Aggies doing work in an under-recruited area
One of the first things Kevin Sumlin wanted to do when he took over as Texas A&M’s head coach was to re-establish the Aggies in East Texas. He has done so, with five East Texas commits in the 2015 class and five already in this class. But the Aggies are also doing work in an area where they’re largely quiet: San Antonio. The area, literally in Texas’ back yard, has primarily been a place where the Longhorns and, more recently, OU have gone looking while A&M has gone elsewhere. This year, however, Jeff Banks and Aaron Moorehead have been active in the area and have already picked up commitments from the area’s two top talents, DE Mark Jackson and LB Alton Robinson. Considering the ties they have to the third top prospect, WR Moses Reynolds, they’re probably the odds-on favorite to land him too. Ironically enough, both Jackson and Robinson grew up fans of Texas and Baylor, but got to know John Chavis, visited College Station and shut it down. Texas did offer Robinson, but he didn’t even bother to visit Austin before committing to the Aggies.
The latest on Greg Little
After dominating the Rivals 5-Star Challenge in Baltimore, Allen OL and A&M commit Greg Little took his time getting home. He has visited Tuscaloosa and Oxford on the trip back to Texas, as expected, but has not changed his commitment status. He remains tenuously committed to the Aggies, who he did refer to as “we” in several conversations in Baltimore. This one is really going to come down to how well Dave Christensen recruits him, nothing more and nothing less. Little wants to know exactly what Christensen’s plans are and how he’s going to develop him. He was very close to B.J. Anderson and David Beaty, and their losses hurt A&M’s cause. Still, if all things are equal, he’s comfortable at A&M and Kyler Murray’s presence is a big deal. It’s really going to be up to Christensen, and to a lesser extent Sumlin, to keep him locked down. Most people still believe that, in spite of his looking around, he will eventually end up in College Station.
Receivers from last weekend's camp (Rob)
It is obvious that the Aggies had a great crop of receivers on hand for last weekend's initial camp of the summer. Four offers went out at the receiver position following the camp to Frankston (TX) 2016 WR Kendrick Rodgers (who has since committed to the Aggies), 2016 Langham Creek WR Quartney Davis, 2017 St. Thomas WR Jhamon Ausbon and 2017 John Tyler WR Damion Miller. I was able to speak to one person who was at the camp who said it wasn't even close as to the level of competition for this group of receivers and that they stood out throughout the camp despite average quarterback play. This source as well as several others this week brought up Rodgers specifically for his standout camp and his physical stature. All four offers camp as no surprise to those at the camp.
Out of State Speedsters to visit A&M (Rob)
Several of us here have talked with Florida speedster Tre Nixon over the last few months and all along he said he would work to visit the Aggies in person this summer. Well, that will come to fruition this weekend as the 4-star Viera (FL) standout comes to state to visit both Texas and Texas A&M. He will be at A&M's camp on Sunday. Nixon will be joined by another out of state speedster in Powder Springs (GA) receiver Tyler Simmons who will also be at Sunday's camp. Simmons has had some interest on both sides of the ball so it will be interesting to see if he does work out, which position it will be at. I'm guessing receiver.
Chavis making a difference with Dontavious Jackson (Matt)
Alief (Texas) Elsik inside linebacker Dontavious Jackson has collected over 60 FBS offers throughout the process and recently narrowed things down to 18 programs, including the Aggies.
“I tried to narrow things down as much as I could for now,” Jackson said. “It’s a work in progress, but 18 schools is what I ended up with and the goal is to have it down to 7-10 programs by the end of this summer.”
Why did Texas A&M make the cut for the standout linebacker this time around?
“I have visited A&M a few times and really enjoyed my time around the program, plus my relationship with coaching staff is strong,” Jackson said. “I talk with Coach (Clarence) McKinney, Coach (Mark) Hagen and Coach (John) Chavis every week.
