Those of you freaking out about recruiting: Just…stop.
This is really starting to get ridiculous. A&M picked up two commits over the weekend and people are accusing them of being lazy or just taking who they can get because they’re three-stars. They offered a couple of other wide receivers, who are also three-stars. Since they also had four three-stars and a two-star already committed, the sky is plainly falling.
Or is it because they only have 10 commits that the sky is falling? It’s getting tough to keep track.
Let’s take a look around the rest of the west and see how horrible A&M is doing in comparison. First, LSU is killing it. Everyone’s class is inferior to theirs. They’re doing a great job. Now, let’s look at the supposedly amazing Alabama class: 11 commits, 4 3-stars and a guy who isn’t rated at all. Auburn: 6 commits, two 3-stars. Ole Miss: 14 commits (slow down, fellas), eight 3-stars. Arkansas: 6 commits, five 3-stars. Mississippi State: 10 commits, all 3-stars.
In other words, A&M is right in line with the rest of the west (save #1 in the nation for sure LSU) so far. I said a few weeks ago that getting crazy about this was extremely premature, and after our trip to Baltimore, I feel even more strongly that’s the case. Rob and I were floored by how many players at the Rivals 100 5-Star Challenge that the Aggies weren’t just in on, but have a very real case of landing. Some of those guys you haven’t even really heard of because nobody took their chances seriously. The other day, I did a list of guys who were highly rated that I thought A&M was at least in the top two for. Let’s make some additions to that list now.
Nacogdoches S Brandon Jones
Euless Trinity DT Chris Daniels
Manvel S Deontay Anderson
North Mesquite OL Jean Delance
North Shore CB/S Eric Monroe
Havelock (N.C.) LB Keion Joyner
Elkins ILB Dontavious Jackson
Marrero (La.) OLB Michael Divinity
Scottsdale (Ariz.) WR N’Keal Harry
Scottsdale (Ariz.) CB Byron Murphy
Long Beach (Calif.) Poly ATH (more like CB) Jack Jones
Kingwood ATH Sewo Olonilua
Beaumont Central RB Devwah Whaley
They’re also seriously in the hunt for Wichita (Kan.) DE Xavier Kelly (who I expect to go to UGA), DE Justin Madubuike, ILB Jeffery McCulloch and CB Kristian Fulton. The national guys, after talking to Jared Mayden, came away from the conversation with the impression that A&M and LSU led for the Sachse 4-star CB. These are all just 4- and 5-stars that they’re in the serious hunt for (as a result, guys I really like, including Eric Cuffee and D’Vaughn Pennamon, are not listed). Are they going to get all of these guys? No, it would be beyond comprehension if they did. But if they got half of them, which is viable, that’s a great haul.
Freaking out over recruiting in the first week of June is more than a little premature. It’s a lot premature.
Three guys (from both the ’16 and ’17 classes) from the 5-star A&M needs to get
Rob and I discussed this at some length, and we came up with the same six guys: Byron Murphy, N’Keal Harry and Michael Divinity for 2016 and LB Anthony Hines, QB Tate Martell and DT Marvin Wilson for 2017.
