Recruiting plusses
The story that came out over the weekend about Byron Murphy setting up his first official to A&M was, unquestionably, good news. Rob and I have been of the opinion A&M leads for him and N'Keal Harry since we were in Baltimore, and this sure does nothing to change that. Murphy, in my opinion, is one of the top targets on the board. He's not only a player at a need position, but he's a very good corner. He's aggressive, has great footwork and changes direction better than any high school corner I've ever seen in person. Get him over here and lock him in a room until signing day if need be. Just make sure you get him.
The Aggies had two studs from Louisiana on campus late last week in LB Michael Divinity and WR Clyde Leflore-Chriss. Both are excellent talents, and it looks like A&M did a good job wooing them.
"I fell in love all over again with Texas A&M," Divinity said, giving his visit a 10. Leflore-Chriss went off the charts.
"I give my time there in 11," he said. "I will definitely be taking one of my officials to A&M."
In a recruiting season that looks to be backloaded and has been pretty vanilla to date, these are the types of things you want to see when thinking about finishing strong.
Well, that's festive
I don't even know who this guy is, but Alex Scarborough on ESPN said today that John Chavis isn't going to be able to snap his fingers and make A&M into a top 5 defense. I'm glad he's here to tell us these things, aren't you? But here's the deal: A&M doesn't need a top 5 defense; if it can get one into the 50s, the Aggies are going to be tough to beat. I know there are a lot of expectations on Chavis, but saying he won't be able to get the Aggies to a top 5 D and therefore they won't be able to compete is just blindingly silly. It shows he hasn't done much, if any, homework.
What I sent the ASU guys (note: long and probably boring)
Note: I also added likely starters on both sides of the ball, but I think you already know those. If you want them, let me know and I'll post them in a reply.
The Aggie offense at a glance
The A&M offense has been explosive since Kevin Sumlin’s arrival in 2012, and this year should be no exception. There are high expectations for Scottsdale native Allen (118-192, 1,322 yards, 16 TD, 7 INT in 2014), who took over from Kenny Hill at midseason and showed flashes of excellence, lighting up then-No. 3 Auburn for 4 touchdown passes in a 41-38 road win, then winning the Liberty Bowl MVP when he threw for 294 yards and 4 scores while running for another.
This spring, Allen impressed the coaching staff with his development and his willingness to lead, in spite of only being a sophomore with five starts under his belt. His knowledge of the offense and his throws drew positive attention and the number one quarterback in the 2014 recruiting class is expected to hold off another top recruit, freshman Kyler Murray, for the starting job.
While big things are expected from Allen, the Aggies are hoping to give him a lot of help. Sumlin placed an emphasis on becoming more physical in the offseason, firing line coach B.J. Anderson and bringing in Dave Christensen, who was the offensive coordinator at Utah in 2014, as the offensive line coach and running game coordinator. The bulk of A&M’s running game will be handled by two classic SEC pounders, Carson (124 carries for 603 yards and 5 TDs) and redshirt sophomore James White (22 carries for 153 yards and 3 TDs). Carson is the bigger of the two backs but White is a bruiser himself at 225 pounds. White, however, also has breakaway speed and could become an increasingly big part of the offense in 2015 with Trey Williams with the Washington Redskins and Brandon Williams on the other side of the football. True freshman Kendall Bussey, a 4-star from New Orleans, should get most of the remaining carries.
In order for the physical backs to have success, however, the Aggies have to settle on a starting offensive line. Even though the Aggies kept their streak of first round left tackles alive when Cedric Ogbuehi was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, the line was a disappointment in 2014 and will have at least two new starters this year. Matthews and Ifedi are multi-year veterans and second-team preseason All-SEC picks, but the left tackle and guard spots are open. Ifedi could move to left tackle, but it appears the job will go to Gennesy, a powerful JUCO transfer who redshirted last year in preparation to take over from Ogbuehi. Eluemunor, also a redshirt JUCO transfer, is the odds-on favorite to win the guard job, but he’s facing tough competition from redshirt freshman Koda Martin and true freshman Keaton Southerland, both of whom will eventually end up as tackles. Joseph Cheek, who was inconsistent in his first season at right guard, is expected to remain the starter there.