“With Coach Chavis, I know he is one of the best defensive coordinators there is and he’s very aggressive. He knows what he wants and I’m ready to see what he does with the defense at Texas A&M. Coach McKinney and I are both from the same area. We relate so much it’s crazy and I always have great conversations with him.”
Jackson has already taken multiple visits to the in-state programs and plans to see more out of state programs this summer.
“I might get out to see A&M again sometime, but I’m mostly trying to visit some out of state programs this summer. I’m visiting the West Coast to see USC, UCLA and Utah. Then I’m going to visit all of the Florida schools – Miami, Florida and Florida State as well.”
The 6-foot-3, 239-pound linebacker is the No. 12 rated inside linebacker in the nation and the No. 36 player in the Rivals Texas Spring Top 100 for the 2016 class.
A new possibility at tight end? (Matt)
Marble Falls offensive tackle Ryan Becker is an intriguing prospect for several college football programs of late. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder already holds nearly 10 FBS offers and more programs have started to show interest lately.
Becker is listed at offensive tackle, but various programs are recruiting him at both defensive end and tight end as well.
“I started to hear from Texas A&M later in the spring,” Becker said. “They are looking at me as a tight end and invited me down to their camp this past Sunday. I cannot remember the coaches name right now, but my family and I took a trip down to College Station this Sunday.
“I had just taken the SAT and wasn’t really planning on working out, but the coaches wanted to see me move in person and had me run a few routes at tight end. They were busy with a ton of other players at the camp and mentioned that I should hear back from them within the next two weeks.”
Becker has a busy schedule this summer with camps, visits and team roping with his high school team.
“I just finished the team roping state finals this past week,” Becker said. “Between that and the recruiting visits, my summer schedule is packed. I visited Texas Tech on Monday and plan on stopping by one of their camps this week, then I’m camping with Texas on Sunday.
“I’m not sure of all the dates, but I also have plans to visit SMU and have talked with my parents about visiting some out of state schools that are showing the most interest – Northwestern, Oregon State and Nebraska.”
The standout prospect is open to playing any position at the next level and feels that a decision will come whenever he feels comfortable.
“I really don’t have a preference, to be honest,” Becker said. “I just don’t want to ride the bench, so the fit is certainly important, but I’m also looking at the overall opportunity. My schedule is packed, but if I take a visit and feel good about things, then I could see myself making a decision whenever it feels right.”
Becker currently holds offers from Nebraska, Air Force, UNT, Northwestern, Oregon State, Rice, SMU, Texas Tech and UTSA.
McCulloch developing tight bond with Chavis (Matt)
Houston Aldine Davis inside linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch holds nearly 30 FBS offers and recently narrowed things down to a Top 12 that included the Aggies.
McCulloch explained why Texas A&M made the cut and shared more about his relationship with the coaching staff at A&M.
“With A&M, I believe that Coach (John) Chavis can turn the defense around,” McCulloch said. “Everyone knows that he is a defensive guru and I want to see what he does there. We had talked a little bit while he was still at LSU, and then we connected again once he was hired at Texas A&M.
“I talk with Coach Chavis at least once or twice a week, plus I have been talking with Coach (Kevin) Sumlin recently. They see me playing inside or outside linebacker in their defense. The coaches have mostly been reiterating how much they want me at A&M and how well I could fit into the defense.”
The standout prospect is already familiar with College Station after multiple visits and believes he could be back for another visit soon.
“I have visited College Station three times already,” McCulloch said. “It’s always great when I go there and I always have the most fun whenever I visit A&M. I’m probably going to visit again soon, then probably taking visits to LSU and Texas this summer too. I might be visiting Alabama for a camp, but I’m not sure on that one yet.
“I want to have things down to a Top 5 by the end of this summer and will figure out which schools I’m going to officially visit in the fall. Anything can happen or change, but I’m going to focus on these 12 programs over the summer and see where things go.”
McCulloch is rated the No. 10 overall inside linebacker in the nation, the No. 213 prospect in the latest Rivals250 national rankings and the No. 25 player in the Rivals Texas Spring Top 100 for the 2016 class.