On Murphy
I loved his feet. He had really good hips. He could step in and play next year. He’ll have growing pains, but he can play. I loved his ball awareness; he stayed aggressive the whole time, and that’s what you need from your corners. (Rob)
Easily the best footwork I have ever seen from a high school corner. His quickness and change of direction were remarkable. He was extremely aggressive, broke on the ball well and did a better job getting to the ball than the wideouts did. He’s got respectable size and good speed, and you know John Chavis loves aggressive corners. He became target #1 for me for the rest of this class this weekend. (Mark)
On Harry
I was impressed with how big and physically mature he was. The biggest value he brings is his physical stature. You’ve got to take hits from SEC safeties and he can do it. (Rob)
This kid is built. Aaron Moorehead wants wideouts who are physically capable of getting off the jam, and that shouldn’t be tough for him from day one. He’s also an extremely fluid athlete. He could end up being scary good. (Mark)
On Divinity
He should be tops on their list of linebackers along with Keion Joyner. If they can’t close on some more linebackers, they’re going to be in trouble in this class. (Rob)
He got a lot bigger from last year to this year and may have been the most athletic linebacker out there. His 7-on-7 team sucked, so he actually ended up playing wideout because he was the fastest guy on the team (their two stars got hurt and couldn’t compete). He made some fantastic plays in one-on-one coverage drills. A&M leads for this guy and they need to lock him down. He’s the kind of guy this defense lacks. (Mark)
On Hines
He’s got the speed and instincts you want, but he’s got to get bigger. He will over the next year though. (Rob)
Nobody drew more controversy than Hines. I liked what I saw early, then some national guys griped that he wasn’t any good at all. He needs to get bigger, certainly, but after seeing how much bigger Divinity got in a year, I’m not really worried about that. His instincts are good and he’s got good quickness side-to-side. There’s a reason the kid has 70 offers. (Mark)
On Martell
He’s got great confidence and attitude; some of the parts of the QB competition we watched Sunday, they threw from the 45 into the fade net in the corner of the end zone, and he hit two or three. He’s got a good deep ball, great accuracy. (Rob)
I overheard the guy who ran the QB challenge say Martell has “it”, and he’s right. Martell reminded me more of Kerville Tivy Johnny Manziel than any kid I’ve ever met. He’s a little cocky, but he knows he can back it up. He’s got a great arm, good accuracy, and excellent field vision. He also wants to be the next Johnny Football. A&M needs to lock him down, especially if they go 0-fer at QB this year.
On Wilson
That kid’s gonna be good. For me. His development, from a technique standpoint, surprised me. I was surprised at how advanced he was. If he continues to progress, he’ll get a big bump in the rankings. (Rob)
Easily the shock of the weekend for me. This young man is outstanding and will get better as he develops physically. In terms of techniques, moves and football smarts, he’s way ahead of the pack. He’s not nearly the physical monster Daylon Mack was at the 5-star, but he’s got a lot more moves and is even quicker than Mack is. When he transforms some of his baby fat into muscle, he’s going to be an absolute beast. (Mark)
On second thought, no thanks
The disappointment for the weekend was also one Rob and I agreed on: Killeen DT and Alabama commit Kendell Jones. He’s a monster, no doubt, but he was unimpressive as a football player. He was 0 for 5 in his one-on-ones over the weekend and get absolutely stoned several times, including twice by Greg Little. He’s stiff, he doesn’t have explosion off the ball and has no secondary moves. I saw the national guys put him second team all-Challenge on the defensive line, and that’s utterly ridiculous. He has no business being there, but a few guys just can’t see past his size. I’d take Marvin Wilson over Jones right now.
Why the optimism on Harry and Murphy?
Just to keep it simple: both guys said they were going to the same school. Both guys were pressed for a top three, and gave it. The only school on both lists? A&M.
Why I’m a little more confident on Greg Little
First, I spent a good bit of time talking to him this weekend and I really like the kid personally. Not that that has a darned thing to do with anything. What DOES, though, is how he referred to A&M – as “we”. That can change at the drop of the hat, but it was still worth noting. If Dave Christensen works him through the fall, I think he’ll stay. That was the large consensus among people at the challenge as well.
So much for that idea
Thursday night, I was assured by someone that Tre Turner had A&M as his leader. So I dutifully reported it in Tidbits. And, of course, he committed to Arizona State. Print, burn. Anyway, now getting after Pennamon and Whaley becomes imperative. Still, I don’t agree with someone that posted earlier today that running back is a “major need” right now. I do think they need another guy to fill out the depth chart, but you have James White/Keith Ford/Kendall Bussey and, if need be, Jay Bradford through 2017. The situation depth-wise is not any worse than it is now.
Old school Monday
Give 'em hell, Ronnie.