The strength of A&M’s offense is unquestionably its receiving corps, with a unit that can go 10 deep and a starting four that is likely the nation’s best. Reynolds (52 catches for 842 yards and 13 TDs) came out of nowhere to set the school record for scoring receptions in his first season on campus and has a strong rapport with Allen; still, he could be overshadowed by the explosive Noil (46 catches for 583 yards and 5 TDs), who made a number of spectacular catches during his true freshman season and is a tremendous talent. On the inside, the Aggies have the massive Seals-Jones (49 catches for 465 yards and 4 TDs), who appears to have fully regained his explosiveness after a patella tendon tear cost him nearly all of the 2013 season. Malcome Kennedy was the team’s leading receiver and a consistent presence in 2014, but the Aggies feel they may have an upgrade in Kirk, a 5-star recruit and another Scottsdale native. Kirk was on campus at the mid-term and has already impressed the coaching staff with his skills and work ethic.
Aggie defense at a glance
The defense has been a major problem for each of the last two seasons as A&M ended up worse than 100 in total defense both seasons. That cost Mark Snyder his job and led to a massive upgrade in John Chavis, the architect of LSU’s top-flight defenses of the past half-decade and 25 –year SEC veteran. Chavis has a lot of work to do, but the cupboard is not bare on the defensive side of the ball.
Chavis likes to use an attacking style of defense, and he’s made a number of changes up front that show what he has in mind. The star of the show is plainly Garrett (53 tackles, 14 TFL, SEC freshman record 11.5 sacks), already a first-team All-SEC selection and an All-American candidate. A freakish athlete with a tremendous work ethic, Garrett could be the nation’s top pass rusher this year. In order to give him help, Chavis installed his former backup, Hall (29 tackles, 6 TFL, 4.5 sacks) as the other starting defensive end. Hall, a former 4-star recruit, is also considered to be a quality pass rusher. Obioha (47 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack), who started at defensive end during his first three seasons, has upped his weight to over 280 pounds moved inside as Chavis looks to add speed to the front line. He’ll play next to Williams (57 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks), who has considerable quickness for a 300-pound tackle.
The Aggies will have plenty of options up front at all four positions, including pass rushing sophomore and Chandler native Qualen Cunningham, big bodies Hardreck Walker and Zaycoven Henderson in the middle as well as Daylon Mack, a highly regarded true freshman tackle who squats more than 700 pounds.
While Chavis feels good about his front line and its ability to be aggressive, questions begin to pop up at linebacker. Alaka (33 tackles, 3.5 TFL) was the defensive player of the Liberty Bowl and will pick up after starting the final four games of 2014; Washington (64 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks) will likely be the other starter on the outside. In the middle, he’ll choose between Hilliard, who suffered a gruesome injury in the season opener against South Carolina that cost him the rest of the season, and sophomore Josh Walker (27 tackles, 1 TFL, .5 sacks) who performed well down the stretch before getting hurt himself. The question is depth, with only JUCO transfer Claude George a certainty to be in the rotation. Multiple freshmen, including 4-star Richard Moore and the speedy Dwaine Thomas, figure to be pressed into duty.
The Aggies know Devante Harris (53 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PBU) will start at one corner; they have no idea about the other. In an effort to give themselves more options, they moved running back Brandon Williams (6 foot, 200 pounds) to corner after spring practice and have been giving him a crash course at the position. Williams runs a sub 4.3-second 40-yard dash and is a great athlete, but there’s no telling if he’ll be able to contribute. Sophomores Harvey and Victor Davis, both of whom did not impress in 2014, appear to be the other options. The nickel job will likely go to Ellis, who missed 2014 after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Both safety positions appear solid, with Watts (59 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 INT) and impressive JUCO transfer Evans entrenched in the starting lineup with plenty of options behind them.
The Aggies have been plagued by mental mistakes and giving up big plays over the past two seasons, and Chavis is hoping to alter the scheme and the mindset of the defense. He’s simplified things for each players, making sure they have less to know but emphasizing accountability. Whether the improvements he makes will be enough for A&M to move into the upper echelon of the SEC in 2015 is the team’s major question.