(more in the next post)
One of the first things Kevin Sumlin wanted to do when he took over as Texas A&M’s head coach was to re-establish the Aggies in East Texas. He has done so, with five East Texas commits in the 2015 class and five already in this class. But the Aggies are also doing work in an area where they’re largely quiet: San Antonio. The area, literally in Texas’ back yard, has primarily been a place where the Longhorns and, more recently, OU have gone looking while A&M has gone elsewhere. This year, however, Jeff Banks and Aaron Moorehead have been active in the area and have already picked up commitments from the area’s two top talents, DE Mark Jackson and LB Alton Robinson. Considering the ties they have to the third top prospect, WR Moses Reynolds, they’re probably the odds-on favorite to land him too. Ironically enough, both Jackson and Robinson grew up fans of Texas and Baylor, but got to know John Chavis, visited College Station and shut it down. Texas did offer Robinson, but he didn’t even bother to visit Austin before committing to the Aggies.
The latest on Greg Little
After dominating the Rivals 5-Star Challenge in Baltimore, Allen OL and A&M commit Greg Little took his time getting home. He has visited Tuscaloosa and Oxford on the trip back to Texas, as expected, but has not changed his commitment status. He remains tenuously committed to the Aggies, who he did refer to as “we” in several conversations in Baltimore. This one is really going to come down to how well Dave Christensen recruits him, nothing more and nothing less. Little wants to know exactly what Christensen’s plans are and how he’s going to develop him. He was very close to B.J. Anderson and David Beaty, and their losses hurt A&M’s cause. Still, if all things are equal, he’s comfortable at A&M and Kyler Murray’s presence is a big deal. It’s really going to be up to Christensen, and to a lesser extent Sumlin, to keep him locked down. Most people still believe that, in spite of his looking around, he will eventually end up in College Station.
Receivers from last weekend's camp (Rob)
It is obvious that the Aggies had a great crop of receivers on hand for last weekend's initial camp of the summer. Four offers went out at the receiver position following the camp to Frankston (TX) 2016 WR Kendrick Rodgers (who has since committed to the Aggies), 2016 Langham Creek WR Quartney Davis, 2017 St. Thomas WR Jhamon Ausbon and 2017 John Tyler WR Damion Miller. I was able to speak to one person who was at the camp who said it wasn't even close as to the level of competition for this group of receivers and that they stood out throughout the camp despite average quarterback play. This source as well as several others this week brought up Rodgers specifically for his standout camp and his physical stature. All four offers camp as no surprise to those at the camp.
Out of State Speedsters to visit A&M (Rob)
Several of us here have talked with Florida speedster Tre Nixon over the last few months and all along he said he would work to visit the Aggies in person this summer. Well, that will come to fruition this weekend as the 4-star Viera (FL) standout comes to state to visit both Texas and Texas A&M. He will be at A&M's camp on Sunday. Nixon will be joined by another out of state speedster in Powder Springs (GA) receiver Tyler Simmons who will also be at Sunday's camp. Simmons has had some interest on both sides of the ball so it will be interesting to see if he does work out, which position it will be at. I'm guessing receiver.
Chavis making a difference with Dontavious Jackson (Matt)
Alief (Texas) Elsik inside linebacker Dontavious Jackson has collected over 60 FBS offers throughout the process and recently narrowed things down to 18 programs, including the Aggies.
“I tried to narrow things down as much as I could for now,” Jackson said. “It’s a work in progress, but 18 schools is what I ended up with and the goal is to have it down to 7-10 programs by the end of this summer.”
Why did Texas A&M make the cut for the standout linebacker this time around?
“I have visited A&M a few times and really enjoyed my time around the program, plus my relationship with coaching staff is strong,” Jackson said. “I talk with Coach (Clarence) McKinney, Coach (Mark) Hagen and Coach (John) Chavis every week.
“With Coach Chavis, I know he is one of the best defensive coordinators there is and he’s very aggressive. He knows what he wants and I’m ready to see what he does with the defense at Texas A&M. Coach McKinney and I are both from the same area. We relate so much it’s crazy and I always have great conversations with him.”