This is really starting to get ridiculous. A&M picked up two commits over the weekend and people are accusing them of being lazy or just taking who they can get because they’re three-stars. They offered a couple of other wide receivers, who are also three-stars. Since they also had four three-stars and a two-star already committed, the sky is plainly falling.
Or is it because they only have 10 commits that the sky is falling? It’s getting tough to keep track.
Let’s take a look around the rest of the west and see how horrible A&M is doing in comparison. First, LSU is killing it. Everyone’s class is inferior to theirs. They’re doing a great job. Now, let’s look at the supposedly amazing Alabama class: 11 commits, 4 3-stars and a guy who isn’t rated at all. Auburn: 6 commits, two 3-stars. Ole Miss: 14 commits (slow down, fellas), eight 3-stars. Arkansas: 6 commits, five 3-stars. Mississippi State: 10 commits, all 3-stars.
In other words, A&M is right in line with the rest of the west (save #1 in the nation for sure LSU) so far. I said a few weeks ago that getting crazy about this was extremely premature, and after our trip to Baltimore, I feel even more strongly that’s the case. Rob and I were floored by how many players at the Rivals 100 5-Star Challenge that the Aggies weren’t just in on, but have a very real case of landing. Some of those guys you haven’t even really heard of because nobody took their chances seriously. The other day, I did a list of guys who were highly rated that I thought A&M was at least in the top two for. Let’s make some additions to that list now.
Nacogdoches S Brandon Jones
Euless Trinity DT Chris Daniels
Manvel S Deontay Anderson
North Mesquite OL Jean Delance
North Shore CB/S Eric Monroe
Havelock (N.C.) LB Keion Joyner
Elkins ILB Dontavious Jackson
Marrero (La.) OLB Michael Divinity
Scottsdale (Ariz.) WR N’Keal Harry
Scottsdale (Ariz.) CB Byron Murphy
Long Beach (Calif.) Poly ATH (more like CB) Jack Jones
Kingwood ATH Sewo Olonilua
Beaumont Central RB Devwah Whaley
They’re also seriously in the hunt for Wichita (Kan.) DE Xavier Kelly (who I expect to go to UGA), DE Justin Madubuike, ILB Jeffery McCulloch and CB Kristian Fulton. The national guys, after talking to Jared Mayden, came away from the conversation with the impression that A&M and LSU led for the Sachse 4-star CB. These are all just 4- and 5-stars that they’re in the serious hunt for (as a result, guys I really like, including Eric Cuffee and D’Vaughn Pennamon, are not listed). Are they going to get all of these guys? No, it would be beyond comprehension if they did. But if they got half of them, which is viable, that’s a great haul.
Freaking out over recruiting in the first week of June is more than a little premature. It’s a lot premature.
Three guys (from both the ’16 and ’17 classes) from the 5-star A&M needs to get
Rob and I discussed this at some length, and we came up with the same six guys: Byron Murphy, N’Keal Harry and Michael Divinity for 2016 and LB Anthony Hines, QB Tate Martell and DT Marvin Wilson for 2017.
