddenly have a huge hole in their offensive line after one of their starting guards, Ali Marpet, abruptly retired. Their other starting guard, Alex Kappa, is a free agent, as is their starting center. So who might be around to fill one of those needs at 27? Kenyon Green. The last Aggie they took in the first round, Mike Evans, is working out pretty well, so keep your eyes on this one.