The story that came out over the weekend about Byron Murphy setting up his first official to A&M was, unquestionably, good news. Rob and I have been of the opinion A&M leads for him and N'Keal Harry since we were in Baltimore, and this sure does nothing to change that. Murphy, in my opinion, is one of the top targets on the board. He's not only a player at a need position, but he's a very good corner. He's aggressive, has great footwork and changes direction better than any high school corner I've ever seen in person. Get him over here and lock him in a room until signing day if need be. Just make sure you get him.
The Aggies had two studs from Louisiana on campus late last week in LB Michael Divinity and WR Clyde Leflore-Chriss. Both are excellent talents, and it looks like A&M did a good job wooing them.
"I fell in love all over again with Texas A&M," Divinity said, giving his visit a 10. Leflore-Chriss went off the charts.
"I give my time there in 11," he said. "I will definitely be taking one of my officials to A&M."
In a recruiting season that looks to be backloaded and has been pretty vanilla to date, these are the types of things you want to see when thinking about finishing strong.
Well, that's festive
I don't even know who this guy is, but Alex Scarborough on ESPN said today that John Chavis isn't going to be able to snap his fingers and make A&M into a top 5 defense. I'm glad he's here to tell us these things, aren't you? But here's the deal: A&M doesn't need a top 5 defense; if it can get one into the 50s, the Aggies are going to be tough to beat. I know there are a lot of expectations on Chavis, but saying he won't be able to get the Aggies to a top 5 D and therefore they won't be able to compete is just blindingly silly. It shows he hasn't done much, if any, homework.
What I sent the ASU guys (note: long and probably boring)
Note: I also added likely starters on both sides of the ball, but I think you already know those. If you want them, let me know and I'll post them in a reply.
The Aggie offense at a glance
The A&M offense has been explosive since Kevin Sumlin’s arrival in 2012, and this year should be no exception. There are high expectations for Scottsdale native Allen (118-192, 1,322 yards, 16 TD, 7 INT in 2014), who took over from Kenny Hill at midseason and showed flashes of excellence, lighting up then-No. 3 Auburn for 4 touchdown passes in a 41-38 road win, then winning the Liberty Bowl MVP when he threw for 294 yards and 4 scores while running for another.
This spring, Allen impressed the coaching staff with his development and his willingness to lead, in spite of only being a sophomore with five starts under his belt. His knowledge of the offense and his throws drew positive attention and the number one quarterback in the 2014 recruiting class is expected to hold off another top recruit, freshman Kyler Murray, for the starting job.
While big things are expected from Allen, the Aggies are hoping to give him a lot of help. Sumlin placed an emphasis on becoming more physical in the offseason, firing line coach B.J. Anderson and bringing in Dave Christensen, who was the offensive coordinator at Utah in 2014, as the offensive line coach and running game coordinator. The bulk of A&M’s running game will be handled by two classic SEC pounders, Carson (124 carries for 603 yards and 5 TDs) and redshirt sophomore James White (22 carries for 153 yards and 3 TDs). Carson is the bigger of the two backs but White is a bruiser himself at 225 pounds. White, however, also has breakaway speed and could become an increasingly big part of the offense in 2015 with Trey Williams with the Washington Redskins and Brandon Williams on the other side of the football. True freshman Kendall Bussey, a 4-star from New Orleans, should get most of the remaining carries.
In order for the physical backs to have success, however, the Aggies have to settle on a starting offensive line. Even though the Aggies kept their streak of first round left tackles alive when Cedric Ogbuehi was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, the line was a disappointment in 2014 and will have at least two new starters this year. Matthews and Ifedi are multi-year veterans and second-team preseason All-SEC picks, but the left tackle and guard spots are open. Ifedi could move to left tackle, but it appears the job will go to Gennesy, a powerful JUCO transfer who redshirted last year in preparation to take over from Ogbuehi. Eluemunor, also a redshirt JUCO transfer, is the odds-on favorite to win the guard job, but he’s facing tough competition from redshirt freshman Koda Martin and true freshman Keaton Southerland, both of whom will eventually end up as tackles. Joseph Cheek, who was inconsistent in his first season at right guard, is expected to remain the starter there.