On Murphy
I loved his feet. He had really good hips. He could step in and play next year. He’ll have growing pains, but he can play. I loved his ball awareness; he stayed aggressive the whole time, and that’s what you need from your corners. (Rob)
Easily the best footwork I have ever seen from a high school corner. His quickness and change of direction were remarkable. He was extremely aggressive, broke on the ball well and did a better job getting to the ball than the wideouts did. He’s got respectable size and good speed, and you know John Chavis loves aggressive corners. He became target #1 for me for the rest of this class this weekend. (Mark)
On Harry
I was impressed with how big and physically mature he was. The biggest value he brings is his physical stature. You’ve got to take hits from SEC safeties and he can do it. (Rob)
This kid is built. Aaron Moorehead wants wideouts who are physically capable of getting off the jam, and that shouldn’t be tough for him from day one. He’s also an extremely fluid athlete. He could end up being scary good. (Mark)
On Divinity
He should be tops on their list of linebackers along with Keion Joyner. If they can’t close on some more linebackers, they’re going to be in trouble in this class. (Rob)
He got a lot bigger from last year to this year and may have been the most athletic linebacker out there. His 7-on-7 team sucked, so he actually ended up playing wideout because he was the fastest guy on the team (their two stars got hurt and couldn’t compete). He made some fantastic plays in one-on-one coverage drills. A&M leads for this guy and they need to lock him down. He’s the kind of guy this defense lacks. (Mark)
On Hines
He’s got the speed and instincts you want, but he’s got to get bigger. He will over the next year though. (Rob)
Nobody drew more controversy than Hines. I liked what I saw early, then some national guys griped that he wasn’t any good at all. He needs to get bigger, certainly, but after seeing how much bigger Divinity got in a year, I’m not really worried about that. His instincts are good and he’s got good quickness side-to-side. There’s a reason the kid has 70 offers. (Mark)
On Martell
He’s got great confidence and attitude; some of the parts of the QB competition we watched Sunday, they threw from the 45 into the fade net in the corner of the end zone, and he hit two or three. He’s got a good deep ball, great accuracy. (Rob)
I overheard the guy who ran the QB challenge say Martell has “it”, and he’s right. Martell reminded me more of Kerville Tivy Johnny Manziel than any kid I’ve ever met. He’s a little cocky, but he knows he can back it up. He’s got a great arm, good accuracy, and excellent field vision. He also wants to be the next Johnny Football. A&M needs to lock him down, especially if they go 0-fer at QB this year.
On Wilson
That kid’s gonna be good. For me. His development, from a technique standpoint, surprised me. I was surprised at how advanced he was. If he continues to progress, he’ll get a big bump in the rankings. (Rob)
Easily the shock of the weekend for me. This young man is outstanding and will get better as he develops physically. In terms of techniques, moves and football smarts, he’s way ahead of the pack. He’s not nearly the physical monster Daylon Mack was at the 5-star, but he’s got a lot more moves and is even quicker than Mack is. When he transforms some of his baby fat into muscle, he’s going to be an absolute beast. (Mark)
On second thought, no thanks
The disappointment for the weekend was also one Rob and I agreed on: Killeen DT and Alabama commit Kendell Jones. He’s a monster, no doubt, but he was unimpressive as a football player. He was 0 for 5 in his one-on-ones over the weekend and get absolutely stoned several times, including twice by Greg Little. He’s stiff, he doesn’t have explosion off the ball and has no secondary moves. I saw the national guys put him second team all-Challenge on the defensive line, and that’s utterly ridiculous. He has no business being there, but a few guys just can’t see past his size. I’d take Marvin Wilson over Jones right now.
Why the optimism on Harry and Murphy?
Just to keep it simple: both guys said they were going to the same school. Both guys were pressed for a top three, and gave it. The only school on both lists? A&M.
Why I’m a little more confident on Greg Little
First, I spent a good bit of time talking to him this weekend and I really like the kid personally. Not that that has a darned thing to do with anything. What DOES, though, is how he referred to A&M – as “we”. That can change at the drop of the hat, but it was still worth noting. If Dave Christensen works him through the fall, I think he’ll stay. That was the large consensus among people at the challenge as well.
So much for that idea
Thursday night, I was assured by someone that Tre Turner had A&M as his leader. So I dutifully reported it in Tidbits. And, of course, he committed to Arizona State. Print, burn. Anyway, now getting after Pennamon and Whaley becomes imperative. Still, I don’t agree with someone that posted earlier today that running back is a “major need” right now. I do think they need another guy to fill out the depth chart, but you have James White/Keith Ford/Kendall Bussey and, if need be, Jay Bradford through 2017. The situation depth-wise is not any worse than it is now.
Old school Monday
Give 'em hell, Ronnie.