Jackson has already taken multiple visits to the in-state programs and plans to see more out of state programs this summer.
“I might get out to see A&M again sometime, but I’m mostly trying to visit some out of state programs this summer. I’m visiting the West Coast to see USC, UCLA and Utah. Then I’m going to visit all of the Florida schools – Miami, Florida and Florida State as well.”
The 6-foot-3, 239-pound linebacker is the No. 12 rated inside linebacker in the nation and the No. 36 player in the Rivals Texas Spring Top 100 for the 2016 class.
A new possibility at tight end? (Matt)
Marble Falls offensive tackle Ryan Becker is an intriguing prospect for several college football programs of late. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder already holds nearly 10 FBS offers and more programs have started to show interest lately.
Becker is listed at offensive tackle, but various programs are recruiting him at both defensive end and tight end as well.
“I started to hear from Texas A&M later in the spring,” Becker said. “They are looking at me as a tight end and invited me down to their camp this past Sunday. I cannot remember the coaches name right now, but my family and I took a trip down to College Station this Sunday.
“I had just taken the SAT and wasn’t really planning on working out, but the coaches wanted to see me move in person and had me run a few routes at tight end. They were busy with a ton of other players at the camp and mentioned that I should hear back from them within the next two weeks.”
Becker has a busy schedule this summer with camps, visits and team roping with his high school team.
“I just finished the team roping state finals this past week,” Becker said. “Between that and the recruiting visits, my summer schedule is packed. I visited Texas Tech on Monday and plan on stopping by one of their camps this week, then I’m camping with Texas on Sunday.
“I’m not sure of all the dates, but I also have plans to visit SMU and have talked with my parents about visiting some out of state schools that are showing the most interest – Northwestern, Oregon State and Nebraska.”
The standout prospect is open to playing any position at the next level and feels that a decision will come whenever he feels comfortable.
“I really don’t have a preference, to be honest,” Becker said. “I just don’t want to ride the bench, so the fit is certainly important, but I’m also looking at the overall opportunity. My schedule is packed, but if I take a visit and feel good about things, then I could see myself making a decision whenever it feels right.”
Becker currently holds offers from Nebraska, Air Force, UNT, Northwestern, Oregon State, Rice, SMU, Texas Tech and UTSA.
McCulloch developing tight bond with Chavis (Matt)
Houston Aldine Davis inside linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch holds nearly 30 FBS offers and recently narrowed things down to a Top 12 that included the Aggies.
McCulloch explained why Texas A&M made the cut and shared more about his relationship with the coaching staff at A&M.
“With A&M, I believe that Coach (John) Chavis can turn the defense around,” McCulloch said. “Everyone knows that he is a defensive guru and I want to see what he does there. We had talked a little bit while he was still at LSU, and then we connected again once he was hired at Texas A&M.
“I talk with Coach Chavis at least once or twice a week, plus I have been talking with Coach (Kevin) Sumlin recently. They see me playing inside or outside linebacker in their defense. The coaches have mostly been reiterating how much they want me at A&M and how well I could fit into the defense.”
The standout prospect is already familiar with College Station after multiple visits and believes he could be back for another visit soon.
“I have visited College Station three times already,” McCulloch said. “It’s always great when I go there and I always have the most fun whenever I visit A&M. I’m probably going to visit again soon, then probably taking visits to LSU and Texas this summer too. I might be visiting Alabama for a camp, but I’m not sure on that one yet.
“I want to have things down to a Top 5 by the end of this summer and will figure out which schools I’m going to officially visit in the fall. Anything can happen or change, but I’m going to focus on these 12 programs over the summer and see where things go.”
McCulloch is rated the No. 10 overall inside linebacker in the nation, the No. 213 prospect in the latest Rivals250 national rankings and the No. 25 player in the Rivals Texas Spring Top 100 for the 2016 class.
(more in the next post)