The strength of A&M’s offense is unquestionably its receiving corps, with a unit that can go 10 deep and a starting four that is likely the nation’s best. Reynolds (52 catches for 842 yards and 13 TDs) came out of nowhere to set the school record for scoring receptions in his first season on campus and has a strong rapport with Allen; still, he could be overshadowed by the explosive Noil (46 catches for 583 yards and 5 TDs), who made a number of spectacular catches during his true freshman season and is a tremendous talent. On the inside, the Aggies have the massive Seals-Jones (49 catches for 465 yards and 4 TDs), who appears to have fully regained his explosiveness after a patella tendon tear cost him nearly all of the 2013 season. Malcome Kennedy was the team’s leading receiver and a consistent presence in 2014, but the Aggies feel they may have an upgrade in Kirk, a 5-star recruit and another Scottsdale native. Kirk was on campus at the mid-term and has already impressed the coaching staff with his skills and work ethic.
Aggie defense at a glance
The defense has been a major problem for each of the last two seasons as A&M ended up worse than 100 in total defense both seasons. That cost Mark Snyder his job and led to a massive upgrade in John Chavis, the architect of LSU’s top-flight defenses of the past half-decade and 25 –year SEC veteran. Chavis has a lot of work to do, but the cupboard is not bare on the defensive side of the ball.
Chavis likes to use an attacking style of defense, and he’s made a number of changes up front that show what he has in mind. The star of the show is plainly Garrett (53 tackles, 14 TFL, SEC freshman record 11.5 sacks), already a first-team All-SEC selection and an All-American candidate. A freakish athlete with a tremendous work ethic, Garrett could be the nation’s top pass rusher this year. In order to give him help, Chavis installed his former backup, Hall (29 tackles, 6 TFL, 4.5 sacks) as the other starting defensive end. Hall, a former 4-star recruit, is also considered to be a quality pass rusher. Obioha (47 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack), who started at defensive end during his first three seasons, has upped his weight to over 280 pounds moved inside as Chavis looks to add speed to the front line. He’ll play next to Williams (57 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks), who has considerable quickness for a 300-pound tackle.
The Aggies will have plenty of options up front at all four positions, including pass rushing sophomore and Chandler native Qualen Cunningham, big bodies Hardreck Walker and Zaycoven Henderson in the middle as well as Daylon Mack, a highly regarded true freshman tackle who squats more than 700 pounds.
While Chavis feels good about his front line and its ability to be aggressive, questions begin to pop up at linebacker. Alaka (33 tackles, 3.5 TFL) was the defensive player of the Liberty Bowl and will pick up after starting the final four games of 2014; Washington (64 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks) will likely be the other starter on the outside. In the middle, he’ll choose between Hilliard, who suffered a gruesome injury in the season opener against South Carolina that cost him the rest of the season, and sophomore Josh Walker (27 tackles, 1 TFL, .5 sacks) who performed well down the stretch before getting hurt himself. The question is depth, with only JUCO transfer Claude George a certainty to be in the rotation. Multiple freshmen, including 4-star Richard Moore and the speedy Dwaine Thomas, figure to be pressed into duty.
The Aggies know Devante Harris (53 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PBU) will start at one corner; they have no idea about the other. In an effort to give themselves more options, they moved running back Brandon Williams (6 foot, 200 pounds) to corner after spring practice and have been giving him a crash course at the position. Williams runs a sub 4.3-second 40-yard dash and is a great athlete, but there’s no telling if he’ll be able to contribute. Sophomores Harvey and Victor Davis, both of whom did not impress in 2014, appear to be the other options. The nickel job will likely go to Ellis, who missed 2014 after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Both safety positions appear solid, with Watts (59 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 INT) and impressive JUCO transfer Evans entrenched in the starting lineup with plenty of options behind them.
The Aggies have been plagued by mental mistakes and giving up big plays over the past two seasons, and Chavis is hoping to alter the scheme and the mindset of the defense. He’s simplified things for each players, making sure they have less to know but emphasizing accountability. Whether the improvements he makes will be enough for A&M to move into the upper echelon of the SEC in 2015 is the team’s major question.
